title: Ictal laughter and crying: Should they be classified as automatisms?
abstract: Gelastic seizures (GS) describe ictal laughter and are associated with hypothalamic lesions, as well as other cortical areas. Dacrystic seizures (DS), characterized by ictal crying, also have been reported in hypothalamic lesions and focal epilepsy. We describe a young girl with drug resistant focal dyscognitive seizures associated with gelastic and dacrystic features. However, neither laughter nor crying was correlated with a stereotyped electroencephalographic (EEG) pattern or involvement of a particular brain region. Additionally, based on the variety of epileptogenic foci associated with GS and DS in the literature, laughter and crying appear to represent ictal or peri-ictal automatisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology,University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Anna-Marieta
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Moise
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology,University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States; Department of South Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leary
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology,University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States; Department of South Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Lola C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States; Department of South Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Alex M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Papanastassiou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology,University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States; Department of South Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ákos Szabó
keywords: Automatisms; Dacrystic seizures; Epilepsy; Gelastic seizures; Parietal lobe