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Violence and Epilepsy: A Close Relation Between Violence and Postictal Psychosis
Author(s) -
Kanemoto Kousuke,
Kawasaki Jun,
Mori Etsuko
Publication year - 1999
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.1528-1157.1999.tb01996.x
Subject(s) - psychosis , ictal , psychology , epilepsy , psychiatry , temporal lobe , poison control , medicine , medical emergency
Summary:Purpose: We investigated the incidence of well‐directed violent behavior and suicide attempts in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, with special attention to postictal psychosis. Methods: We compared 57 episodes of postictal psychosis with 62 episodes of acute interictal (or alternative) psychosis and with 134 complex partial seizures. All patients were matched for age and for age at onset of seizures. Results: The incidence of well‐directed violent behavior against human beings was significantly higher (23%) during postictal psychotic episodes than during acute interictal episodes (5%) and postictal confusion (1%). Suicide attempts were also more frequent during postictal psychosis (7%) than during either acute interictal psychosis (2%) or postictal confusion (0%). Conclusions: Our study showed that well‐directed violent and self‐destructive behavior was not a feature of epileptic psychosis in general but a specific hallmark of postictal psychosis.