Ictal verbal behaviour: a review

An overview is given of the various disturbances which epileptic seizures without loss of consciousness may cause in the patient's voluntary verbal behaviour, as well as of the unintentional verbal activities which seizures may induce. It is shown that during seizures, patients may preserve their verbal skills, or lose them in part or completely. They may also show undeliberate verbal behaviours, of which they may or may not be conscious.