This document describes various seizure semiologies and their associated symptomatogenic zones. It discusses different types of auras including somatosensory, visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, autonomic, psychic, and abdominal auras. It also outlines different types of motor seizures including tonic, clonic, tonic-clonic, versive, hypermotor, gelastic, atonic, hypomotor, akinetic, and negative myoclonic seizures. Additional lateralizing signs discussed include dystonic posturing, ictal speech, post-ictal aphasia, Todd's paralysis, post-ictal nose wipe, ictal nystagmus, peri-ictal water

1. By
ahmed abd elhady
Seizure semiology

2. Introduction
 Approximately 60% of all patients with epilepsy
suffer from focal epilepsy syndromes. In 15% of
these patients the condition is not adequately
controlled with anticonvulsive drugs .And 50%
from these patients are potential candidates for
surgical epilepsy treatment

3.  The objective of resective epilepsy surgery is the
complete resection or complete disconnection of
the epileptogenic zone, with preservation of the
`eloquent' cortex .
 Modern epileptologists use a variety of diagnostic
tools, such as analysis of seizure semiology,
electrophysiological recordings, functional testing
and neuroimaging techniques to define the
location and boundaries of the epileptogenic zone
 .

4.  We will describe the historical development of the
five zones used to define the epileptogenic zone
and of the different diagnostic techniques
necessary to define them.

5. The symptomatogenic zone
 The symptomatogenic zone is the area of
cortex which, when activated by an epileptiform
discharge, produces the ictal symptoms. It is
defined by careful analysis of the ictal
symptomatology, with either a thorough seizure
history or an analysis of ictal video recordings.

6. The irritative zone
 The irritative zone is defined as the area of
cortical tissue that generates interictal
electrographic spikes. The irritative zone is
measured by EEG (scalp or invasive),
magnetoencephalography (MEG) or functional
MRI (fMRI) triggered by interictal spikes. These
can be considered as `mini-seizures'. If they are
of sufficient `strength' and are generated within
an eloquent cortical area, spikes can give rise to
clinical symptoms.

7. The seizure onset zone
 The seizure onset zone is the area of the cortex
from which clinical seizures are (actually)
generated, The seizure onset zone is most
commonly localized by either scalp or invasive
EEG techniques. also be determined by ictal
single photon emission computed tomography
(SPECT).

8. The epileptogenic lesion
 This is a radiographic lesion that is the cause of
the epileptic seizures. The best way to define this
today is by high-resolution MRI .

9. The functional deficit zone
 This is defined as the area of cortex that is
functionally abnormal in the interictal period. This
dysfunction may be a direct result of the destructive
effect of the lesion or may be functionally mediated,
i.e. abnormal neuronal transmission that may affect
brain function either locally or at a considerable
distance from the epileptogenic tissue.
 A typical example of this is seen in patients with pure
mesial temporal sclerosis. FDG-PET studies often
reveal extensive hypometabolic regions outside the
mesial temporal structures .Theepileptogenic zone is
usually limited to the mesial temporal region and
seizure-freedom is often achieved with resection of
this tissue alone

10. epileptogenic zone
 The epileptogenic zone is the area of cortex that is
indispensable for the generation of epileptic seizures.
It may include an actual epileptogenic zone, which is
the cortical area generating seizures before surgery (
it is equivalent to or smaller than the actual seizure
onset zone), and a `potential epileptogenic zone',
which is an area of cortex that may generate seizures
after the presurgical seizure onset zone has been
resected. There is no diagnostic modality currently
available that can be used to measure the entire
epileptogenic zone directly.

11. Somatosensory auras
 these are abnormal somatosensations (usually
“tingling” or “numbness”) that are limited to a clearly
defined somatosensory region of the body.
 if unilateral the contralateral primary sensory cortex
is usually the symptomatogenic zone
 if bilteral and wide spread somatosensations can be
produced from the supplementary sensorymotor
area (SSMA) and also the second somatosensory
area (S2)

12. Visual auras
 These are visual hallucinations that usually consist
of flashing lights of different colors that may blink
and move in the visual field. Frequently the patient
reports the visual hallucinations in front of both eyes
without a clear lateralization. However, occasionally
the visual aura may be lateralized to one visual field
(contralateral to the symptomatogenic zone)
 the symptomatogenic zone for the visual
hallucinations is area 17 and 18.
 Complex visual hallucinations and visual illusions
are more likely to involve the association cortex
(parieto-temporal) or the adjacent lobes.

13. Auditory auras
 These are simple auditory hallucinations, like
hearing a “buzz ”or a “noise”
 The symptomatogenic zone is Heschell’s gyrus in
the superior temporal gyrus. Usually the patient
has difficulty lateralizing the sound.

14. Olfactory auras
 Most of the time these are hallucinations of
unpleasant smells.
 They have no lateralizing value but are most
frequently seen in patients with mesial temporal
lobe epilepsy

15. Gustatory auras
 These auras consist of unpleasant taste.
 the insula to be a symptomatogenic zone for this
aura.These auras have no lateralizing value.

16. Autonomic auras
 These are autonomic alterations such as
palpitations, sweating, “goose bumps ”cte ,.
 The symptomatogenic zone of most autonomic
auras is most likely the insular cortex.

17. Psychic auras
 These are complex hallucinations and/or illusions
that usually affect different senses. Psychic auras
include phenomena such as autoscopy, fear,
elation, déjà vu and jamais vu .
 temporal lobe is usually involved with these
phenomena but they have no lateralizing value.

18. Abdominal auras
 symptoms such as nausea, tenseness, knot,
external weight or squeezing, rolling, turning or
whirling movement in the abdomen, tickling, tingling
or electric shock sensation, pain, vibrating, fluttering
or butterflies sensation, gas or pressure within the
abdomen, an empty .. etc
 Abdominal auras are frequent and are usually
secondary to temporal lobe epilepsies. However,
occasionally abdominal auras may also be triggered
by extratemporal epilepsies (mainly frontal lobe and
insula) .

19. Dialeptic seizures
 Dialepsis is an alteration of consciousness consisting of
unresponsiveness during the seizure and amnesia of the
episode post-ictal
 The epileptogenic zone of patients with dialeptic
seizures tends to be at a distance from the primary or
supplementary motor areas.
 On the other hand, in seizures originating at or near the
primary and supplementary motor areas the
predominant symptomatology tends to be motor
phenomena (motor seizures) not infrequently with
preserved consciousness .
 The duration of the dialeptic seizures has a localizing
value with seizures originating from the mesial temporal
structures being of longer duration than the ones arising

20. Motor seizures
 These can be divided into “simple ”and “complex ”motor
seizures according to the complexity of the ictal movement
itself .
 Simple motor seizures refer to unnatural but simple
movements. These movements can be reproduced by
electrical cortical stimulation of the motor areas .
 Complex motor seizures refer to movements that imitate
natural movements. These movements cannot be elicited
by electrical cortical stimulation unless a seizure discharge
is triggered.

21. Simple motor seizure; tonic
seizure
 These consist of sustained muscle contractions,
usually lasting several seconds which lead to
“posturing ”tceffa . mainly the proximal muscle
groups,and tend to be asymmetric .
 Tonic seizures occur most commonly in frontal lobe
epilepsy ( 62.2%ebol laropmet ni ylerar yrev dna )
( yspelipe1.7%ylno yspelipe ebol laropmet nI .)
saerehw ,derrucco seruzies cinot laretalinu32% of
the tonic seizures in frontal lobe epilepsies were
bilateral .

22. Simple motor seizure; Epileptic
spasms
 This term is used to identify muscle contractions of
relatively symmetric, either tonic or myoclonic
features which affect predominantly proximal axial
muscles. The predominant contraction is usually a
flexion of the trunk and an extension and abduction
of the arms in a “salaam position ”.
 epileptic spasms are seen in patients with
generalized epilepsies. However ,may occurred in
focal epilepsies, particularly parieto-occipital
epilepsies .
 The mechanism of these seizures may due to
involvement of the brainstem raphe nuclei and
spinal pathways.

23. Simple motor seizure; clonic seizures
 These are myoclonic contractions that recur regularly at
a rate of 0.2-5 per second.
 The epileptogenic zone is usually at or in close
proximity of the primary motor strip
 Unilateral clonic seizures have a highly lateralizing
value to the contralateral hemisphere. In secondarily
generalized tonicclonic seizures the clonic activity may
persist longer on the side ipsilateral to the epileptogenic
focus (“end of seizure paradoxical clonus ”si sihT .)
fo erehpsimeh eht taht tcaf eht ot detaler ylbaborp
teg ot sdnet nigiro eruzies“ exhausted ”earlier than the
contralateral hemisphere. “End of seizure paradoxical
clonus ”is a highly reliable lateralizing sign.

24. Simple motor seizures;Tonic-clonic
seizures
 These seizures start with tonic posturing of all the
limbs followed by a “jittery ”phase that
progressively slows down and eventually
transforms in a clonic activity of all four
extremities .
 Occurrence of these types of seizures at the
onset and relatively symmetrical highly
suggestive of generalized epilepsy.

25. Simple motor seizures; versive
seizures
 Versive seizures are defined as a forced and
involuntary turning of the head and eyes in one
direction with an associated neck extension
resulting in a sustained unnatural position of both.
 The frontal eye fields are the symptomatogenic
zone.
 Versive seizures have a highly lateralizing value
to the contralateral hemisphere

26. Complex motor seizures; Hypermotor
seizures
 The main manifestations in these seizures consist of
complex movements involving the trunk and proximal
segments eexamples are pedaling movements,
running, etc.
 Occasionally hypermotor seizures consist of
automatisms that resemble sexual activity
 Consciousness may be preserved during these
seizures. They occur mostly during sleep .
 Most originate from the orbital or mesial frontal
regions. However, hypermotor seizures may also
occur in temporal lobe and insular epilepsie

27. Complex motor seizures;
Gelastic seizures
 Seizures in which the main motor manifestation is
“laughing ”are termed gelastic seizures.
 In approximately 50% of the cases with gelastic
seizures hypothalamic hamartomas can be
detected by MRI .
 also extrahypothalamic like the anterior cingulate
region, as well as the frontal, parietal and
temporal lobes are involved

28. Complex motor seizures; Atonic
seizures
 These seizures result in loss of postural tone with
ensuing falls or head drop .
 Atonic seizures are seen most frequently in
patients with symptomatic generalized epilepsies
(Lennox- Gastaut syndrome)
 Atonic seizures can also be seen in patients with
frontal and temporal lobe focal epilepsies.
 Astatic seizure can be used when there is
evidence of a fall but the exact mechanism is
unknown.

29. Complex motor seizures; Hypomotor
seizures
 The main manifestation of these seizures is a
decrease or total absence of motor activity .
 This expression is only used in patients in whom
consciousness cannot be tested during or after
the seizure (newborns, infants and children under
3 years; mentally retarded patients).
 In patients with focal epilepsy, hypomotor
seizures are seen most frequently in temporal
and parietal lobe epilepsy.

30. Complex motor seizures; Akinetic
seizures
 These seizures are characterized by inability to
perform voluntary movements. The diagnosis of
akinetic seizures can only be made in patients
who are conscious and cooperative, i.e., they try
to perform a movement but are unable to do so
(apraxia).
 They are thought to arise from activation of the
negative motor areas in the mesial frontal and
inferior frontal gyri .

31. Complex motor seizures; Negative
myoclonic seizures
 These are seizures in which a brief movement is
produced by a loss of muscle tone of less than
400 msec duration .
 The postcentral cerebral cortex was indicated in a
case report of unilateral epileptic negative
myoclonus.

32. Additional lateralizing signs; Dystonic
posturing
 This is a sustained (>10 sec), forced, unnatural
positioning of an upper extremity on one side of
the body with a clear rotational
 Although more common in temporal lobe
epilepsy (contralateral hemisphere ) this sign can
occur in extra temporal lobe epilepsy as well. It is
thought to be related to activation of the basal
ganglia

33. Additional lateralizing signs; ictal
speech
 Ictal verbalization is defined as the presence of
clearly intelligible speech when the patient
already shows unresponsiveness and/or has
clear distal automatisms.
 it tends to lateralize the epilepsy to the non-
dominant hemisphere in patients with temporal
lobe epilepsy. However, exceptions to this rule
are not so infrequent making this a poorly reliable
lateralizing sign.

34. Additional lateralizing signs; Post
ictal aphasia
 Postictal aphasia lateralizes the epilepsy to the
language dominant hemisphere in patients with
temporal lobe epilepsy .
 post-ictal language delay is less significantly
affected in frontal lobe epilepsy unless there is
extension to the ipsilateral temporal lobe.

35. Additional lateralizing signs; Todd’s
paralysis
 It is always preceded by prominent ipsilateral
motor activity of the affected limb .
 This is a non-localizing but highly lateralizing sign,
in most patients it occurs contralateral to the
epileptogenic hemisphere.

36. Additional lateralizing signs; Post-
ictal nose wipe
 Nose wiping is a well-known postictal automatism
in complex partial seizures, considered very
important for lateralization. This lateralizes the
epilepsy to the ipsilateral hemisphere in patients
with temporal lobe epilepsy.

37. Additional lateralizing signs; Ictal
nystagmus
 Most cases described a predominantly horizontal
binocular nystagmus .
 The fast phase of the nystagmus was
opposite the seizure focus. The seizures originate
from either the occipital or the temporo-occipital
junction.

38. Additional lateralizing signs;
 Peri-ictal water drinking
 This has been reported as a lateralizing sign to
the non-dominant temporal lobe epilepsy.
 Unilateral eye blinking
 This is infrequent but has been reported as a
good lateralizing sign to the ipsilateral
hemisphere. It has no localizing value .