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Published on: January 19, 2019
Subacute postictal aggression in patients with epilepsy
Masumi Ito1, Mitsutoshi Okazaki, Sho Takahashi
1Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Musashi Hospital, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi-cho, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8551, Japan. mitou-psy@umin.ac.jp
Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B
|April 10, 2007
Summary
This study describes three men with epilepsy experiencing postictal aggression, a brief violent behavior after seizures. Prolonged epilepsy and frontal lobe dysfunction may contribute to this condition.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Epileptology
- Behavioral Neurology
Background:
- Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures.
- Postictal behavior, occurring after a seizure, can range from confusion to aggression.
- Subacute postictal aggression (SPA) is a specific type of postictal behavior.
Observation:
- Three male patients with epilepsy (38-62 years) displayed brief violent episodes post-seizure.
- These episodes, lasting 5-30 minutes, involved physical and verbal aggression.
- Patients regained consciousness quickly and expressed remorse after the aggressive episodes.
Findings:
- Patients had long-standing epilepsy (27-44 years) with refractory complex partial and generalized tonic-clonic seizures.
- EEG showed temporal spikes; SPECT revealed temporal and frontal hypoperfusion in two patients.
- Neuropsychological tests indicated frontal lobe dysfunction in two patients, consistent with SPA.
Implications:
- Prolonged epilepsy duration may be a risk factor for developing SPA.
- Brain dysfunction, particularly involving temporal and frontal lobes, is associated with SPA.
- Understanding these factors can aid in managing aggressive behaviors in epilepsy patients.
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