At Mayo Clinic, we take the time to listen, to find answers and to provide you the best care.
Temporal lobe seizures originate in the temporal lobes of your brain, which process emotions and are important for short-term memory. Some symptoms of a temporal lobe seizure may be related to these functions, including having odd feelings — such as euphoria, deja vu or fear.
During a temporal lobe seizure, you may remain aware of what's happening. During more-intense seizures, you might look awake but be unresponsive. Your lips and hands may make purposeless, repetitive movements.
Temporal lobe seizures may stem from an anatomical defect or scar in your temporal lobe, but the cause is often unknown. Temporal lobe seizures are treated with medication. For some people who don't respond to medication, surgery may be an option.
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An unusual sensation (aura) may precede a temporal lobe seizure, acting as a warning. Not everyone who has temporal lobe seizures has auras, and not everyone who has auras remembers them.
The aura is actually a simple partial or focal seizure — one that doesn't impair consciousness. Examples of auras include:
Sometimes temporal lobe seizures impair your ability to respond to others (partial complex or focal dyscognitive seizures). This type of temporal lobe seizure usually lasts 30 seconds to two minutes. Characteristic signs and symptoms include:
After a temporal lobe seizure, you may have:
In extreme cases, what starts as a temporal lobe seizure evolves into a generalized tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure — featuring convulsions and loss of consciousness.
Seek medical advice in these circumstances:
Seek emergency medical care if:
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Often, the cause of temporal lobe seizures remains unknown. However, they can be a result of a number of factors, including:
During normal waking and sleeping, your brain cells produce varying electrical activity. If the electrical activity in many brain cells becomes abnormally synchronized, a convulsion or seizure may occur.
If this happens in just one area of the brain, the result is a focal seizure. A temporal lobe seizure is a partial seizure that originates in one of the temporal lobes.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
At Mayo Clinic, we take the time to listen, to find answers and to provide you the best care.
Your doctor will need a detailed description of the seizures, preferably from a witness, because most people who have temporal lobe seizures don't remember the episodes.
If you or your child has had a seizure, your doctor likely will perform a neurological exam that tests:
He or she may also ask questions to assess your thinking, judgment and memory.
Blood tests may be ordered to check for problems that could be causing or triggering the seizures.
Your doctor may also suggest scans or tests designed to detect abnormalities within the brain.
Electroencephalogram (EEG). An EEG displays the electrical activity of your brain as recorded by electrodes attached to your scalp. People with epilepsy often have changes in their brain wave patterns, even when not having a seizure. The EEG sometimes can help indicate the type of seizures you're having.
In some cases, your doctor may recommend video-EEG monitoring in the hospital. This allows your doctor to compare — second by second — the behaviors observed during a seizure with your EEG pattern. This can help your doctor pinpoint the type of seizure disorder you have, which helps to identify appropriate treatments, and can help ensure that the seizure diagnosis is correct.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An MRI machine produces detailed images of your brain. Although many people with seizures and epilepsy have normal MRIs, certain MRI abnormalities may provide a clue to the cause of the seizures.
During the test, you will lie on a padded table that slides into the MRI machine. Your head will be immobilized in a brace, to improve precision. The test is painless, but some people experience claustrophobia inside the MRI machine's close quarters. If you think you may have this reaction, tell your doctor before the study.
Single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT). Sometimes used when the area of seizure onset is unclear, SPECT imaging requires two scans — one during a seizure and one during a nonseizure period, each performed on separate days. Radioactive material is injected for both scans.
The scans are then compared to find the area of the brain with the greatest activity during the seizure. The resulting image is then superimposed onto the MRI. This is used with EEG information to help guide the surgeons.
Electroencephalogram (EEG). An EEG displays the electrical activity of your brain as recorded by electrodes attached to your scalp. People with epilepsy often have changes in their brain wave patterns, even when not having a seizure. The EEG sometimes can help indicate the type of seizures you're having.
In some cases, your doctor may recommend video-EEG monitoring in the hospital. This allows your doctor to compare — second by second — the behaviors observed during a seizure with your EEG pattern. This can help your doctor pinpoint the type of seizure disorder you have, which helps to identify appropriate treatments, and can help ensure that the seizure diagnosis is correct.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An MRI machine produces detailed images of your brain. Although many people with seizures and epilepsy have normal MRIs, certain MRI abnormalities may provide a clue to the cause of the seizures.
During the test, you will lie on a padded table that slides into the MRI machine. Your head will be immobilized in a brace, to improve precision. The test is painless, but some people experience claustrophobia inside the MRI machine's close quarters. If you think you may have this reaction, tell your doctor before the study.
Single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT). Sometimes used when the area of seizure onset is unclear, SPECT imaging requires two scans — one during a seizure and one during a nonseizure period, each performed on separate days. Radioactive material is injected for both scans.
The scans are then compared to find the area of the brain with the greatest activity during the seizure. The resulting image is then superimposed onto the MRI. This is used with EEG information to help guide the surgeons.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Over time, repeated temporal lobe seizures can cause the part of the brain that's responsible for learning and memory (hippocampus) to shrink. Brain cell loss in this area may cause memory problems.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Certain activities can be dangerous if you have a seizure while doing them. Activities include:
Consider wearing a medical alert bracelet to help emergency medical personnel. The bracelet should state whom to contact in an emergency, what medications you use and your medication allergies.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Even after they're under control, seizures can affect your life. Temporal lobe seizures may present even more of a coping challenge because people may not recognize the unusual behavior as a seizure. Children may get teased or be embarrassed by their condition, and living with the constant threat of another seizure may frustrate children and adults.
You may find it helpful to talk with others in similar situations. Besides offering support, they may have advice or tips for coping you haven't thought of.
The Epilepsy Foundation has a network of support groups, as well as online forums for teens and adults who have seizures and for parents of children who have seizures. You can reach the foundation at 800-332-1000 or visit the foundation website. You can also ask your doctor if he or she knows of any support groups in your area.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
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