Attachment styles, identification of feelings and psychiatric symptoms in functional neurological disorders

Cuoco, Sofia; Nisticò, Veronica; Cappiello, Arianna; Scannapieco, Sara; Gambini, Orsola; Barone, Paolo; Erro, Roberto; Demartini, Benedetta

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110539

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Whereas mature defense style comprises normal and adaptive mechanisms of coping with troubling situations, both neurotic and immature styles are seen as dysfunctional and maladaptive coping strategies [48]. Patients with PNES are likely to use less mature defensive strategies, which again might be associated with insecure attachment patterns [49].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of attachment style on long-term outcomes in psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: Results from a prospective study

Villagran¹,

Lund²,

Duncan³

et al. 2022

Epilepsy & Behavior

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of attachment style on long-term outcomes in psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: Results from a prospective study

Villagran¹,

Lund²,

Duncan³

et al. 2022

Epilepsy & Behavior

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“…Insecure and disorganized attachment types have previously been associated with psychiatric disorders, including functional neurological disorders ( 10 , 32 , 33 ). Patients with PNES use less mature defensive strategies, which again might be linked to insecure attachment patterns ( 4 , 10 ). Dysfunctional family relationships and insecure attachment styles have been detected in patients with PNES but also patients with epilepsy ( 34 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to Bowlby’s attachment theory, adaptation to new experiences is strongly determined by the emotional relationships formed during childhood. Different types of attachment influence the creation of multiple mental representations of self and others ( 3 , 4 ). Bowlby described the separation reactions of hospitalized children aged 18–24 months, dividing these reactions into the following stages–protest, despair and detachment from the mother.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Attachment style of patients diagnosed with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures at a tertiary Epilepsy Center in the Czech Republic

Krámská

Hrešková²,

Krámský³

et al. 2022

Front. Psychiatry

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ObjectiveQuality and type of early relationships with primary caregivers is considered one of the key factors in the etiopathogenesis of many mental disorders including depression, anxiety, and conversion disorders. This study focused on the type and quality of attachment style in adult patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES).Materials and methodsWe evaluated the demographic data and profiles of PNES patients (n = 262) and group of healthy volunteers (n = 51) measured by the Parental Bonding Inventory (PBI) and Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) and Experiences in Close Relationships–Relationship Structure (ECR-RS).ResultsSignificant differences in measured values between the two groups were identified; specifically, differences in the caregiver style–father and mother overprotection (PBI) was higher in the PNES group. The most frequent type of attachment in PNES was type 2 (preoccupied). Correlations between the PBI and ECR results were also found.ConclusionThis study highlighted certain attachment styles in patients with PNES and statistically significant differences between patients with PNES and a healthy sample. Some correlations between the results of the questionnaires with socio-demographic factors were found. The identification of specific patterns in attachment may be useful for further use in reaching a differential diagnosis and administering tailored psychotherapy of patients with PNES.

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“…In the last decade, several studies showed that FND should be explained within a biopsychosocial framework (Pick et al, 2019). Psychological factors such as difficulties in emotion regulation, an avoidant adult attachment style (Cuoco et al, 2021), and alexithymia (Demartini et al, 2014), which is defined as a cluster of deficits in emotional processing at a cognitive level, such as difficulty to identify and describe one’s own feelings, externally oriented thinking, and limited imaginative capacity (Nemiah et al, 1976; Ricciardi et al, 2015), were found to be associated with FND. From a biological standpoint, structural and functional abnormalities (for a review see Begue et al 2019 and Demartini, Nisticò, et al, 2020) were found in the brain of patients with FND, especially in terms of limbic dysfunction (Demartini, Invernizzi, et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socio-demographic characteristics and psychopathological assessment in a sample of 13 paediatric patients with functional neurological disorders: A preliminary report

Paleari

Nisticò

Nardocci

et al. 2021

Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry

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This observational study aims to characterize, from a socio-demographic and psychopathological perspective, a sample of children with Functional Neurological Disorders (FND). Thirteen paediatric patients (below 18 years old) with FND and their parents completed a battery of anamnestic and neuropsychological tests, assessing socio-demographic status, cognitive level, behavioural and emotional issues, depression, anxiety, alexithymic traits and dissociative symptoms. Five patients presented movement disorders (tremor, myoclonus and gait disorder), three patients psychogenic non-epileptic seizures and five patients sensitivity disturbances (pain, anaesthesia and paraesthesia). Cognitive profile was normal in 11 patients; academic performance was good in nine patients, but three had a diagnosis of Specific Learning Difficulty or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Precipitating events occurred in 11 patients. At the self-report questionnaires, mean scores close to the clinical cut off were documented with respect to affective and somatic problems. At the parent-report questionnaires, clinically significant mean scores were observed in the subscales assessing anxious–depressive symptoms and somatic complaints. We speculate that paediatric FND patients, although acknowledging the relevance of somatic symptoms, have difficulties in recognizing internal emotional states (that, instead, are easily recognized by their parents). The case of one FND patient was described. These preliminary data might help identifying different clinical phenotypes of paediatric FND.

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Attachment styles, identification of feelings and psychiatric symptoms in functional neurological disorders

Cited by 10 publications

References 46 publications

The effect of attachment style on long-term outcomes in psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: Results from a prospective study

The effect of attachment style on long-term outcomes in psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: Results from a prospective study

Attachment style of patients diagnosed with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures at a tertiary Epilepsy Center in the Czech Republic

Socio-demographic characteristics and psychopathological assessment in a sample of 13 paediatric patients with functional neurological disorders: A preliminary report

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