Focal sensory auditory seizures or focal cognitive seizures with aphasia 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) and focal cognitive seizures with auditory hallucinations (such as hearing specific songs or voices) can occur. Other focal sensory (e.g. visual, olfactory, cephalic) or focal cognitive seizures can occur. 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 general confusion and is seen in a variant of this syndrome (autosomal dominant epilepsy with aphasic seizures).