[Reading epilepsy crises]

The authors describe two cases of "reading epilepsy" followed for nine and seven years respectively. In the first case the seizures consisted in an alexic aura followed by secondary tonic clonic convulsion; in the second case the seizures consisted in jaw clenching followed by loss of consciousness. In both patients neuroradiological studies including C.T. were negative and in both the seizures were controlled by anti-epileptic treatment. Clinical and electro encephalographic features tended to differ in the two cases and the authors review the literature on the subject. These observations led to recognise three groups of reflex epilepsy as follows: the first group includes focal secondary generalised seizures with parieto-occipital spikes and spikes and waves in parieto-occipital lobes; the second group includes seizures starting with jaw clenching corresponding with bursts of posterior sharp-waves; the third group consists of endogenous cases which can not be included in the other two groups.