Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures are episodes of movement, sensation, or behaviors that are similar to epileptic seizures but do not have a neurologic origin; rather, they are somatic manifestations of psychologic distress. Patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures frequently are misdiagnosed and treated for epilepsy. Video-electroencephalography monitoring is preferred for diagnosis. From 5 to 10 percent of outpatient epilepsy patients and 20 to 40 percent of inpatient epilepsy patients have psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.
Unformatted text preview: 373. Explain the function of the auditory tube. The function of the auditory tube ( Eustachian tube ) is to maintain equal air pressure on both sides of the tympanic membrane, which is necessary for normal hearing. 374. Distinguish between the osseous and the membranous labyrinths.
When a child experiences multiple ear infections, ear tubes (also called tympanostomy tubes, ventilation tubes, or PE [pressure equalization] tubes) may be recommended by an otolaryngologist. These tiny tubes are inserted through the ear drum and perform a number of functions: 1  The tube prevents many ear infections by allowing air in the middle ear to exchange freely with the outside air, preventing the formation of a vacuum in the middle ear. This tends to keep infection from coming to the ear from the back of the nose and causing the ear infection.