Hypermotor seizures in lateral and mesial parietal epilepsy

Four patients with refractory epilepsy and hypermotor seizures (HMS) benefited from an intracerebral investigation after a presurgical evaluation and demonstrated an ictal onset zone primarily involving the posterior cortex, specifically the posterior cingulate gyrus in two patients. At seizure onset, these two patients reported a falling sensation, followed by HMSs characterized by swinging movements of the trunk with intense grasping of the bed railing. The two other patients with lateral parietal seizure onset reported blurred vision and dizziness, followed by a mixed pattern of the previously described type 1 and 2 HMSs. Three patients have been operated on, including two class I of Engel after 36 and 52 months of follow-up. One patient developed a postoperative infection and continues to suffer seizures. Pathological findings disclosed a type IIa focal cortical dysplasia in all the patients. The last patient is awaiting surgery. Posterior cortex epilepsies, including those originating from the posterior cingulate cortex, can be responsible for HMSs. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.