title: Paroxysmal alien limb phenomena due to epileptic seizures and electrical cortical stimulation.
abstract: Alien limb phenomena (ALPs) are characterized by limb movements, which are subjectively experienced as involuntary or alien induced. ALPs regularly remain unchanged and occur as a consequence of frontal, callosal, or posterior cerebral lesions. The authors present two patients with paroxysmal ALP proved to be focal seizures by using video-EEG monitoring. In another two patients, ALP could experimentally be induced by electrical cortical stimulation. Based on the stimulation results, the authors suspect a functional disconnection of 1) sensory cortical areas providing information about the extrapersonal space; and 2) areas of the frontal and/or limbic cortex that are regularly involved in the processing and executing of intentional motor activity as a pathophysiologic substrate for ictal ALP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Presurgical Evaluation, Epilepsy Center Bethel, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boesebeck
authors.forename: Alois
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ebner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm; D002540:Cerebral Cortex; D020820:Dyskinesias / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male