Can temporal lobe epilepsy cause changes in personality? Abstract. A deepening of emotionality with a serious, highly ethical, and spiritual demeanor has been described by clinicians as a positive personality change among patients with chronic mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.
Does temporal lobe epilepsy influence personality?
Temporal lobe epilepsy—a common form of epilepsy characterized by seizures that begin in the memory-regulating temporal lobe—
does appear to influence personality
, though not in the way many may think and certainly not in the way people have believed throughout history.
Can an epilepsy seizure change your personality?
Many people with epilepsy experience disagreeable changes in their emotions
, and the link between mood disorders and epilepsy has been observed for more than 2,000 years. While this link has been noticed for many years, the relationship between seizures and mood disorders has not been well understood until recently.
Does epilepsy affect Behaviour?
The types of behavioral problems associated with epilepsy include attention deficit, hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, aggression, and autism spectrum disorder
. Early identification and treatment of behavioral problems provides the best possible outcome.
Does temporal lobe epilepsy cause anger issues?
Recurrent episodes with interictal affective aggression are a rare but well-recognized problem in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy
. They are referred to as episodic dyscontrol or, more precisely, as intermittent explosive disorder (IED).
How does the temporal lobe affect behavior?
The temporal lobes are also believed to play an important role in
processing affect/emotions, language, and certain aspects of visual perception
. The dominant temporal lobe, which is the left side in most people, is involved in understanding language and learning and remembering verbal information.
Can seizures cause split personality?
From the Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine.
Two individuals with well-defined seizure problems developed dual personalities
. One personality was irritable and hostile, the other placid; in each case, a major seizure preceded the shift from the former to the latter.
What is epilepsy personality?
Background. In the last century, many psychiatrists have discussed what is called “the epileptic personality,” which is
an inter-ictal syndrome characterized by explosive impulsivity, talkativeness or affective viscosity, and egocentricity (increased concern about the self)
.
Is temporal lobe epilepsy a disability?
Is Epilepsy Considered A Disability?
Epilepsy is considered a disability
and it has a listing in the Social Security Administration (SSA) Blue Book.
People with epilepsy are generally found to have
fewer social supports
compared to those without this condition, are less likely to marry, have fewer children [11], have lower rates of employment [12] and cite lack of social engagement and difficulty in developing satisfying interpersonal relationships as common …
What is temporal lobe personality?
Interictal behavioral alterations associated with TLE included affective dysregulation; irritability and impulsive aggression; anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms; paranoia; abnormal patterns of social interaction; schizophrenic-like symptoms and dissociative states; hypergraphia; and hyperreligiosity.
Does epilepsy cause short temper?
Epilepsy (especially complex partial seizures)
frequently has been associated with aggressive behavior
in the minds of people in general and even in the medical literature.
Can a seizure change your behavior?
Some children display changes in behaviour, personality and mood before or after a seizure
. These changes may include inattentiveness, hyperactivity, irritability, or verbal or physical aggression and may occur minutes to days before or after a seizure.
What triggers temporal lobe seizures?
Experts say some possible causes of temporal lobe seizures include:
severe traumatic brain injury
. infections or a history of infections like meningitis or encephalitis. scarring (gliosis) in the hippocampus part of the temporal lobe.
What are the symptoms of temporal lobe epilepsy?
- Déjà vu (a feeling of familiarity), a memory or jamais vu (a feeling of unfamiliarity).
- A sudden sense of fear, panic or anxiety; anger, sadness or joy.
- A rising sick feeling in your stomach (the feeling you get in your gut riding a roller coaster).
Is anger a side effect of epilepsy?
Aggression is seen in a minority of people with epilepsy
. It is rarely seizure related but is interictal, sometimes occurring as part of complex psychiatric and behavioral comorbidities, and it is sometimes associated with AED treatment.
What problems will be encountered when temporal lobes are affected?
Individuals with temporal lobes lesions have
difficulty placing words or pictures into categories
. Language can be affected by temporal lobe damage. Left temporal lesions disturb recognition of words. Right temporal damage can cause a loss of inhibition of talking.
What can be affected by temporal lobe damage?
Temporal Lobe Damage: Key Points
Temporal lobe damage may affect many essential functions including
language comprehension, emotional regulation, and memory
. It can also significantly affect the way we process sensory information and interact with our surroundings.
Which symptoms would you expect a patient with a right temporal lobe lesion to exhibit?
- Disturbance of auditory sensation and perception.
- Disturbance of selective attention of auditory and visual input.
- Disorders of visual perception.
- Impaired organisation and categorisation of verbal material.
- Disturbance of language comprehension.
- Impaired long-term memory.
Do people with epilepsy think different?
For most people—especially those who don’t have very many seizures—
epilepsy does not cause any serious problems with their thinking
.
What type of seizures are temporal lobe?
Temporal lobe seizures are sometimes called
focal seizures with impaired awareness
. Some people remain aware of what’s happening, but during more-intense seizures, you might look awake but be unresponsive. Your lips and hands may make purposeless, repetitive movements.
Does epilepsy cause mood swings?
Mood disorder may represent the most common, and likely the most worrisome, psychiatric manifestation associated with epilepsy
. Depression is frequently associated, although anxiety and bipolar disorder may also co-occur with epilepsy. Mood symptoms may also be present in the context of seizure events.
What is the best medication for temporal lobe epilepsy?
- Pregabalin (Lyrica)
- Primidone (Mysoline)
- Rufinamide (Banzel)
- Tiagabine (Gabitril)
- Topiramate (Topamax)
- Valproic acid (Depakene)
- Vigabatrin (Sabril)
- Zonisamide (Zonegran)
What foods should epileptics avoid?
Stimulants such as
tea, coffee, chocolate, sugar, sweets, soft drinks, excess salt, spices and animal proteins
may trigger seizures by suddenly changing the body’s metabolism. Some parents have reported that allergic reactions to certain foods (e.g. white flour) also seem to trigger seizures in their children.
Can you outgrow temporal lobe epilepsy?
After childhood onset, one third will “grow out” of TLE, finding a lasting remission up to an average of 20 years
. The finding of a lesion such as hippocampal sclerosis (a scar in the hippocampus), tumour, or dysplasia, on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) predicts the intractability of seizures.
How common is temporal lobe epilepsy?
Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most common form of focal epilepsy.
About 6 out of 10 people with focal epilepsy have temporal lobe epilepsy
.
What problems do people with epilepsy face?
People with epilepsy are more likely to have
psychological problems, especially depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors
. Problems may be a result of difficulties dealing with the condition itself as well as medication side effects, but even people with well-controlled epilepsy are at increased risk.
What is the life expectancy of someone with epilepsy?
Reduction in life expectancy can be
up to 2 years for people with a diagnosis of idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy, and the reduction can be up to 10 years in people with symptomatic epilepsy
. Reductions in life expectancy are highest at the time of diagnosis and diminish with time.
How is a person’s daily life affected by epilepsy?
Does epilepsy get worse with age?
The incidence of any type of seizure increases substantially over the age of 60
, commonly due to other neurological conditions such as dementia or stroke.
Can temporal lobe epilepsy cause depression?
Depression affects about 20 to 40 percent of people with temporal lobe epilepsy
, compared to 3 to 7 percent in the general population. This depression often yields to the antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are the first choice of treatment. Anti-epileptic drugs can help too.
What is emotional epilepsy?
Can epilepsy cause bipolar?
Another common mood disorder in people with epilepsy is bipolar affective disorder
. It is characterized by two types of symptoms: depression and mania.
Can seizures affect your personality?
Epilepsy has significant effects on the behavior of most people who have it
. In some cases the seizure activity itself is manifested as a brief change or interruption in behavior that might appear unusual to the casual observer. Evidence also suggests that epilepsy can affect behavior when seizures are not occurring.
Is temporal lobe epilepsy a disability?
Is Epilepsy Considered A Disability?
Epilepsy is considered a disability
and it has a listing in the Social Security Administration (SSA) Blue Book.
Is there an epileptic personality?
Background. In the last century, many psychiatrists have discussed what is called “the epileptic personality,” which is
an inter-ictal syndrome characterized by explosive impulsivity, talkativeness or affective viscosity, and egocentricity (increased concern about the self)
.
