Temporal epilepsy

Description:

Temporal epilepsy  - a disease form at which development of repeated attacks is caused by existence of the epileptogenic center in a temporal share of a brain.
It is the most common form of epilepsy.

Temporal epilepsy well gives in to surgical methods of treatment, after operation attacks disappear at 75 percent of patients.

Symptoms of Temporal epilepsy:

At temporal epilepsy two types of attacks are observed: simple partial (also called by aura) and difficult partial.

1. The simple partial attacks (aura) proceeding without consciousness disturbance.

Temporal epilepsy  is often shown by olfactory and flavoring  attacks - the patient catches unpleasant smells and unpleasant taste in a mouth. Many patients complain of an abdominal pain or of the unpleasant feelings rising a wave from a stomach to a throat.

Inexplicable sensation of fear and hopelessness, feeling that time passes too quickly or too slowly, the distorted perception of a form of objects and distances to them, visual hallucinations, are typical manifestations of simple partial attacks at temporal epilepsy.

During an attack the feeling of a derealization can develop (the world looks not real, illusive, as "waking dream" around). False feeling that a surrounding situation, people, the interior, events, etc. are well familiar (deja vu) or opposite, are absolutely unfamiliar (жемавю), also treat a derealization.

Sometimes simple partial attacks proceed in the form of depersonalization: the patient considers that his thoughts and feelings do not belong to him, sees himself from outside и.т.д.

Temporal epilepsy is seldom shown by exclusively simple partial attacks, as a rule they are a harbinger (aura) of heavier, difficult partial attacks.

2. Difficult partial attacks.

The difficult partial attacks proceeding with disturbance of consciousness and avtomatizm are the main distinguishing character of temporal epilepsy.

Automatism is the unconscious actions made during an attack. The repeated deglutitory, chewing  or sucking movements, smacking, grimaces, mutter, and also the stereotypic movements of hands are most often observed - displays clothes, touches objects, rubs hands, etc.

Sometimes avtomatizm remind difficult purposeful conscious actions: the patient articulately says phrases and offers, turns on household appliances, conducts the car, etc.

During an attack the patient does not react to external irritants and the speech turned to it.
Duration of a difficult partial attack - no more than three minutes. After an attack the patient does not remember happening to it, suffers from a headache.

Reasons of Temporal epilepsy:

* Hippocampus sclerosis (other names: a hippocampal sclerosis, a mesial temporal sclerosis) - inborn disturbance of a structure of a hippocampus of an internal part of a temporal share. The Gipokampalny sclerosis - the most frequent reason of temporal epilepsy.
* A cortical dysplasia - congenital anomaly of a structure of a cerebral cortex.
* Brain tumor. Benign and malignant tumors of a temporal share can cause repeated epileptic attacks.
* Vascular anomalies: arteriovenous malformation and cavernous angioma.
* Cherepno - a brain trama.
* Infections - herpetic encephalitis, meningitis.

Treatment of Temporal epilepsy:

New anticonvulsant drugs are applied as traditional (Finlepsinum, Depakinum, Phenytoinum), and (ламитражин).
By means of drug treatment of complete cessation of attacks it is possible to reach at 50 - 60 percent of patients.
Surgical treatment of temporal epilepsy differs in high performance: 75 - 80 percent of the operated patients completely recover from attacks.