Faculty Collaboration Database

Complex transient epileptic amnesia. Epilepsy Behav 2011 Feb;20(2):410-3

Date

01/26/2011

Pubmed ID

21262589

DOI

10.1016/j.yebeh.2010.12.026

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-79951676872 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   6 Citations

Abstract

Transient epileptic amnesia is a rare but probably underrecognized form of temporal lobe epilepsy, which typically manifests as episodic isolated memory loss. Consequently, transient epileptic amnesia may be readily misdiagnosed as a nonepileptic memory dysfunction in older individuals. When appropriately recognized, it has been described as a treatment-responsive syndrome amenable to antiepileptic drugs. We describe a patient with drug-resistant transient epileptic amnesia treated with unilateral temporal lobectomy. Prolonged postictal slowing in the mesial temporal structures was evident on invasive electroencephalography 5 hours after the occurrence of a brief focal seizure. These findings support the theory of a Todd phenomenon as the underlying pathophysiological mechanism in transient epileptic amnesia.

Author List

Walsh RD, Wharen RE Jr, Tatum WO 4th

Author

Ryan Walsh MD Associate Professor in the Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Amnesia
Anticonvulsants
Electroencephalography
Epilepsy
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Neuropsychological Tests
Temporal Lobe
Tomography, X-Ray Computed