Anxiety as the only manifestation of focal non-convulsive status epilepticus: case report and review of the literature. Issue 2 (3rd March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Albini, Mariarita; Morano, Alessandra; Fattouch, Jinane; Fanella, Martina; Avorio, Federica; Basili, Luca Manfredi; Cerulli Irelli, Emanuele; Manfredi, Mario; Giallonardo, Anna Teresa; Di Bonaventura, Carlo
• Is Part Of: Neurocase. Volume 26:Issue 2(2020)
• Page Start: 98
• Page End: 102
• Publication Date: 2020-03-03
• Subjects: EEG -- anxiety -- ictal -- psychiatry -- status epilepticus; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neuropsychology -- Case Report; Mental Disorders -- Case Report; Nervous System Diseases -- Case Report; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2020.1741647
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1355-4794

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Psychiatric disorders represent common comorbidities in epileptic patients. Sometimes anxiety is part of the ictal semiology, especially during seizures arising from/involving frontal or temporal lobes. We describe a patient with focal epilepsy and recurrent hyperkinetic seizures who also presented prolonged episodes characterized by massive anxiety, alarm and fear. A Video-Electroencephalographic monitoring performed during one of these attacks revealed a continuous epileptiform activity over the right frontal regions, consistent with a focal non-convulsive status epilepticus accounting for the patient's psychiatric symptoms. Our case confirms the complex relationship between epilepsy and anxiety. A review of the literature is also included.