Focal seizures

The frontal lobes are responsible for things like personality, emotions, concentration, problem solving and body movements. The symptoms of frontal lobe seizures can sometimes be mistaken for mental health problems or sleep disorders.

Some people who have frontal lobe seizures only have them in their sleep. They don’t usually last long, but often happen in clusters, with several happening in a short space of time. Your awareness may or may not be affected.

Symptoms of seizures in the frontal lobes can include:

• Pelvic thrusting, kicking, pedalling, thrashing or rocking movements
• Screaming, swearing or laughing
• Unintentionally passing urine (urinary incontinence)
• Your head or eyes turning to one side
• Having unusual body movements, such as stretching one arm while the other bends
• Twitching, jerking or stiffening of muscles in one area of your body. The movements may sometimes spread bit by bit to other areas

‘Occipital’ sounds like this: ok-sip-i-tl

The occipital lobes are responsible for processing what we see (visual information).

Seizures starting in the occipital lobe often spread to involve other lobes. Symptoms include:

• Seeing flashing lights, colours or simple patterns
• Seeing more complex images, such as pictures of people, animals or scenes
• Not being able to see as well as usual, or not being able to see at all
• Having eye movements you can’t control, such as your eyes closing, moving to one side or moving quickly from side-to-side
• Repeated blinking

‘Parietal’ sounds like this: puh-rahy-i-tl

The parietal lobes are responsible for things like understanding space and distance (spatial perception), processing language, and interpreting the signals from our senses of touch, vision and hearing.

Seizures starting in the parietal lobe often spread to involve other lobes. Symptoms can include:

• Having feelings of numbness or tingling
• Prickling, crawling or electric-shock sensations, which may spread along the affected body part
• Sensations of burning, cold or pain
• Feeling like part or all of your body is moving or floating
• Feeling like a body part has shrunk, become bigger or is missing
• Sexual sensations
• Difficulty understanding language, reading, writing or doing simple maths
• Seeing things as bigger or smaller than they really are, or seeing things that aren’t there

‘Temporal’ sounds like this: tem-per-uhl or tem-pruhl

If you have been diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy it means you have seizures starting in one or other of the temporal lobes. The temporal lobe is responsible for things like memory, hearing and understanding language.

Seizures starting in the temporal lobes are usually, but not always, focal impaired awareness seizures. You might start the seizure being aware of what’s happening, and then lose awareness as the seizures goes on.

Symptoms of seizures in the temporal lobes include:

• Feeling frightened
• Feeling like what’s happening has happened before (deja vu)
• Hearing things that aren’t there
• Experiencing an unpleasant taste or smell
• Having a rising sensation in your stomach
• Lip smacking, repeated swallowing or chewing
• Changes to your skin tone or heart rate
• Automatic behaviours such as fidgeting, undressing, running or walking

After a temporal lobe seizure you are likely to be confused or may find it hard to speak for a short time.