title: Episodic depersonalization in focal epilepsy.
abstract: In this report a patient with episodic depersonalization is described. As the depersonalization episodes had been attributed to partial seizures, this patient was treated with antiepileptic medication. However, clinical evaluation with long-term video/EEG revealed no evidence of seizure activity during the depersonalization episodes. On the other hand, further evaluation revealed findings that are frequently associated with focal epilepsy. In addition to episodic depersonalization, this patient had secondary generalized seizures. The relationship between episodic depersonalization, temporal lobe pathology, and epilepsy is discussed against the background of this case.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. t.dietl@web.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dietl
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bien
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Urbach
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Elger
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurthen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D003861:Depersonalization / Q000209:etiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods