Ms. Ithier is divorced and has not held a steady job since she started having psychogenic nonepileptic seizures seven years ago.

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures may present similarly.

Instead she was suffering what are known as psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), seizure-like episodes that can be brought on due to trauma as well as depression and anxiety.

"People with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures can often have other psychological or psychogenic symptoms [like depression and trauma], and it is that comorbidity that people have been trying to sort out for a long time," said Dr. Martin Goldstein, director of cognitive neurology at the Mt.