Chapter 2.1 - Translational Correlation: Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and Hippocampal Sclerosis

Abstract

Epileptic seizures are caused by abnormal brain electrical activities that originate primarily in the cortex. Even though the architecture of the neocortex seems to facilitate the initiation and propagation of these paroxysmal discharges, the phylogenetically older archicortex and paleocortex (hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus) are a more common source or epileptic seizures in humans. The clinical manifestations of the seizure often reflect the area of the cortex in which the seizures originated. These seizures are commonly referred to as partial (focal) seizures. The first symptom of many partial seizures are the “aura” (simple partial seizure) that can then progress to alterations of awareness (complex partial seizures) and ultimately to a secondarily generalized tonic clonic seizure.