title: Acute alteration of emotional behaviour in epileptic seizures is related to transient desynchrony in emotion-regulation networks.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  During focal epileptic seizures, patients may express intense agitation, screaming and facial expressions of rage, fear or anger. The precise anatomical origin of such intense ictal emotional behaviour is not fully understood and the mechanisms by which the epileptic discharges provoke these phenomena are unknown. In the present study, we analysed the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying ictal emotional behaviour in 3 patients with frontal lobe epilepsies undergoing intracerebral recordings for presurgical evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the interactions between regions forming 'emotional networks', before and during behavioural alterations. Intracerebral recordings (SEEG method) of seizures from 3 patients presenting with frontal lobe seizures were analyzed. A nonlinear measure of SEEG signal interdependencies was used to evaluate the functional couplings occurring between brain structures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that these intense emotional alterations were associated with a decrease of synchrony between signals recorded from the neural networks known to be involved in emotional processing, and in particular a loss of synchrony between the orbito-frontal cortex and the amygdala. This disruption of functional connections could then result in the disruption of emotional regulation leading to the release of altered behaviour, as observed in epileptic patients during seizures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose that the occurrence of intense ictal emotional behaviour disturbance in frontal lobe seizures is related to a disruption of the normal mechanisms of emotional regulation
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results provide some insight into our understanding of the pathophysiological processes involved in human partial epilepsies as well as in the interpretation of clinical semiology.
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurophysiologie Clinique, INSERM EMI 9926, CHU TIMONE et Université de la Méditerranée, 264 Rue Saint-Pierre, 13385 Marseille Cedex 5, France. fabrice.bartolomei@ap-hm.fr
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bartolomei
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trébuchon
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gavaret
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Régis
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wendling
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chauvel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003344:Cortical Synchronization; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012640:Seizures / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology