• Home
  1. Home
  2. Distinct behavioral and EEG topographic correlates of loss of consciousness in absences
Scientific article
English

Distinct behavioral and EEG topographic correlates of loss of consciousness in absences

Contributors

Vuilleumier, Patrik; Assal, Frédéric; Blanke, Olaf; Jallon, P.

Published in

Epilepsia, vol. 41, no. 6, p. 687-693

Publication date

2000

Abstract

PURPOSE: To describe the behavioral and EEG topographic correlates of absences with 3-Hz generalized spike-waves and partitioned impairment of consciousness. METHODS: Two adult women had so-called "phantom" absences, characterized by brief and mild impairments of consciousness that were previously inconspicuous to both patient and physician. Neuropsychological examination was performed under video-EEG monitoring during absence status. EEG topographic mapping of spike-wave discharges was obtained in the two cases. RESULTS: Only mild attentional and executive disturbances were observed during absence status despite prolonged discharges. Spike-wave bursts were associated with selective impairment in the initiation of response and self-generated action, whereas short-term storage of external information during discharges was fully preserved. This is consistent with a predominant involvement of frontomesial cortex demonstrated by topographic mapping of spike-wave discharges in the two cases. By contrast, in two other patients with typical absences and a complete lack of retention for information given during the discharges, topographic mapping found a more lateral frontal involvement by spike-wave activity. CONCLUSIONS: Different types of absence seizures may impair distinct components of conscious behavior. A predominant involvement of frontomesial thalamocortical circuitry may underlie an "inconspicuous" disorder of consciousness as seen in phantom absences with selective loss of initiation and goal-oriented behavior, whereas involvement of more lateral frontal areas in typical absences may additionally disrupt working memory processes.

Keywords

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Brain Mapping
  • Cerebral Cortex/physiology/physiopathology
  • Cognition/physiology
  • Electroencephalography/ statistics & numerical data
  • Epilepsy, Absence/diagnosis/ physiopathology
  • Female
  • Frontal Lobe/ physiopathology
  • Functional Laterality/physiology
  • Gyrus Cinguli/physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Memory, Short-Term/physiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Neural Pathways/physiology/physiopathology
  • Neuropsychological Tests/statistics & numerical data
  • Sensation/physiology
  • Thalamus/physiology/physiopathology
  • Unconsciousness/diagnosis/ physiopathology

UNIGE affiliation entities

UNIGE research groups

Citation (ISO format)

VUILLEUMIER, Patrik et al. Distinct behavioral and EEG topographic correlates of loss of consciousness in absences. In: Epilepsia, 2000, vol. 41, n° 6, p. 687–693.

Main files (1)

Article

Identifiers

Additional URL for this publication

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119003574/abstract

Journal ISSN

0013-9580
682views
0downloads

Technical informations

Creation

06/08/2010 13:48:02

First validation

06/08/2010 13:48:02

Update

14/03/2023 15:59:39

Status update

14/03/2023 15:59:39

Last indexation

29/10/2024 16:34:54
All rights reserved by Archive ouverte UNIGE and the University of Geneva
OpenAIRE Indexed & Validated