[Genital and sexual manifestations occurring in the course of partial seizures in man (author's transl)]

Abstract

The literature only rarely mention the genital and sexual manifestations occurring in the course of partial seizures in man. The authors presently describe 42 seizures of this type recorded with E.E.G. and Stereo-E.E.G. techniques in 15 patients. The results of this study indicate that the genital and sexual paroxystic manifestations do have a specific semeiology, and there can be related to the initial localization of the electrical discharge which may begin in one of three different regions (perisylvian region, anterior part of the cingular gyrus and the paracentral lobule). Penile erection is observed in only one seizure starting in the central region. Orgasm occurs in the only one female patient in the course of the seizures beginning in the perisylvian region (temporal region). Early sensitive symptomatology characterizes very often the seizures beginning in the perisylvian region but also in the paracentral lobule. Post-ictal or peri-ictal true masturbation occurs at the end of the ictal discharge beginning either in the perisylvian region or in the anterior part of the cingular gyrus. The sexual dyspraxic (i.e. fondling the genitals) characterizes only the post-ictal phase of the seizures beginning in any of the three regions.