Frontal lobe seizures


Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Illustration of lobes in the brain Brain lobes

Frontal lobe seizures are seizures that originate in the front of the brain. Epilepsy symptoms can vary depending on what part of the brain is involved. Frontal lobe seizures may produce unusual symptoms that can appear to be related to a psychiatric problem or a sleep disorder.

Frontal lobe seizures often occur during sleep and may feature bicycle pedaling motions and pelvic thrusting. Some people scream profanities or laugh during frontal lobe seizures.

In many cases of frontal lobe seizures, brain wave tests (electroencephalograms) may not show the changes characteristic of epileptic seizures that originate elsewhere in the brain. Medications usually can control frontal lobe seizures, but surgery is an option if anti-epileptic drugs aren't effective.

Symptoms
References
  1. Seizures and epilepsy: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/epilepsy/detail_epilepsy.htm. Accessed April 19, 2013.
  2. Frontal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsy Foundation. http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/aboutepilepsy/syndromes/frontallobeepilepsy.cfm. Accessed April 19, 2013.
  3. LaFrance WC Jr,  et al. Differentiating frontal lobe epilepsy from psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Neurologic Clinics. 2011;29:149.
  4. Benbadis SR. Localization-related (partial) epilepsy: Causes and clinical features. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 18, 2013.
  5. O'Muircheartaigh J, et al. Epilepsy and the frontal lobes. Cortex. 2012;48:144.
  6. Surges R, et al. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: Mechanisms, prevalence, and prevention. Current Opinion in Neurology. 2012;25:201.
  7. Leach JP, et al. Modern management of epilepsy. Clinical Medicine. 2013;13:84.
  8. Neurological diagnostic tests and procedures. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/misc/diagnostic_tests.htm. Accessed April 19, 2013.
  9. Hirsch LJ, et al. Video and ambulatory EEG monitoring in the diagnosis of seizures and epilepsy. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 18, 2013.
  10. Englot DJ, et al. Rates and predictors of long-term seizure freedom after frontal lobe epilepsy surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Neurosurgery. 2012;116:1042.
  11. Wiebe S, et al. Epilepsy surgery utilization: Who, when, where, and why? Current Opinion in Neurology. 2012;25:187.
  12. Lazow SP, et al. Outcome of frontal lobe epilepsy surgery. Epilepsia. 2012;53:1746.
  13. Morrell MJ, et al. Responsive cortical stimulation for the treatment of medically intractable partial epilepsy. Neurology 2011;77:1295.
  14. Prunettia P, et al. New and forthcoming anti-epileptic drugs. Current Opinion in Neurology. 2011;24:159.
  15. eCommunities. Epilepsy Foundation. http://epilepsyfoundation.ning.com/. Accessed April 19, 2013.
  16. Living with epilepsy. Epilepsy.com. http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/living_epilepsy. Accessed April 19, 2013.
  17. Wells RE, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine use among U.S. adults with common neurological conditions. Journal of Neurology. 2010;257:1822.
  18. Schachter SC. Complementary and alternative medical therapies. Current Opinion in Neurology. 2008;21:184.
  19. Daroff RB, et al. Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0434-1..C2009-0-40427-6--TOP&isbn=978-1-4377-0434-1&uniqId=364938937-2. Accessed April 18, 2013.
  20. Nicoll D, et al. Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=56995240. Accessed April 22, 2013.
  21. Devinsky O, et al. Alternative Therapies for Epilepsy. New York, N.Y.: Demos Medical Publishing; 2012.
  22. Levy RG, et al. Ketogenic diet and other dietary treatments for epilepsy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001903.pub2/abstract. Accessed April 26, 2013.
  23. Gloss D, et al. Cannabinoids for epilepsy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD009270.pub2/abstract. Accessed April 26, 2013.
  24. Wyllie E, et al. Wyllie's Treatment of Epilepsy. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2011:771.
  25. Scheffer IE, et al. Autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy. Brain. 1995;118:61.
  26. Sirven JI (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Ariz. April 25, 2013.
  27. Wang A, et al. Functional magnetic resonance imaging for language mapping in temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsy Research and Treatment. 2012;2012:198183.
  28. Von Oertzen TJ, et al. Prospective use of subtraction ictal SPECT coregistered to MRI (SISCOM) in presurgical evaluation of epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2011;52:2239.
  29. Miller RD, et al. Miller's Anesthesia. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06959-8..X0001-5&isbn=978-0-443-06959-8&uniqId=410621892-4#4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06959-8..X0001-5--TOP. Accessed May 7, 2013.
DS00810 July 3, 2013

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger