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A Chance SPECT Study of Ictal Aphasia During Simple Partial Seizures
Author(s) -
Sakai Keiko,
Hidari Mitsuharu,
Fukai Mitsuhiro,
Okamura Takehiko,
Asaba Hiroyuki,
Sakai Toshiaki
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
epilepsia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.687
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1528-1167
pISSN - 0013-9580
DOI - 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1997.tb01131.x
Subject(s) - ictal , operculum (bryozoa) , aphasia , precentral gyrus , ictal interictal spect analysis by spm , psychology , epilepsy , broca's area , medicine , audiology , neuroscience , nuclear medicine , radiology , magnetic resonance imaging , botany , biology , genus
Summary: We report obtaining an ictal single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) scan in a right‐handed 51‐year‐old man who had an astrocytoma in the left cerebral hemisphere and simple partial seizures characterized by aphasia. An epileptic seizure producing loss of speech and right‐sided facial twitching occurred by chance during a SPECT scan. During the attack, he was unable to speak, but auditory comprehension and writing were intact. Ictal SPECT showed an area of increased perfusion in the left frontal cortex, with the area of highest perfusion involving the left frontal operculum to the inferior part of the left precentral gyrus. Interictal SPECT showed hypoperfusion in the same area. These SPECT findings suggest that the frontal operculum of the dominant hemisphere is one of the regions that can give rise to epileptic aphasia.