Destigmatizing Nonepileptic Attack Disorder
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Destigmatizing Nonepileptic Attack Disorder
IRAS ID
180632
Contact name
Markus Reuber
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 30 days
Research summary
Nonepileptic Attack Disorder (NEAD) is a serious mental health condition, associated with high societal and economic costs. Experts consider NEAD a biopsychosocial condition, but patients, and many non-expert healthcare professionals, find it difficult to understand how a physical problem such as a seizure could have anything to do with emotions and many patients feel stigmatized, ignored and misunderstood. The aim of this work is to destigmatize this disorder by exploring its neurobiological basis, which will help improve patients’ quality of life and clinicians’ understanding of this disorder. Economically this study is capitalizing on existing data and will investigate whether particular patterns of structural brain changes in regions involved in emotional regulation can inform us about the aetiology of this disorder, responsiveness to treatment and prognosis. A better neurobiological understanding of NEAD could transform the negative image of the disorder, and facilitate social acceptance of NEAD and NEAD treatments.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/SW/0008
Date of REC Opinion
25 Feb 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion