Temporal lobe seizure

Overview

Temporal lobe seizures begin in the temporal lobes of the brain. These areas process emotions and are important for short-term memory. Symptoms of a temporal lobe seizure often affect these functions . Some people have odd feelings during the seizure, such as joy, deja vu or fear.

Temporal lobe seizures are sometimes called focal seizures with impaired awareness. Some people are aware of what's going on during the seizure. People who have more-intense seizures might look awake but won't respond to what's around them. Their lips and hands may make motions over and over.

The cause of temporal lobe seizures often isn't known. But it may stem from a scar in the temporal lobe. Temporal lobe seizures are treated with medicine. Some people who don't respond to medicine may have surgery.

Symptoms

An odd feeling called an aura may happen before a temporal lobe seizure. An aura acts as a warning. Not everyone who has temporal lobe seizures has auras. And not everyone who has auras remembers them.

The aura is the first part of a focal seizure before a loss of consciousness.

Examples of auras include:

• A sudden sense of fear or joy.
• A feeling that what's happening has happened before, known as deja vu.
• A sudden or strange odor or taste.
• A rising feeling in the belly that feels like being on a roller coaster

Sometimes temporal lobe seizures keep people from responding to others. This type of temporal lobe seizure most often lasts 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

Symptoms of a temporal lobe seizure include:

• Not being aware of the people and things around you.
• Staring.
• Lip smacking.
• Swallowing or chewing over and over.
• Finger movements, such as picking motions.

After a temporal lobe seizure, you may:

• Be confused and have trouble speaking for a time.
• Be unable to recall what happened during the seizure.
• Be unaware of having had a seizure.
• Be very sleepy.

Sometimes, what starts as a temporal lobe seizure becomes a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. This type of seizure causes shaking, known as convulsions, and loss of consciousness. It also is called a grand mal seizure.

When to see a doctor

Call 911 or your local emergency number if:

• The seizure lasts more than five minutes.
• Breathing or consciousness doesn't return after the seizure stops.
• A second seizure follows right away.
• Recovery isn't complete after the seizure.
• Recovery is slower than usual after the seizure.
• You're pregnant.
• You have diabetes.
• An injury happens during the seizure.

For a first seizure, see a healthcare professional.

Seek medical advice if:

• You think you or your child has had a seizure.
• You have more seizures or more-intense seizures.
• You have new seizure symptoms.

Causes

Often, experts don't know the cause of temporal lobe seizures. But they can be a result of the following factors:

• Traumatic brain injury.
• Infections such as encephalitis and meningitis, or a history of such infections.
• A process that causes scarring in a part of the temporal lobes called the hippocampus. This is known as gliosis.
• Blood vessels in the brain that aren't formed correctly, called vascular malformations.
• Stroke.
• Brain tumors.
• Genetic syndromes.
• Withdrawal from alcohol overuse.

During waking and sleeping, the brain cells have electrical activity. A burst of electrical activity in many brain cells may cause a seizure.

If this burst happens in just one area of the brain, the result is a focal seizure. A temporal lobe seizure is a focal seizure that starts in one of the temporal lobes.

Risk factors

There are several risk factors for temporal lobe seizure. They pose the most risk if they happen early in life. These risk factors include:

• Brain injury.
• Infections such as encephalitis or meningitis.
• A seizure caused by a fever, called a febrile seizure.

Complications

Over time, repeated temporal lobe seizures can cause the part of the brain involved in learning and memory to shrink. This area of the brain is called the hippocampus. The loss of brain cells in the hippocampus may cause memory problems.