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to page one of epilepsy Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Temporal lobe epilepsy, or TLE,
is the most common epilepsy syndrome
with focal seizures. These seizures are
often associated with auras. TLE often
begins in childhood. Research has shown
that repeated temporal lobe seizures can
cause a brain structure called the
hippocampus to shrink over time. The
hippocampus is important for memory and
learning. While it may take years of
temporal lobe seizures for measurable
hippocampal damage to occur, this
finding underlines the need to treat TLE
early and as effectively as possible.
Dostoyevsky, the 19th-century Russian
novelist, who himself had epilepsy, gave
vivid accounts of apparent temporal lobe
seizures in his novel The Idiot:
Seizures can consist of , A
wonderful inner light illuminated his
soul. This lasted perhaps half a second,
yet he distinctly remembered hearing the
beginning
He remembered that during his
epileptic fits, or rather immediately
preceding them, he had always
experienced a moment or two when his
whole heart, and mind, and body seemed
to wake up with vigor and light; when he
became filled with joy and hope, and all
his anxieties seemed to be swept away
for ever
I get the strangest
feeling—most of it can't be put into
words. The whole world suddenly seems
more real at first. It's as though
everything becomes crystal clear. Then I
feel as if I'm here but not here, kind
of like being in a dream
The whole thing lasts a minute
or two."
The features of seizures beginning in the temporal lobe can be extremely varied, but certain patterns are common. There may be a mixture of different feelings, emotions, thoughts, and experiences, which may be familiar or completely foreign. In some cases, a series of old memories resurfaces. In others, the person may feel as if everything—including home and family—appears strange. Hallucinations of voices, music, people, smells, or tastes may occur. These features are called “auras” or “warnings.” They may last for just a few seconds, or may continue as long as a minute or two.
Experiences during temporal lobe
seizures vary in intensity and quality.
Sometimes the seizures are so mild that
the person barely notices. In other
cases, the person may be consumed with
fright, intellectual fascination, or
even pleasure.
A temporal lobe epilepsy has been
described as those people who are hyper
religious, reduced sex, odd thoughts and
odd type of fits. A sudden stretch and
stareing lasting a few seconds followed
by tiredness is common.
Only Tegretol (carbamazepine) or
Tegral In Pakistan is considered the
best drug for Temporal lobe epilepsy or
partial seizures. In Pakistan the drug
Nootropil
Piracetam
is a excellent drug and start this 800mg
three times a day for 3 months. See if
the fits and seizures stop this is the
best test for Epilepsy. I would avoid
video EEG. Nootropil has no side effects
Neocortical epilepsy is
characterized by seizures that originate
from the brain's cortex, or outer layer.
The seizures can be either focal or
generalized. They may include strange
sensations, visual hallucinations,
emotional changes, muscle spasms,
convulsions, and a variety of other
symptoms, depending on where in the
brain the seizures originate.
There are many other types of
epilepsy, each with its own
characteristic set of symptoms. Many of
these, including Lennox-Gastaut
syndrome and Rasmussen's
encephalitis, begin in childhood.
Children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
have severe epilepsy with several
different types of seizures, including
atonic seizures, which cause sudden
falls and are also called drop
attacks. This severe form of
epilepsy can be very difficult to treat
effectively. Rasmussen's encephalitis is
a progressive type of epilepsy in which
half of the brain shows continual
inflammation. It sometimes is treated
with a radical surgical procedure called
hemispherectomy . Some childhood
epilepsy syndromes, such as childhood
absence epilepsy, tend to go into
remission or stop entirely during
adolescence, whereas other syndromes
such as juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome are
usually present for life once they
develop. Seizure syndromes do not always
appear in childhood, however.
Epilepsy syndromes that are easily
treated, do not seem to impair cognitive
functions or development, and usually
stop spontaneously are often described
as benign. Benign epilepsy syndromes
include benign infantile
encephalopathy and benign
neonatal convulsions. Other
syndromes, such as early myoclonic
encephalopathy, include neurological
and developmental problems. However,
these problems may be caused by
underlying neurodegenerative processes
rather than by the seizures. Epilepsy
syndromes in which the seizures and/or
the person's cognitive abilities get
worse over time are called
progressive epilepsy.
Several types of epilepsy begin in
infancy. The most common type of
infantile epilepsy is infantile
spasms, clusters of seizures that
usually begin before the age of 6
months. During these seizures the infant
may bend and cry out. Anticonvulsant
drugs often do not work for infantile
spasms, but the seizures can be treated
with ACTH (adrenocorticotropic
hormone) or prednisone.