ABSTRACT

This study aims to determine the prevalence of lateralized semiological findings in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and to assess the contribution of relatively rare symptoms to lateralization, as well as classical lateralizing findings.

The records of the 329 patients who were monitored by video-EEG for evaluation of epilepsy surgery were retrospectively reviewed in this study. The lateralization of the seizures was evaluated with ictal EEG and semiological findings. The records of 128 patients with unilateral temporal lobes were analyzed.

In our study, 343 seizures of the 128 patients were analyzed. Aura was identified on 241 patients (70.2%). The presence of aura was not associated with lateralization. Vertigo (p=0.02) and deja vu (p=0.04) indicated right temporal lobe in all seizures. One of the most frequently observed ictal clinical findings was oroalimenter automatism, but its presence was not significant for lateralization. Peri-ictal vegetative symptoms of ictal cough, vomiting, water drinking, hypersalivation and the urinary urge are rarely seen in the right temporal lobe-induced seizures were seen more frequently (p<0.05). Most of the ictal motor findings showed contralateral hemispheres. Clonic jerk ended the ipsilateral focus in all seizures (p=0.004).

The presence of peri-ictal vegetative symptoms may help lateralize the epileptic focus to the right hemisphere when evaluated with other classical findings. Analysis of the seizure semiology that involves the phenomenon of lateralized seizures is a significant component of preoperative evaluation.

Keywords: Lateralization, peri-ictal vegetative symptoms, semiology, temporal lobe epilepsy