Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
Published on: September 20, 2024
Symptomatic complex partial status epilepticus manifesting as utilization behavior of a mobile phone
Antonio Carota1, Jan Novy, Andrea O Rossetti
1Service de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Utilization behavior (UB) consists of reaching out and using objects in the environment in an automatic manner and out of context. This behavior has been correlated to frontal lobe dysfunction, especially of the right hemisphere. We describe a 60-year-old woman, affected by a glioblastoma located in the right frontal region, who presented with intermittent UB of the mobile phone as the main clinical manifestation of partial complex status epilepticus. Video/EEG studies showed a striking correlation between mobile phone utilization and ictal epileptic activity. Clinical and EEG findings were markedly reduced after the introduction of antiepileptic drugs. This case study suggests that UB may be added to the symptoms described for partial seizures originating from frontal areas.
Related Concept Videos
Seizures l: Introduction
Epilepsy ll: Types
Seizures: Classification
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 ll: Types
Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...
Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators
Ezogabine has gained approval as an adjunctive treatment...
