Peri-ictal water drinking lateralizes seizure onset to the nondominant temporal lobe

Neurology. 2003 Mar 11;60(5):873-6. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000049459.83589.6c.

Abstract

The authors describe seven patients with medically refractory temporal lobe epilepsy whose seizures were associated with peri-ictal water drinking behavior. Presurgical evaluation, including video-EEG monitoring, MRI, SPECT, and neuropsychological testing, revealed a seizure onset in the nondominant temporal lobe. All patients had an excellent outcome after epilepsy surgery. Peri-ictal water drinking may represent a lateralizing sign indicating seizure onset in the nondominant temporal lobe.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Drinking*
  • Electroencephalography
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / complications*
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / diagnosis
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / physiopathology
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / surgery*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Functional Laterality
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Monitoring, Intraoperative
  • Stereotypic Movement Disorder / complications*
  • Thirst*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
  • Water

Substances

  • Water