The visions of artists with epilepsy: implications for neuroscientists

Artists with epilepsy present unique views of their condition to the world, and their artistic expressions have implications for researchers interested in the neurophysiological, psychological, and social aspects of epilepsy. Among the many works of contemporary artists with epilepsy that I have collected, a subgroup pertains to the nature of seizure experiences and associated mood disorders. Often, these images provide insights into underlying neurophysiology that are not otherwise possible to obtain through in vitro assays, animal models, psychometric instruments, or the verbal expressions of patients. This article focuses on examples of art that may inspire neuroscientists to generate hypotheses that will further explore the underlying neurological basis to the experiential phenomena of epilepsy and complement the sophisticated studies described elsewhere in this supplement.