Ictal Blindness and Status Epilepticus Amauroticus

Barry, Elizabeth; Sussman, Neil M.; Bosley, Thomas M.; Harner, Richard N.

doi:10.1111/j.1528-1157.1985.tb05694.x

Cited by 57 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 22 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…When ictal in nature, amaurosis is often of short duration (14). However, cases of status amauroticus lasting several days have been described (15 Visual illusions have also been reported in patients with possible occipital lobe epilepsy (16). However, these probably represent involvement of the nondominant parietal lobe.…”

Section: Ictal Amaurosis and Other Visual Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Symptomatic Occipital Lobe Epilepsy

Kuzniecky

1998

Epilepsia

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary: Symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy is increasingly recognized among patients with partial-onset seizures. Although traditional clinical and electroencephalographic criteria had defined occipital lobe epilepsy in the past, new neuroimaging techniques and the recognition of specific syndromes associated with occipital lobe epilepsy have improved the diagnosis and management of these patients. These syndromes include, among others, lesional occipital lobe epilepsy (congenital vs. acquired), MELAS, and epilepsy with bilateral occipital calcifications. The diagnosis of symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy is improving as functional and structural neuroimaging techniques enable the detection of subtle abnormalities in such patients. This has had a direct impact on the correct classification of patients with benign occipital lobe epilepsy, basilar migraine, and symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy. The common clinical symptoms, EEG patterns, and neuroimaging findings of these patients are discussed. Key Words: Occipital lobe epilepsy-congenital vs. acquired syndromes-EEG patterns-Neuroimaging.Advances in the diagnosis of epilepsy have led to refinements in the classification of the epilepsies. This has been primarily possible because of recent major advances in neuroimaging techniques, which are now able to detect pathology in many patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, particularly in those with mesial temporal lobe sclerosis. This capability, in addition to the wealth of new noninvasive imaging techniques, has directed efforts toward the better definition of extratemporal lobe epilepsies. This article describes the clinical features associated with symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy and reviews the etiologic factors, imaging and electrographic characteristics, and outcome. EPIDEMIOLOGIC ASPECTSThe relative incidence of symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy is unknown (1). No prospective studies are available, and most retrospective series have selected patients on the basis of EEG abnormalities or of EEG and clinical features suggestive of occipital lobe epilepsy, and have included those with benign syndromes. Furthermore, previous studies have included children and adults and have been influenced by the referral patterns of the reporting centers. An EEG-based survey reported 8% of the population as having occipital seizures. An Italian study (2) reported that occipital epilepsy consti- tuted 11% of symptomatic partial epilepsies in children.Other centers report frequencies ranging from 4 to 13%.In contrast, data from epilepsy surgery centers suggest that occipital lobe resections constitute less than 5% of operated patients (3). The available data, however, are an underestimation of the relative frequency of occipital seizures. This is a reflection of the fact that a sizable number of patients with occipital lobe epilepsy are not correctly diagnosed or are not candidates for epilepsy surgery. CLINICAL SYMPTOMS OF OCCIPITAL LOBE EPILEPSYThe symptomatology of occipital lobe epilepsy was described as early as 188...

show abstract

Section: Ictal Amaurosis and Other Visual Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Symptomatic Occipital Lobe Epilepsy

Kuzniecky

1998

Epilepsia

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These data suggest close relationship between several somatoform dissociative states and non-convulsive epileptic activity in autonomic nervous system mainly in non-epileptic conditions when subcortical epileptic discharges related to dissociative processes may produce a wide spectrum of autonomic somatoform symptoms. With respect to other known symptoms of epileptic activity bound to sensory, sensitive and motor manifestations of seizures (Dreifus, 1981;Barry et al, 1985;Ghosh, Mohanty, Prabhakar, 2001) may non-convulsive epileptic activity as a consequence of dissociation serve as a model also for other forms of somatoform dissociative symptoms such as alterations in sensation of pain (analgesia, kinesthetic anesthesia), painful symptoms, perception alterations, motor inhibition or loss of motor control, psychogenic blindness etc. which occur in conversion and somatoform disorders.…”

Section: Dissociative Seizures Somatoform Dissociation and Epilepticmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dissociation, Epileptiform Discharges and Chaos in the Brain: Toward a Neuroscientific Theory of Dissociation

Bob

2012

Act Nerv Super

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dissociated states represent pathological conditions when psychological trauma may emerge in a variety of forms such as psychic dissociative symptoms or, on the contrary, as paroxysms or other somatoform symptoms. There is evidence that epileptic activity plays an important role in the generation of dissociative states and it is able to generate various psychopathological processes as well as a wide spectrum of somatic symptoms or seizures. For the explanation of these connections between dissociative states and epileptic discharges the author proposes a neuroscientific model of dissociation based on the theory of competitive neural assemblies which can lead to chaotic self-organization in brain neural networks. This model is suggested as an integrative view interconnecting the various psychopathological and somatoform manifestations of dissociative states and suggests further possibilities for future research regarding common pathogenic mechanisms among epilepsy and mental disorders.

show abstract

“…This so-called status epilepticus amauroticus has been documented in a handful of cases. 40 Barry et al 40 described a 13-year-old girl who experienced episodic blindness, usually while walking to school, and was found to have light-stimulated bioccipital spike-wave activity. Jaffe and Roach 287 described three youths with intermittent blindness due to occipital seizures that improved with anticonvulsant medication.…”

Section: Preictal Ictal or Postictal Phenomenamentioning

confidence: 98%

The Apparently Blind Infant

Brodsky

2009

Pediatric Neuro-Ophthalmology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ictal Blindness and Status Epilepticus Amauroticus

Cited by 57 publications

References 22 publications

Symptomatic Occipital Lobe Epilepsy

Symptomatic Occipital Lobe Epilepsy

Dissociation, Epileptiform Discharges and Chaos in the Brain: Toward a Neuroscientific Theory of Dissociation

The Apparently Blind Infant

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About