NEAD: A History

Written By Amy Wilson

Non‑epileptic seizures might feel new or unfamiliar when you first hear the term, but the truth is that people have been experiencing these episodes for thousands of years. What has changed over time is not the episodes themselves, but our understanding of them.

A very long time ago: people noticed seizure‑like episodes

Even in ancient medical writings, doctors described people having episodes that looked like epileptic seizures but didn’t behave like epilepsy. They didn’t have EEGs or brain scans, so they used the language of their time — often explanations we would now consider outdated or unfair.

But the important point is this: These episodes have always existed.

Hundreds of years ago: doctors knew there were “two types” of seizures

By the 1700s and 1800s, doctors began noticing that some seizures:

  • didn’t follow the usual patterns of epilepsy

  • weren’t linked to electrical changes in the brain

  • often happened during times of stress or emotional overload

They didn’t yet understand the brain–body connection, but they recognised that not all seizures were epileptic.

The big turning point: EEG and video monitoring

In the late 20th century, everything changed.

Doctors could finally record:

  • what the body was doing

  • what the brain waves were doing at the same time

This showed clearly that some seizure‑like episodes happened without the electrical activity seen in epilepsy.

This was the moment when the modern understanding of non‑epileptic seizures really took shape.

Today: a clearer, kinder understanding

We now know that non‑epileptic seizures are:

  • real

  • involuntary

  • common

  • caused by the brain becoming overwhelmed, not by epilepsy

We also know that they are treatable, and that understanding the condition is one of the most important steps in helping young people recover.

Why this history matters for families

Many families worry that non‑epileptic seizures are rare, strange, or poorly understood. But the truth is:

  • They’ve been recognised for a very long time

  • They are a well‑described medical condition

  • Our understanding has improved dramatically

  • Young people can and do get better with the right support

You’re not dealing with something new or unknown — you’re dealing with something that medicine has been learning about for centuries, and understands far more clearly today.

Amy Wilson