Disorders of consciousness and associated complex behaviors.
Behavioral events during epileptic seizures, while varied, comprise only a portion of the total spectrum of human behavior. Studies using intensive video monitoring have permitted insight into the common and uncommon events in epileptic seizures. Comparison of data from these studies with data from other disorders, notably psychiatric disease, allows a more complete understanding of the nature of these disorders and of the differential diagnosis of each. Disorders in which consciousness is altered are common and heterogeneous; it is now possible to differentiate these various disorders. The information presented here provides a framework for the physician confronted with these diagnostic dilemmas.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
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RJ
Porter
D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003243:Consciousness / Q000502:physiology*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans