Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
According to the statistics, there are roughly180, 000 new cases of epilepsy and seizures every year. The said number adds up to the already recorded 50 million people around the world who has it. There are actually 40 identified types of epilepsy but one of the most common form is called Temporal Lobe Epilepsy or TLE.
Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Foundings
John Hughlings Jackson, renowned English neurologist is the first one who recognized the Temporal Lobe Epilepsy in 1881. Known for his contributions for the understanding of epilepsy, he said that it arises from the uncal part of the termporal lobe which causes “unicate fits” and puts an individual in a dreamy state.
Then, it was in 1985 when the International League against Epilepsy (ILAE) further characterized the Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. They say it is the periodic unprovoked seizure that starts from the lateral or medial temporal lobe of the brain. Simple partial and complex seizures are often connected with temporal lobe epilepsy.
In the former kind of seizure, the individual does not lose consciousness; instead he maintains an awareness of himself and his environment. However, the latter kind causes one to lose awareness because the seizure already spread in both temporal lobes and may even cause memory impairment. They may also be disabled during an attack and has tendencies to have involuntary movements such as chewing or scratching.
Also known in the medical world as Psychomotor epilepsy, temporal lobe epilepsy is a continuous neurological condition that is present to almost 60% of all epilepsy cases in adults. It causes a sudden occurrence of agitation or aggression which is unanticipated and may be present with aura-like phenomena. The onset of the temporal lobe epilepsy is usually during childhood; however, as this kind of epilepsy is sometimes not present in EEG results, doctors have difficulty in diagnosing it.
Humans and even animals can have temporal lobe epilepsy and there are two-main types of it which are acknowledged internationally by ILEA. The first one is called MTLE or Medial temporal lobe epilepsy that occurs at the hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus and amygdale which can be seen in the inner portion of the temporal lobe. The other is called LTLE or Lateral temporal lobe epilepsy that takes place in the neocortex at the outer surface of the brain’s temporal lobe.
And because the two lobes of the brain are strongly connected, the seizures that begun in either portion can easily spread and affect both. The etiologies or causes of the temporal lobe epilepsy vary. It can be through infections like meningitis, encephalitis and herpes and contusions brought about by traumas and hemorrhage. Vascular malformation is another cause as well as hamartomas wherein the normal tissue forms abnormally and malignancies like ganglioma and meningioma.
However, similar to the other types of epilepsy, this can be treated through antic-seizure drugs such as carbamazepine and lamotrigine. Neurosurgical treatment is also an option to help control seizures, possibly cure in the localized pathological conditions like the hippocampal area and prevent disability that can drastically affect one’s life.
Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Video
For those visual learners reading this site, check out the video below for a clear explanation of temporal lobe epilepsy within a patient. This video is an interesting look at this form of epilepsy.