Upper limb automatisms differ quantitatively in temporal and frontal lobe epilepsies

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

Cunha, JPS (Author) FEUP; Remi, J (Author) Other; Vollmar, C (Author) Other; Fernandes, JM (Author) Other; Gonzalez Victores, JA (Author) Other; Noachtar, S (Author) Other

Journal

Title: EPILEPSY & BEHAVIOR

Vol. 27

Pages: 404-408

ISSN: 1525-5050

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 9 Citations

Scopus - 11 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-005-1BX

DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.02.026

Abstract (EN): We quantitatively evaluated the localizing and lateralizing characteristics of ictal upper limb automatisms (ULAs) in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE; n = 38) and frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE; n = 20). Movement speed, extent, length, and duration of ULAs were quantitatively analyzed with motion capturing techniques. Upper limb automatisms had a larger extent (p < 0.001), covered more distance (p < 0.05), and were faster (p < 0.001) in FLE than in TLE. In TLE, the maximum speed of ULAs was higher ipsilaterally than contralaterally (173 vs. 84 pixels/s; p = 0.02), with no significant difference in FLE (511 vs. 428). The duration of ictal automatisms in relation to the total seizure duration was shorter in TLE than in FLE (median 36% vs. 63%; p < 0.001), with no difference in the absolute duration (26 s vs. 27 s). These results demonstrate that quantitative movement analysis of ULAs differentiates FLE from TLE, which may aid in the localization of the epileptogenic zone.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 5