Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
09:32
Network Analysis of Foramen Ovale Electrode Recordings in Drug-resistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients
Published on: December 18, 2016
Lateralizing value of the auditory aura in partial seizures
Irene Florindo1, Francesca Bisulli, Francesca Pittau
1Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Epilepsia
|January 24, 2007
Summary
Auditory aura in partial epilepsy is rare. Unilateral auditory sensations can indicate the epileptic zone
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Epileptology
- Clinical Neuroscience
Background:
- Auditory aura is an uncommon ictal symptom in partial epilepsy.
- Understanding its semiological features is crucial for localizing seizure onset.
- The lateralizing value of auditory aura requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the semiological characteristics of auditory aura.
- To evaluate the potential of auditory aura to lateralize the epileptic zone in partial epilepsy.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 121 patients with partial epilepsy and auditory aura as the first ictal symptom was analyzed.
- Patients were subcategorized based on hallucination type (simple/complex) and illusion type (positive/negative).
- Epileptic zone (EZ) localization was determined using neuroimaging, EEG, and ictal semiology.
Main Results:
- 37% of patients reported unilateral auditory aura.
- Unilateral auditory aura was contralateral to the EZ in 50% of cases, and consistently so in presurgical patients.
- Negative illusions consistently lateralized seizure onset to the dominant hemisphere.
Conclusions:
- Auditory aura is infrequent in partial epilepsy.
- Unilateral auditory sensation alone is not a definitive lateralizing sign for the temporal neocortex.
- Complex verbal hallucinations and negative illusions may indicate dominant hemisphere seizure onset.
Related Concept Videos
01:13Seizures: Classification
Epilepsy is primarily characterized by unpredictable seizures, either provoked by an identifiable factor, such as injury or illness, or unprovoked, occurring spontaneously without apparent cause.
Seizures are typically classified into two main categories: focal and generalized seizures.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures originate from specific regions of the brain. These seizures are further sub-classified into two types:
Seizures are typically classified into two main categories: focal and generalized seizures.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures originate from specific regions of the brain. These seizures are further sub-classified into two types:
01:28Lateralization
Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
01:15Auditory Pathway
Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
01:28Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...
01:20Seizures l: Introduction
Understanding seizures and epilepsy relies on key definitions that help in recognizing, classifying, and managing these disorders. These definitions provide a framework for recognizing, classifying, and managing seizure disorders.DefinitionsA seizure is a sudden, abnormal burst of electrical activity in the brain that can cause changes in awareness, movement, sensation, or behavior, depending on the area involved. Epilepsy is a chronic condition characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures,...
01:19Seizures ll: Types
Seizures are sudden bursts of abnormal electrical discharge in the brain that interfere with normal function. They are commonly divided into three groups: focal seizures, generalized seizures, and other types that do not fit neatly into either category.Focal SeizuresFocal seizures begin in a single brain region. When awareness is preserved, they are called focal aware seizures and may cause sensations such as tingling, unusual smells, or flashing lights. When awareness is impaired, they are...