Place Your Advertisement Here
All ad revenues support the mission of the Epilepsy Therapy Project
 
UPDATED: Sun, 10/21/2007 - 9:37pm

  • Epilepsy First Aid
  • Seizure Medication
  • Videos
  • Seizure Diary
  • Find a Doctor
  • Epilepsy Centers
  • Clinical Trials
  • Event Calendar

Place Your Advertisement Here
All ad revenues support the mission
of the Epilepsy Therapy Project

Frontal Lobe Epilepsy

What is it like?

Here's a typical story: "My head starts jerking toward the right side. I try, but can't stop it. Then my right hand goes up and my head turns toward the hand. I may just stay in that position for half a minute and it's over, or it can become a grand mal seizure."

And another person's experience: "Usually I don't get any warning, I just have tonic-clonic seizures. Occasionally I get a momentary warning before the seizure—a strange feeling in my head."

Here's what a family member sees: "I spend the night watching Molly sleep sometimes. She will have 5 or 10 seizures in a single night. They are short, usually less than 20 seconds. Her body starts to rock, like she is adjusting her position in the bed, and then she may start to make these kicking movements with her legs, like she is riding a bicycle. She may not have any more seizures for a month or two."

An account by another family member: "Craig has had the same giggles for more than a decade. Now they occur mainly when he is exercising or stressed. He makes a weird smirk and then giggles for a few seconds. He is usually able to cover it up and the kids don't know. If he misses his medications, he can have a bigger seizure."

Who gets it?

After temporal lobe epilepsy, frontal lobe epilepsy is the next most common type of epilepsy featuring partial seizures. Frontal lobe epilepsy may run in families. In a disorder called autosomal dominant frontal lobe epilepsy (ADFLE) individuals typically have seizures occuring during sleep.

Tell me more

The frontal lobes are large and include many areas that do not have a precisely known function. Therefore, when a seizure begins in these areas, there may be no symptoms until it spreads to other areas or to most of the brain, causing a tonic-clonic seizure. When areas that control movement (called motor areas) are affected, abnormal movements occur on the opposite side of the body. Seizures beginning in motor areas can cause weakness or the inability to use certain muscles, such as the muscles that allow someone to speak.

Sometimes a person remains fully aware during a frontal lobe seizure while having wild movements of the arms and legs. Because of their strange nature, frontal lobe seizures can be misdiagnosed as nonepileptic seizures.

The features of seizures may suggest whether they begin in the frontal or temporal lobes, but the only way to be certain about where they start is to obtain an EEG recording during a seizure.

Complex partial seizures (during which the person is not aware) also may begin in the frontal lobes. Complex partial seizures beginning in the frontal lobe tend to be shorter (usually lasting less than 1 minute) than ones that start in the temporal lobe. They also are less likely to be followed by confusion or tiredness, more often occur in a cluster or series, and are more likely to include strange movements such as bicycling motions, screaming, or even sexual activity.

How is it treated?

Frontal lobe seizures often can be well controlled with medications for partial seizures. If seizure medicines are not effective, vagus nerve stimulation or surgery may be helpful.

What's the outlook?

The outlook for people with frontal lobe epilepsy varies greatly, depending on the cause of the seizures. People with brain malformations or acquired lesions such as scar tissue caused by injury or infection are likely to require life-long treatment with seizure medicines. If the causes are genetic, the seizures eventually may stop.

Topic Editor: Gregory L. Holmes, M.D.
Last Reviewed: 10/21/06


This content is user-generated. Content is not monitored nor consistently reviewed by the epilepsy.com Editorial Board. Epilepsy.com therefore cannot guarantee the accuracy of any content edited with the Wiki sections. While epilepsy.com, the Epilepsy Therapy Project, and its partners encourage visitor interaction and publishing within these sections, users should use caution when exploring content, especially as it pertains to health concerns. No content on epilepsy.com is intended to replace the care of a doctor. We encourage you to contact your own health care provider for individual medical advice. We cannot provide second opinions or make specific recommendations regarding therapy, nor does this Wiki content constitute a recommendation for any diagnosis or treatment options.


Frontal Lobe
Epilepsy
:When areas that control movement (called motor areas) are
affected, abnormal movements occur on the opposite side of the body. Seizures
beginning in motor areas can cause weakness or the inability to use certain
muscles, such as the muscles that allow someone to speak...

Frontal lobe epilepsy consists of partial seizures that begin in the frontal lobe - either simple partial or complex partial seizures that may affect part of one frontal lobe, or secondarily generalize to both sides and thus to a secondary generalized seizure. These partial seizures may look different than partial seizures that arise from other areas of the brain. Cognitive, behavioral or mood changes may or may not be seen between seizures or interictally. The types of issues or problems seen are generally those in which the frontal lobe is involved, for example attention, problem-solving, modulating or regulating emotions and behavior, impulsiveness, memory, learning for example. 




Title Posted
I Have Epilepsy and I Hate My Life...  
1nevermore
Epilepsy/Meds are Ruining my LIFE!!!!  
GottaJibboo55
Working on laptops, computers and E  
Amazon
Epilepsy triggers?  
Black.Pearl
Trileptal and smoking marijuana  
riahc3
Questions about partial seizures caused by heterotopia in both occipital and temporal horns  
criscobr
thinking about surgery  
kwety
Food-Triggered Siezures  
uberzwitter
Seizure disorder and epilepsy, what is the difference?  
srchtt3
Need help...desperate!!  
donnaas
View all Forums

Title Page Views
my.epilepsy.com Updates  
epi_help
topamax and weight loss  
alexia mom
kepra  
brian mattingly
Possible cure for absence seizures  
pdl1
Epilepsy and marijuana  
cjad234
Sexual Side Effects  
George R
How exactly do aura's feel  
WendyBendy
MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s  
picnupthepcs
Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised  
spiz
electrical shock in head?  
Maggie
View all Forums

Title Posted
This is an Epilepsy Chatroom!!!!!  
Sugerfree
Ohhhhh Baby!  
1sassyhelper
I can't even put it into words  
Shenoah
A list of drugs and what they mean to you as far as epilepsy is concerned.  
renzokata
Laurens nightmare.  
tchaide05
Diabetes and Epilepsy  
Sugerfree
Epilepsy in gastric bypass patients  
Audrey Pavia
New Addition  
crashllama
CYBERONICS SUCKS  
owlvee
So Much For 3 Months  
crashllama
View all Blogs

Title Posted
Men In Recliners  
crashllama
thinking of children  
gillybean8930
Neurologist Hunting  
Gina Marie
I'm back. ( : Does anyone know anything about nicotine patches and epilepsy?  
Living with Epilepsy as a Teen
Summer!  
Living with Epilepsy as a Teen
please answer :)  
brittanyanngr
Seizures and Epilepsy Traumatic Braun Injury Pakistani Patient Jawad Pasha 26 A Persistent vegetative state  
Anwer Pasha
support worker people with learning disability  
bhing
Depakine Chrono (natrium valproate) side-effects  
Ashvura
nice site  
lee
View all Blogs

Title Page Views
Inspirational Quote - My Own Personal Inner Thoughts  
Butterflygrl
my partial complex seizures  
Zanna1211
Topomax... The Dreaded.........  
Dr Jason
Brain Zaps, tics & twitches  
JudiS
side effects of phenobarb.  
pksmom
Feeling Sick  
JBJ1984
How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens?  
epl_controller
Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds  
Butterflygrl
TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES  
cmscribbles
Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures"  
teft
View all Blogs

Title Posted
36 years epilepsy and seizure free so far after op.  
karl34
Just to let off some steam.  
Adz
epilepsy and surgery  
jennifer56
My daughter' story  
Latrice
About Me ...  
demonkissangel69
This is my story of epilepsy  
hannah_s89
The Day My World Shook  
JoyfulGirl
Spark of Hope-Living with epilepsy  
tracey westaway
The Waiting Game  
Jackmom
Truck Driver At Age 43 Comes Down With Epilepsy  
timouse15@hotmail.com
View all Stories

Title Posted
Hello...I'm still here  
freefalling
Epilepsy does not control my life  
sweettmaidenn
Police Officer Discharged Regarding Seizures  
scott west coast
JAN 26,2006 CHANGED MY LIFE FOR GOOD  
kimberly1975
Concerned Bystander  
Bystander
temporal lobe epilepsy  
dennyxx82
Epilepsy is now part of my life  
Running Free
MY NEW LIFE WITH EPILEPSY!  
unicorn26
Track Day  
danniegirl
My son's seizures  
Magali
View all Stories

Place Your Advertisement Here
All ad revenues support the mission
of the Epilepsy Therapy Project

Are your seizures usually

Less than 1 per year
15% (27 votes)
A few per year
23% (41 votes)
A few per month
24% (42 votes)
A few per week
20% (35 votes)
Several per day
18% (32 votes)
Total votes: 177

View results
View past poll results