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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffAn unusual sensation or emotion, known as an aura, may precede a temporal lobe seizure, acting as a warning. Not everyone who has temporal lobe seizures experiences auras, and those who do have auras may not remember them. The aura is actually a small seizure itself — one that has not spread into an observable seizure that impairs consciousness and ability to respond. Examples of auras include:
- A sudden sense of unprovoked fear
- A deja vu experience
- The sudden occurrence of a strange odor or taste
- A rising sensation in the abdomen
People who have temporal lobe seizures usually remain partially conscious during a seizure, but they lose awareness of their surroundings and usually don't remember what happened.
A temporal lobe seizure usually lasts 30 seconds to two minutes. Characteristic signs and symptoms of temporal lobe seizures include:
- Loss of awareness of surroundings
- Staring
- Lip smacking
- Repeated swallowing or chewing
- Unusual finger movements, such as picking motions
After a temporal lobe seizure, you may have:
- A brief period of confusion and difficulty speaking
- Inability to recall the events that occurred during the seizure
- Unawareness of having had a seizure until someone else tells you
In extreme cases, what starts as a temporal lobe seizure evolves into a grand mal (tonic-clonic) seizure — featuring convulsions and a loss of consciousness. About half of people with temporal lobe seizures never experience a grand mal seizure.
When to see a doctor
Seek medical advice in these circumstances:
- When the number of seizures experienced increases significantly without explanation
- When new signs or symptoms of seizures appear
Seek emergency medical care if a seizure lasts more than 5 minutes.
If rhythmic muscle contractions or jerky movements occur in someone having a temporal lobe seizure, a grand mal seizure may be developing. Follow these tips:
- Call for medical help immediately.
- Gently roll the person onto one side and put something soft under his or her head.
- Loosen tight neckwear.
- Don't put anything in the mouth — the tongue can't be swallowed and objects placed in the mouth can be bitten or inhaled.
- Don't try to restrain the person. Look for a medical alert bracelet, which may indicate an emergency contact person and other information.
- Temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsy Foundation. http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/about/types/syndromes/temporallobe.cfm. Accessed May 7, 2009.
- Stafstrom CE, et al. Pathophysiology of seizures and epilepsy. http://www.uptodate.com/index/home.html. Accessed April 17, 2009.
- Foldvary-Schaefer N, et al. Epilepsy and epilepsy syndromes. In: Goetz, CG. Textbook of Clinical Neurology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier: 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/136248193-3/0/1488/441.html?tocnode=53805069&fromURL=441.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3618-0..10052-9_4538. Accessed May 8, 2009.
- Seizures and epilepsy: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/epilepsy/detail_epilepsy.htm?css=print. Accessed April 24, 2009.
- Ropper AH, et al. Epilepsy and other seizure disorders. In: Ropper AH, et al. Adams and Victor's Principles of Neurology. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3632229. Accessed April 22, 2009.
- Seizure disorders. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec16/ch214/ch214a.html. April 26, 2009.
- Schuele SU, et al. Intractable epilepsy: Management and therapeutic alternatives. Lancet Neurology. 2008;7:514.
- Spooner CG, et al. New-onset temporal lobe epilepsy in children. Neurology. 2006;67:2147.
- Practice parameter update: Management issues for women with epilepsy-focus on pregnancy (an evidence based review): Teratogenesis and perinatal outcomes. St. Paul, Minn.: American Academy of Neurology. http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/WNL.0b013e3181a6b312v1. Accessed April 27, 2009.
- Britton JW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 14, 2009.
