EPILEPSY WITH AUDITORY FEATURES (EAF)

Mandatory seizures

Focal aware sensory (auditory) seizures or focal aware cognitive (receptive aphasia) seizures are mandatory seizures for this epilepsy syndrome. Seizures are mild, infrequent, mainly nocturnal and easily controlled with medication.

Auditory phenomena in focal sensory auditory seizures comprise simple elementary sounds (such as humming, buzzing, ringing). Focal cognitive seizures with auditory illusions (sound distortion such as volume changes) or complex sound (such as hearing specific songs or voices) can occur. Additional focal seizure symptoms can occur, including vision alteration (distortions of faces/objects) and vertigo. Focal motor seizures and focal autonomic seizures are uncommon.

Ictal receptive aphasia comprises a sudden onset of inability to understand language in the absence of an impairment of awareness.

May have

• Reflex seizures in response to specific sound
• Focal impaired awareness seizures
• Focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (uncommon, predominantly nocturnal) - history of focal aware sensory (auditory) seizures should be sought as these may not be reported by the patient