Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1979 Oct;42(10):948–954. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.42.10.948

Psychoses in drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy.

I Jensen, J K Larsen
PMCID: PMC490370  PMID: 512670

Abstract

In the survey of 74 Danish patients with temporal lobe epilepsy who underwent temporal lobectomy, a total of 20 patients were psychotic. Nine of these became psychotic during the follow-up period, six of them after cessation of their epileptic seizures. There were 13 schizophrenia-like psychoses, six paranoid delusional and depressive psychoses, and one childhood psychosis. Operation was on the right side in 39 and on the left side in 35 patients. When the various psychotic groups were compared with each other or with the nonpsychotic patients, the side of operation was not found to be statistically important. The patients with psychoses were older at operation and showed a higher rate of focal lesions in the resected specimens. Although more psychotic patients were bright or normally gifted, and had achieved a higher standard of schooling than nonpsychotic patients, their social status after operation was inferior. Surgery had no effect on psychosis present preoperatively nor on its possible postoperative onset. The diagnosis of psychosis was not considered to be contraindication to temporal lobectomy.

Full text

PDF
948

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BAILEY P. Surgical treatment of psychomotor epilepsy: five year follow-up. South Med J. 1961 Mar;54:299–301. doi: 10.1097/00007611-196103000-00016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BINGLEY T. Mental symptoms in temporal lobe epilepsy and temporal lobe gliomas with special reference to laterality of lesion and the relationship between handedness and brainedness; a study of 90 cases of temporal lobe epilepsy and 253 cases of temporal lobe glioma. Acta Psychiatr Neurol Scand Suppl. 1958;120:1–151. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bein B. N., Boreiko V. B. O khieuefixhwakom lechenii bol'nykh visochnoi epilepsiei s vyrazhennymi psikhicheskimi narusheniiami. Vopr Neirokhir. 1972 Mar-Apr;36(2):26–31. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DELAY J., DENIKER P., BARANDE R. Le suicide des épileptiques. Encephale. 1957;46(4):401–436. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dennerll R. D., Rodin E. A., Gonzalez S., Schwartz M. L., Lin Y. Neurological and psychological factors related to employability of persons with epilepsy. Epilepsia. 1966 Dec;7(4):318–329. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1966.tb03811.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Flor-Henry P. Psychosis and temporal lobe epilepsy. A controlled investigation. Epilepsia. 1969 Sep;10(3):363–395. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1969.tb03853.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. GLEES P., COLE J., WHITTY C. W. M., CAIRNS H. The effects of lesions in the cingular gyrus and adjacent areas in monkeys. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1950 Aug;13(3):178–190. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.13.3.178. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. GREEN J. R., SCHEETZ D. G. SURGERY OF EPILEPTOGENIC LESIONS OF THE TEMPORAL LOBE. Arch Neurol. 1964 Feb;10:135–148. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1964.00460140021004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gur R. E. Motoric laterality imbalance in schizophrenia. A possible concomitant of left hemisphere dysfunction. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1977 Jan;34(1):33–37. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1977.01770130035003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. JAMES I. P. Temporal lobectomy for psychomotor epilepsy. J Ment Sci. 1960 Apr;106:543–558. doi: 10.1192/bjp.106.443.543. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Jensen I., Klinken L. Temporal lobe epilepsy and neuropathology. Histological findings in resected temporal lobes correlated to surgical results and clinical aspects. Acta Neurol Scand. 1976 Nov;54(5):391–414. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1976.tb04372.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Jensen I., Larsen J. K. Mental aspects of temporal lobe epilepsy. Follow-up of 74 patients after resection of a temporal lobe. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1979 Mar;42(3):256–265. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.42.3.256. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Jensen I. Temporal lobe epilepsy. Etiological factors and surgical results. Acta Neurol Scand. 1976 Feb;53(2):103–118. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1976.tb04329.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Jensen I. Temporal lobe epilepsy. Social conditions and rehabilitation after surgery. Acta Neurol Scand. 1976 Jul;54(1):22–44. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1976.tb07618.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Jensen I. Temporal lobe epilepsy. With special reference to surgical results, neuropathology, and social conditions. Dan Med Bull. 1977 Dec;24(6):235–251. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Jensen I. Temporal lobe epilepsy: types of seizures, age, and surgical results. Acta Neurol Scand. 1976 May;53(5):335–357. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1976.tb04353.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Jensen I., Vaernet K. Temporal lobe epilepsy. Follow-up investigation of 74 temporal lobe resected patients. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 1977;37(3-4):173–200. doi: 10.1007/BF01402126. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. KENDRICK J. F., GIBBS F. A. Origin, spread and neurosurgical treatment of the psychomotor type of seizure discharge. J Neurosurg. 1957 May;14(3):270–284. doi: 10.3171/jns.1957.14.3.0270. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kristensen O., Sindrup E. H. Psychomotor epilepsy and psychosis. I. Physical aspects. Acta Neurol Scand. 1978 May;57(5):361–369. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1978.tb02839.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Modlin H. C. Psychiatry and the courts: some promising approaches. Am J Psychiatry. 1969 Oct;126(4):547–548. doi: 10.1176/ajp.126.4.547. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. SERAFETINIDES E. A., FALCONER M. A. The effects of temporal lobectomy in epileptic patients with psychosis. J Ment Sci. 1962 Sep;108:584–593. doi: 10.1192/bjp.108.456.584. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. SLATER E., BEARD A. W., GLITHERO E. The schizophrenialike psychoses of epilepsy. Br J Psychiatry. 1963 Jan;109:95–150. doi: 10.1192/bjp.109.458.95. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Scott D. F. Psychiatric aspects of epilepsy. Br J Psychiatry. 1978 May;132:417–430. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Taylor D. C. Factors influencing the occurrence of schizophrenia-like psychosis in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. Psychol Med. 1975 Aug;5(3):249–254. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700056609. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Taylor D. C., Falconer M. A. Clinical, socio-economic, and psychological changes after temporal lobectomy for epilepsy. Br J Psychiatry. 1968 Oct;114(515):1247–1261. doi: 10.1192/bjp.114.515.1247. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Taylor D. C. Mental state and temporal lobe epilepsy. A correlative account of 100 patients treated surgically. Epilepsia. 1972 Dec;13(6):727–765. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1972.tb05160.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Torrey E. F., Peterson M. R. Schizophrenia and the limbic system. Lancet. 1974 Oct 19;2(7886):942–946. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)91143-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Van Buren J. M., Ajmone-Marsan C., Mutsuga N., Sadowsky D. Surgery of temporal lobe epilepsy. Adv Neurol. 1975;8:155–196. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES