Frontal lobe epilepsy 3344294 219684275 2008-06-16T12:06:14Z Arcadian 104523 infobox/nav {{refimprove||date=June 2006}} {{Infobox_Disease | Name = {{PAGENAME}} | Image = | Caption = | DiseasesDB = | ICD10 = | ICD9 = | ICDO = | OMIM = | MedlinePlus = | eMedicineSubj = | eMedicineTopic = | MeshID = D017034 }} '''Frontal lobe [[epilepsy]]''' is the second most common type of [[epilepsy]], after [[temporal lobe epilepsy]]. It is similar to temporal lobe epilepsy because it is a type of focal [[seizure]], which means that the seizure starts in a focal area of the [[brain]], commonly referred to as the focus. Frontal lobe epilepsy refers to cases in which the focus is located in the [[frontal lobe]]. Because the frontal lobe contains and regulates many structures and functions about which relatively little is known, the onset of a seizure may be hard to detect. For example, a seizure may start in one part of the [[lobes of the brain|lobe]], producing no detectable symptoms of seizure, and spread to other parts. At the onset of the seizure, the patient may exhibit loss of [[muscle tone]], sensorimotor [[tic]]s, or other abnormalities in [[motor skills]], followed by some alteration of consciousness. [[laughter|Laughing]] or, in rare cases, [[crying]] may occur during a seizure. Afflicted persons may or may not be aware that they are behaving in an abnormal manner (it depends on the patient and type of seizure). Typically seizures in this area have a brief period of confusion afterwards, called a [[postictal state]]. Compared to seizures that have a temporal lobe onset this postictal state is usually briefer and often undetectable. For this reason frontal lobe epilepsy can often be misdiagnosed as a [[psychiatric disorder]] or [[non-epileptic seizure]] because of the abnormal motor functions exhibited during the course of the seizure. It can often only be detected with prolonged [[Electroencephalography|EEG]] monitoring. ==See also== *[[Absence seizure]] *[[Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures]] *[[Clonus]] (e.g. tonic-'''clonic''', or grand mal, seizure) **cf. [[Fasciculation]] ==External links== *[http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/epilepsy_frontallobe.html Frontal Lobe Epilepsy on Epilepsy.com] *[http://www.neurologychannel.com/epilepsy/ Epilepsy on Neurology Channel] *[http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic141.htm Frontal Lobe Epilepsy on emedicine.com] {{neuroscience-stub}} {{CNS diseases of the nervous system}} [[Category:Neurology]] [[Category:Epilepsy]]