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CASE REPORT
Impact of surgical intervention on seizure and psychiatric symptoms in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy
  1. Lokesh Shahani and
  2. Gregory Cervenka
  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas John P and Katherine G McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Lokesh Shahani, lokesh.r.shahani{at}uth.tmc.edu

Abstract

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), a common form of localisation-related epilepsy, is characterised by focal seizures and accompanied by variety of neuropsychiatric symptoms. This form of epilepsy proves difficult to manage as many anticonvulsant and psychotropic medications have little to no effect on controlling the seizure and neuropsychiatric symptoms respectively. The authors, report a patient with TLE and recurrent seizures that were refractory to multiple classes of antiepileptic therapy. Additionally, she exhibited psychosis, depression and irritability that required antipsychotic medication. After several years of poorly controlled seizure disorder, the patient underwent anterior temporal lobectomy and amygdalohippocampectomy, which proved beneficial for seizure control, as well as her neuropsychiatric symptoms. While it is common to treat refractory temporal lobe epilepsy with surgical interventions, there is little literature about it also treating the neuropsychiatric symptoms. This case underscores both the neurological and psychiatric benefits following surgical intervention for patients with TLE.

  • psychiatry
  • epilepsy and seizures

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Footnotes

  • Contributors Both authors (LS and GC) have contributed towards reviewing the literature and writing this manuscript.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

  • Patient consent for publication Obtained.