title: Persistent déjà vu associated with hyperperfusion in the entorhinal cortex.
abstract: Déjà vu is a common experience among the normal population. However, in individuals with temporal lobe epilepsy, it often occurs as a seizure manifestation. The specific cause of such déjà vu is not yet known. Here, we report a case of epilepsy with persistent déjà vu. The patient described the state as if he were living the same life he had lived before. Blood perfusion single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) performed during the persistent déjà vu showed hyperperfusion in the left medial temporal area; discontinuation of déjà vu was accompanied by disappearance of the hyperperfused area on SPECT. Analysis with three-dimensional co-registration of SPECT and MRI revealed that the hyperperfused area during the persistent déjà vu was in the entorhinal cortex of the left temporal lobe. According to recent theories of recognition memory, malfunction of the parahippocampal area may cause déjà vu. It is also suggested that epileptic activity in the parahippocampal area, especially the entorhinal cortex, may elicit déjà vu.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kitaku, Sapporo, Japan. ytakeda@med.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Youji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Tsugiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurita
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiga
authors.forename: Nagara
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.forename: Tsukasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koyama
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D003690:Deja Vu; D018728:Entorhinal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C059659:technetium Tc 99m bicisate; D003545:Cysteine