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Abstract:
An 18-year old man had a cluster of three seizures in a few hours and then remained seizure-free without medication; his mother has experienced seizures induced by movement. A 29-year-old man has had recurrent seizures for six years. In both cases, seizures were partial motor seizures induced by chewing. They are considered to be a particular variety of movement-induced seizures triggered by proprioceptive afferents of muscular origin. This explanation does not account for the great majority of the 63 published cases of seizures precipitated by eating. Eating seizures represent a heterogeneous group of seizures with discrete electroclinical signs and mechanisms. The term "eating seizures" should be preferred to the term "eating epilepsy."
Insights
Eating seizures, a type of reflex epilepsy, are diverse and not solely explained by movement triggers. The term "eating seizures" is preferred over "eating epilepsy" due to this heterogeneity.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Epileptology
Background:
- Reflex seizures can be triggered by specific stimuli.
- Eating is a complex activity that can precipitate seizures in susceptible individuals.
- The term 'eating epilepsy' has been used, but may oversimplify the condition.