Objective:

We aimed to identify types and frequency of auras in patients with focal and generalized epilepsy.

Background:

The present-day knowledge of auras in persons with epilepsy (PWE) suggests a variety of experiences before seizure onset. A multitude of studies correlate them with focal epilepsy, although auras experienced by patients with generalized epilepsy have also been frequently reported.

Design/Methods:

This was a cross-sectional retrospective data analysis of 1505 PWE. We included patients who were diagnosed clinically as focal or generalized epilepsy along with corresponding changes on EEG and/or Long-Term Monitoring Evaluation (LTME). All patients in the study were inquired about consistent subjective feelings before seizure onset and these were classified as auras.

Results:

The database consists of 1505 patients out of which 1176 are diagnosed with focal and 253 diagnosed with generalized epilepsy. These patients were 47.2% male and 52.8% female, mean age 41.09±22.07 years. Available EEG/LTME results with focal discharges were seen in 214/1176 (18.1%) patients with focal epilepsy and generalized discharges in 127/253 (50%) patients with a diagnosis of generalized epilepsy. Auras were found to be more common in patients in the focal epilepsy (27%) than generalized epilepsy (16%). Most common auras reported in focal epilepsy included feeling of confusion (21%), visual symptoms (18%) and somatosensory (11%). In generalized epilepsy, non-specific auras were most commonly noted including, feeling of confusion (30%), dizziness (25%) and somatosensory (10%). Vague and non-descript auras were reported in 19% of patients with focal epilepsy and 25% of those with generalized epilepsy.  

Conclusions: