159: Key Practice Takeaways From the New AAN Functional Seizure Guidelines

About this episode

Dr. Benjamin Tolchin discusses the new AAN guidelines on functional seizures and their implications for clinical practice.

Welcome to the NeurologyLive ® Mind Moments® podcast. Tune in to hear leaders in neurology sound off on topics that impact your clinical practice. In this Mind Moments episode, Benjamin Tolchin, MD, MS, FAAN, joins the podcast to provide clinical perspective on the recently published American Academy of Neurology (AAN) guidelines on functional seizures, drawing on his role as a contributing author to the recommendations. Tolchin, Director of the Center for Clinical Ethics at Yale New Haven Health and Associate Professor of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine, discusses what prompted the development of the first AAN guideline in this space and how the evidence base evolved to support formal recommendations. The conversation explores key considerations around diagnosing functional seizures, including history, semiology, EEG use, and the growing role of video documentation. Tolchin also addresses how clinicians should approach psychiatric comorbidities and co-occurring epilepsy, the evidence supporting psychological interventions, why pharmacologic therapies are not recommended for functional seizures themselves, and where major gaps remain in research to advance care in the years…

People in this episode

Host: Benjamin Tolchin

Guest: Benjamin Tolchin Md Ms Faan

Topics covered

• functional seizures
• AAN guidelines
• neurology
• clinical practice
• psychiatric comorbidities

Keywords

• diagnosing functional seizures
• EEG
• video documentation
• psychological interventions
• pharmacologic therapies

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Neurology News Minute

More episodes of NeurologyLive® Mind Moments®

• 168: Analyzing Phase 2 Data for PACAP Targeting Therapy Bocunebart in Migraine · June 12, 2026 · 18 min
• 167: New AASM Guidance on Combination Treatment for Chronic Insomnia · May 29, 2026 · 20 min
• 166: Understanding RNFL Asymmetry as a Biomarker in Pediatric MS · May 15, 2026 · 15 min
• 165: Addressing Cognitive Decline in Parkinson Disease · May 1, 2026 · 20 min
• 164: Tremor vs Dyskinesia: Practical Bedside Clues for Clinicians · April 17, 2026 · 25 min
• 163: The Clinical Reality of Seronegative Myasthenia Gravis · April 3, 2026 · 17 min