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Akinetopsia as epileptic seizure.
Kotaro Sakurai1, Tsugiko Kurita1, Youji Takeda1
1Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Epilepsy & Behavior Case Reports
|February 11, 2015
Summary
This study details a patient experiencing recurrent akinetopsia (visual motion blindness) as epileptic seizures. Carbamazepine effectively suppressed these visual disturbances, suggesting cortical hyperexcitability as the cause.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Neurology
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Akinetopsia is a rare neurological disorder characterized by the inability to perceive visual motion.
- It typically results from lesions in the extrastriate visual cortex.
- Recurrent akinetopsia as epileptic seizures is an unusual presentation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a unique case of akinetopsia presenting as recurrent epileptic seizures.
- To investigate the underlying neurological mechanisms of this patient's visual disturbances.
- To evaluate the efficacy of carbamazepine in managing seizure-induced akinetopsia.
Main Methods:
- Case study of a 61-year-old male with a history of cerebral arteriovenous malformation.
- Clinical observation of recurrent visual symptoms resembling freeze-frames.
- Electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) to assess brain activity.
- Pharmacological intervention with carbamazepine.
Main Results:
- The patient presented with recurrent episodes of akinetopsia, perceived as jerky, freeze-frame motion.
- EEG and MEG revealed repetitive right temporal spikes, indicating cortical hyperexcitability.
- Treatment with carbamazepine (200 mg/day) completely resolved the akinetopsic seizures.
- The findings implicate hyperexcitability in the right temporal and parietal cortices, including area MT/V5.
Conclusions:
- Akinetopsia can manifest as paroxysmal epileptic seizures.
- Cortical hyperexcitability in visual motion processing areas (e.g., MT/V5) can trigger akinetopsia.
- Carbamazepine is an effective treatment for seizure-induced akinetopsia.
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