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Peri-ictal water drinking: a rare automatic behaviour in temporal lobe epilepsy
Nicola Pietrafusa1, Marina Trivisano2, Luca de Palma2
1Division of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Bari.
Epileptic Disorders : International Epilepsy Journal with Videotape
|November 21, 2015
Summary
Peri-ictal water drinking (PIWD) is a rare seizure symptom in epilepsy, often linked to temporal lobe seizures. Further research is needed to understand its full clinical significance.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Clinical Neuroscience
Background:
- Peri-ictal water drinking (PIWD) is a recognized, though infrequent, vegetative symptom occurring during or shortly after electroclinical seizures.
- This phenomenon is observed in both pediatric and adult epilepsy patients.
Observation:
- This study details two adult cases of symptomatic temporal lobe epilepsy with PIWD, documented via VIDEO-EEG.
- A comprehensive literature review was conducted to better define this rare semiological sign.
Findings:
- 51 cases of focal epilepsy with PIWD have been reported, predominantly in adults with symptomatic temporal lobe epilepsy, often involving the right hemisphere.
- PIWD is typically an ictal (during seizure) sign, occasionally postictal (after seizure).
- PIWD may represent a rare automatic behavior, similar to other automatisms common in temporal lobe epilepsy.
Implications:
- PIWD could be an underappreciated semiological marker in epilepsy, particularly temporal lobe epilepsy.
- While PIWD has been suggested to lateralize to the non-dominant temporal lobe, its rarity necessitates further investigation to confirm this finding.
