Reading epilepsy in a 20-year-old male. Electroencephalographic study with sphenoidal electrodes localized the onset of critical spikes in the temporal areas (especially the left). The frequency and diffusion of critical spikes were increased when material read had an emotional content. This case report supports the "communication" hypothesis as opposed to hypotheses that emphasize proprioceptive and other "lower order" stimuli in evoking seizures while reading. The authors discuss the role of the temporal lobe in reading: lexical function, treatment of visual information and emotional integration of stimuli.