Interseizure Disturbances in Focal Epilepsy

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Abstract
In patients with sharply localized temporal lobe spike foci and with clinical seizures, either psychomotor in type or with an aura suggesting temporal lobe origin, investigations of cortical function involving the auditory system were undertaken. Two kinds of measurement were made: (1) the capacity to form a conditioned alpha response to a tone was compared with that to a tactile stimulus, and (2) the motor reaction time to tone was compared with that to touch. Results indicated a marked impairment in the ability to form a conditioned alpha response to a sound stimulus in patients with temporal lobe lesions. However, the motor reaction time was unimpaired to both the tone and tactile stimulus. Thus the focal epileptogenic lesion selectively impairs the kind of temporary connection involved in establishing a conditioned reflex, but does not impair the kind of temporary cortical connection involved in the voluntary motor reaction to a stimulus Impairment in the capacity of damaged cortex to participate in the formation of conditioned relfexes may explain much of the interseizure symptomatology of patients with focal epilepsy.