Association of temporal lobe epilepsy and obsessive-compulsive disorder in a patient successfully treated with right temporal lobectomy

Epilepsy Behav. 2005 Jun;6(4):617-9. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2005.02.010.

Abstract

A patient who developed obsessive-compulsive symptoms shortly after the onset of temporal lobe epilepsy exhibited almost complete remission after being rendered seizure-free by surgical intervention. These data support the hypothesis that temporal lobe epilepsy and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) share at least some pathophysiological components. The diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy was made by ictal video/EEG recordings, concordant with the presence of a lesion in the posterior region of the temporobasal neocortex. The OCD was diagnosed on the basis of DSM-IV-TR criteria through a clinical interview while the intensity of the OCD symptoms was assessed with the Yape-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Surgical intervention consisted of a complete lesionectomy in association with a right temporal lobectomy including both lateral and mesial structures. The patient had follow-up visits after 6 months and 1 year. At both times, the patient remained free of seizures and reported a progressive reduction in OCD symptomatology.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anterior Temporal Lobectomy / methods*
  • Electroencephalography / methods
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / complications
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / pathology
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / surgery*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / etiology
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / pathology
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / surgery*
  • Treatment Outcome