Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026
07:35
Behavioral Characterization of Pentylenetetrazole-induced Seizures: Moving Beyond the Racine Scale
Published on: July 8, 2025
[Panic attacks simulated by occipital lobe seizures].
Martin Stolle1, Claudia Sieben, Burkhard Püst
1Deutsches Zentrum für Suchtfragen des Kindes- und Jugendalters (DZSKJ), Psychosoziales Zentrum am Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf. m.stolle@uke.de
Summary
Complex partial epilepsy in children can mimic psychiatric disorders. Early diagnosis and multimodal treatment, including oxcabazepine, led to seizure freedom in an 11-year-old girl.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Pediatric Neurology
- Epileptology
Background:
- Anxiety, panic, and self-harm behaviors can present diagnostic challenges in child psychiatry.
- Visually triggered seizures, specifically occipital lobe epilepsy, require careful differentiation from psychiatric conditions.
Observation:
- An 11-year-old patient exhibited symptoms suggestive of anxiety and panic disorder, alongside compulsive and self-harmful behaviors.
- The patient described distressing visual sequences preceding panic episodes, indicative of potential visually dominated seizures.
Findings:
- The patient's symptoms were classified as complex partial epilepsy with visually dominated occipital lobe seizures.
- Pharmacological treatment with oxcabazepine combined with multimodal psychiatric interventions resulted in complete seizure remission within eight weeks.
Implications:
- This case highlights the critical importance of considering epilepsy in the differential diagnosis of child psychiatric disorders.
- Multimodal treatment approaches integrating neurology and psychiatry are effective for managing complex partial epilepsy in children.
- Timely diagnosis and intervention can significantly improve outcomes and quality of life for children with epilepsy presenting with psychiatric symptoms.
More Related Videos
10:393D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
Published on: June 2, 2014
06:28High-Quality Seizure-Like Activity from Acute Brain Slices Using a Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor High-Density Microelectrode Array System
Published on: September 27, 2024
Related Concept Videos
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...
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:
01:26Transient Ischemic Attack l: Introduction
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a brief episode of neurological dysfunction caused by a temporary, focal reduction in cerebral blood flow. Although symptoms resemble those of an ischemic stroke, the interruption in perfusion is short-lived and does not cause permanent infarction. TIAs are clinically important because they often serve as early warning events for future stroke.Mechanisms of Transient Cerebral IschemiaTransient cerebral ischemia may arise through several mechanisms. One...
01:27Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and sudden minutes-long episodes of intense fear, known as panic attacks. These attacks may feel like heart attacks and often happen without warning or a specific cause. They can include symptoms such as rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, chest pain, trembling, sweating, dizziness, and a sense of helplessness. During a panic attack, individuals may feel as though they are experiencing a heart attack or are in a...
01:22Epilepsy ll: Types
Recurrent seizures, stemming from abnormal electrical activity in the brain, are the defining characteristic of epilepsy, a chronic neurological condition. Because seizure features vary greatly, epilepsy is classified using two systems: by seizure type and by epilepsy syndromes. These classifications enable clinicians to describe seizure patterns and select suitable treatment strategies.I. Classification by Seizure Type1. Focal EpilepsyFocal epilepsy begins in one hemisphere of the brain.