Parental consanguinity in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of consanguinity of parents of the patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). This would provide important information for future studies on the potential genetic bases of PNES. In this retrospective study, all patients with PNES, who were studied at Shiraz Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, from 2008 to 2018, were recruited. We categorized the patients as (1) no consanguineous marriage of the parents and (2) with consanguineous marriage of the parents. Three-hundred and sixteen patients had the data on their parental consanguinity available and were studied. The sex ratio (female:male) of the patients was 1.92 (208:108). Parents of 110 (35%) patients had consanguineous marriage, and parents of 206 (65%) patients did not. Demographic variables, seizure-related variables, PNES-associated factors, and the use of antiepileptic drugs were not significantly associated with parental consanguinity in the patients. In this study, we observed that more than one-third of the patients with PNES had parental consanguinity. This rate is very similar to the rate of consanguinity in the general population in Iran. • 316 patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) were studied. • Parents of 110 (35%) patients had consanguineous marriage. • Parental consanguinity in patients with PNES was not different from that in the general population. • No variable was significantly associated with parental consanguinity in the patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]