Characteristics of auras in patients undergoing temporal lobectomy

2009 ◽  
Vol 111 (6) ◽  
pp. 1283-1289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devin K. Binder ◽  
Paul A. Garcia ◽  
Ganesh K. Elangovan ◽  
Nicholas M. Barbaro

Object Prior studies suggest that aura semiology may have localizing value. However, temporal lobe aura characteristics and response to surgery have not been studied in large patient series. Methods The authors retrospectively analyzed the case records of 182 patients undergoing temporal lobectomy for medically intractable epilepsy at a single institution. They analyzed the frequency and type of auras and seizures preoperatively, and at 3 months and 1 year after temporal lobectomy. Auras were divided into medial semiology (rising epigastric, olfactory/gustatory, experiential, and fear) and lateral semiology (auditory, somatosensory, and visual), or other. Results Of 182 patients, 150 were included in this study. The preoperative prevalence of auras was 77%. Multiple types of auras were present in 20% of patients. The most common aura was rising epigastric (26% of all auras). Postoperatively, auras were eliminated in 63% of patients at 3 months and in 64% at 1 year. Seventy-seven patients (51%) were seizure-free and aura-free, 22 (15%) were seizure-free with auras, 26 (17%) had seizures but no auras, and 25 (17%) had seizures with auras. Despite having their auras eliminated, 6.7% of patients continued to have complex partial seizures. Lateral temporal auras were more than twice as likely as medial temporal auras to persist after surgery (p < 0.002). Conclusions While the majority of patients in the authors' series became seizure- and aura-free, a significant minority still had persistent auras. Patients with lateral temporal auras appear to be at increased risk for having persistent postoperative auras. The discrepancy between aura and seizure outcomes results in a small group of patients having persistent seizures but losing their auras postoperatively.

Neurosurgery ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 838-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario J. Englot ◽  
Anthony T. Lee ◽  
Catherine Tsai ◽  
Cathra Halabi ◽  
Nicholas M. Barbaro ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND: Temporal lobectomy can lead to favorable seizure outcomes in medically-refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Although most studies focus on seizure freedom after temporal lobectomy, less is known about seizure semiology in patients who “fail” surgery. Morbidity differs between seizure types that impair or spare consciousness. Among TLE patients with seizures after surgery, how does temporal lobectomy influence seizure type and frequency? OBJECTIVE: To characterize seizure types and frequencies before and after temporal lobectomy for TLE, including consciousness-sparing or consciousness-impairing seizures. METHODS: We performed a retrospective longitudinal cohort study examining patients undergoing temporal lobectomy for epilepsy at our institution from January 1995 to August 2010. RESULTS: Among 241 TLE patients who received temporal lobectomy, 174 (72.2%) patients achieved Engel class I outcome (free of disabling seizures), including 141 (58.5%) with complete seizure freedom. Overall seizure frequency in patients with persistent postoperative seizures decreased by 70% (P &lt; .01), with larger reductions in consciousness-impairing seizures. While the number of patients experiencing consciousness-sparing simple partial seizures decreased by only 19% after surgery, the number of individuals having consciousness-impairing complex partial seizures and generalized tonic-clonic seizures diminished by 70% and 68%, respectively (P &lt; .001). Simple partial seizure was the predominant seizure type in 19.1% vs 37.0% of patients preoperatively and postoperatively, respectively (P &lt; .001). Favorable seizure outcome was predicted by a lack of generalized seizures preoperatively (odds ratio 1.74, 95% confidence interval 1.06-2.86, P &lt; .5). CONCLUSION: Given important clinical and mechanistic differences between seizures with or without impairment of consciousness, seizure type and frequency remain important considerations in epilepsy surgery.


Epilepsia ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 1922-1930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario F. Dulay ◽  
Michele K. York ◽  
Elizabeth M. Soety ◽  
Winifred J. Hamilton ◽  
Eli M. Mizrahi ◽  
...  

Neurosurgery ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed H. Nayel ◽  
Issam A. Awad ◽  
Hans Luders

Abstract The extent of resection was assessed in 94 patients who underwent temporal lobectomy for medically intractable complex partial seizures originating from a unilateral seizure focus in the anteromesial temporal lobe. Postoperative magnetic resonance imaging in the coronal plane was used to quantify the extent of resection of lateral and mesiobasal structures according to a 20-compartment model of the temporal lobe. Successful seizure outcome (≥90% reduction in seizure frequency) was accomplished in 83% of the patients (all followed up for more than 1 year; mean duration of follow-up, 25.2 months) and correlated significantly (P&lt;0.05) with the extent of mesiobasal resection, regardless of the extent of resection of lateral structures. Successful seizure outcome was accomplished in 81% of the patients with no structural lesions, and also correlated significantly (P&lt;0.05) with the extent of mesiobasal resection regardless of the extent of lateral resection. A successful seizure outcome was accomplished in 90% of the 21 patients with structural lesions documented by neuroimaging studies. Two patients who underwent extensive lobectomy without resection of the structural lesion had no reduction in seizure frequency postoperatively. We conclude that the most important factor in determining the outcome of temporal lobectomy in patients with unilateral anteromesial temporal lobe epileptogenicity is the extent of resection of structures in the mesiobasal temporal lobe. In patients with structural lesions, lesion resection may be an added contributor to successful seizure outcome. (Neurosurgery 29:55-61, 1991)


2001 ◽  
Vol 59 (3B) ◽  
pp. 802-805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renato Luiz Marchetti ◽  
Alexandre Garcia Tavares ◽  
Gary Gronich ◽  
Lia Arno Fiore ◽  
Renata Barbosa Ferraz

We report a case of a female patient with refractory complex partial seizures since 15 years of age, recurrent postictal psychotic episodes since 35 which evolved to a chronic refractory interictal psychosis and MRI with right mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS). After a comprehensive investigation (video-EEG intensive monitoring, interictal and ictal SPECT, and a neuropsychological evaluation including WADA test) she was submitted to a right temporal lobectomy. Since then, she has been seizure-free with remission of psychosis, although with some persistence of personality traits (hiperreligiosity, viscosity) which had been present before surgery. This case supports the idea that temporal lobectomy can be a safe and effective therapeutic measure for patients with MTS, refractory epilepsy and recurrent postictal epileptic psychosis or interictal epileptic psychosis with postictal exacerbation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1741-1748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ursula Pluschnig ◽  
Werner Haslik ◽  
Günther Bayer ◽  
Afschin Soleiman ◽  
Rupert Bartsch ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew P. Humphries ◽  
Sreekumar Sundara Rajan ◽  
Hedieh Honarpisheh ◽  
Gabor Cserni ◽  
Jo Dent ◽  
...  

Neurology ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 40 (3, Part 1) ◽  
pp. 413-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. S. Walczak ◽  
R. A. Radtke ◽  
J. O. McNamara ◽  
D. V. Lewis ◽  
J. S. Luther ◽  
...  

2005 ◽  
Vol 103 (6) ◽  
pp. 1035-1045 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Heiss ◽  
Stuart Walbridge ◽  
Paul Morrison ◽  
Robert R. Hampton ◽  
Susumu Sato ◽  
...  

Object. The activity of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter, is reduced in the hippocampus in patients with complex partial seizures from mesial temporal sclerosis. To provide preliminary safety and distribution data on using convection-enhanced delivery of agents to treat complex partial seizures and to test the efficacy and safety of regional selective neuronal suppression, the authors infused muscimol, a GABA-A receptor agonist, directly into the hippocampus of nonhuman primates using an integrated catheter electrode. Methods. Ten rhesus monkeys were divided into three groups: 1) use of catheter electrode alone (four monkeys); 2) infusion of escalating concentrations of muscimol followed by vehicle (three monkeys); and 3) infusion of vehicle and subsequent muscimol mixed with muscimol tracer (three monkeys). Infusions were begun 5 days after catheter electrode placement and continued for 5.6 days before switching to the other agent. Head magnetic resonance (MR) images and electroencephalography recordings were obtained before and during the infusions. Brain histological studies and quantitative autoradiography were performed. Neurological function was normal in controls and when muscimol concentrations were 0.125 mM or less, whereas higher concentrations (0.5 and 1 mM) produced reversible apathy and somnolence. Fluid distribution was demonstrated on MR images and muscimol distribution was demonstrated on autoradiographs throughout the hippocampus and adjacent white matter. Conclusions. Targeted modulation of neuronal activity is a reasonable research strategy for the investigation and treatment of medically intractable epilepsy.


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