title: Epileptic consciousness: concept and meaning of aura.
abstract: This research is based on previous publications that have analyzed certain neuropsychological phenomena that always have the same characteristic clinical features: a vivid experience of sudden onset and automatic development, accompanied by an intense sensation of strangeness. When these automatisms are accompanied by only mental symptoms, the designation paroxysmal psychic automatisms (PPAs) is proposed, and they should be interpreted as partial seizures (PSs) with a psychic content whenever they clearly exhibit the four features of suddenness, passivity, intensity, and strangeness. This interpretation is based on the existence of a wealth of scientific literature indicating an overlap between PPAs and PSs; moreover, bibliographic reviews indicate that the clinical signs just defined as characterizing PPAs are precisely those defining the epileptic consciousness.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Psiquiatria del Hospital Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Silva
authors.forename: Iria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Silva
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Rodriguez
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Perez-Echeverria
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campayo-Martinez
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Fernandez
mesh_terms: D001332:Automatism / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D003243:Consciousness; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications; D012640:Seizures / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*