Postictal inhibition of the somatosensory cortex.
Transient suppression of the motor cortex and of the speech areas cause well-described postictal phenomena following seizures involving the respective cortical areas. Pain is a rare symptom in epileptic seizures. We present a patient with painful tonic seizures in the left leg. The amplitude of the cortical component of the somatosensory evoked potential following stimulation of the left tibial nerve was reduced immediately after the seizure. Our findings suggest that the excitability of the sensory cortex is transiently reduced following a seizure involving the somatosensory area.
Beniczky
Sándor
S
Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund, Denmark. sbz@filadelfia.dk
Jovanovic
Marina
M
Atkins
Mary Doreen
MD
Alving
Jørgen
J
Dahl
Marit
M
Andersen
Noémi
N
Wolf
Peter
P
D000328:Adult; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000294:innervation; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000503:physiopathology; D012640:Seizures / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*