Effect of lateralized epileptic discharges on the thought flow.
OBJECTIVE
Pauses in verbal expression of thought flow in patients with partial epilepsy was studied in order to achieve a best comprehension of brain interhemispheric influences.


METHODS
We studied thirty nine patients with partial epileptic seizures and twenty four volunteers (control group). Free association of ideas was used as a method to establish the thought flow, starting with a stimulus word (subject name) that must be followed by spontaneous and consecutive word-phrase. Patients were instructed to say any thought that came to their minds without any kind of censoring. Subject responses were recorded through a PC keyboard and time intervals (pauses) between each word-phrase were processed by a software developed for this purpose.


RESULTS
Time intervals reduction among associations in right lesional group were compared to left lesional, right non-lesional and control groups. An increase of associative time intervals was observed in the right non-lesional group compared to left non-lesional group.


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest a possible inhibitory inter-hemispheric function of the right hemisphere modulating verbal expression of the thought flow. Considering the hypothesis of the inter-hemispheric inhibition by the right hemisphere on left hemisphere, we admit that in epileptic patients with right hemispheric lesion there is an attenuation of the inter-hemispheric inhibition and an increase in thought flow, whereas in patients without a lesion but a paroxysmal epileptic activity in right temporal lobe there is an exacerbation of this inhibitory function and consequent reduction in the thought flow.
Mendonça
P B
PB
Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Piccinin
L C
LC
Capucho
C M
CM
Campos
C J
CJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005608:Free Association; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013850:Thinking / Q000502:physiology*; D013995:Time; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*