title: Postictal inhibition of the somatosensory cortex.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund, Denmark. sbz@filadelfia.dk
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beniczky
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jovanovic
authors.forename: Mary Doreen
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: Jørgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alving
authors.forename: Marit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dahl
authors.forename: Noémi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: 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*