Auras
Some people experience a sensation called an aura, or warning, before a seizure starts. The aura may occur far enough in advance to allow time to lie down and prevent injury from falling. The type of aura experienced varies from person to person. Some people feel a change in body temperature, while others experience a feeling of tension or anxiety. In some cases, the aura manifests itself as a musical sound, a strange taste, or a striking odour. A precise description of an aura assists a doctor in identifying the region of the brain where the initial electrical discharge originates. Auras are not necessarily followed by full-scale seizures. In fact, the aura is a simple partial seizure in itself.
People with complex partial seizures are the most likely to experience warning signs. Approximately 55% to 65% of people with these seizures experience some type of aura. It is unclear whether having seizures that arise from one particular side of the brain makes you more likely to have auras than people whose seizures arise on the other side. Some researchers have found that fear during a seizure (ictal fear) is associated with increased psychological and behavioral disturbance, but the reasons for this are unclear. What we have learned about auras
Researchers who have studied different types of auras for many years have found patterns. For many people, the sensations in an aura occur in the same order. For example, you may always feel fear, then déjà vu (the feeling that you’ve been there before), then a strange taste in your mouth. This pattern would point towards the existence of a prominent seizure pathway in your brain. The part of the brain where seizures originate (your seizure focus) also may be linked to a specific type of aura because an aura represents the beginning of a seizure. Since different parts of the brain are responsible for different things, the warning signs experienced will relate to the functions of the section of brain where the seizure is about to occur.
Reprinted in part from Epilepsy.com
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