title: Lateralising value of experiential hallucinations in temporal lobe epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ever since John Hughlings Jackson first described the so-called 'dreamy state' during temporal lobe epilepsy, that is, the sense of an abnormal familiarity (déjà vu) or vivid memory-like hallucinations from the past (experiential hallucinations), these phenomena have been studied and repeatedly linked to mesial temporal lobe structures. However, little is known about the lateralising value of either déjà vu or experiential hallucinations.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed a sample of 28 patients with intractable focal epilepsy suffering from either déjà vu or experiential hallucinations. All the patients underwent thorough presurgical examination, including MRI, positron emission tomography, single-photon emission CT, EEG and neuropsychological examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While déjà vu was due to right or left mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, experiential hallucinations were strongly lateralised to the left mesial temporal lobe. Moreover, there was a significant effect for interictal language deficits being more frequent in patients suffering from experiential hallucinations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest a lateralising value for experiential hallucinations to the left temporal lobe.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain-Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland Department of Neurology, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8520-1300
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Heydrich
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain-Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marillier
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain-Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain-Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland Department of Neurology, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland Center for Neuroprosthetics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Blanke
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Margitta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seeck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003690:Deja Vu / Q000523:psychology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D059906:Neuroimaging; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
keywords: EPILEPSY; HALLUCINATIONS; MEMORY