[Unilateral neglect, transient cognitive impairment and intercritical activity in Rolandic epilepsy]. / Heminegligencia, déficit cognitivo transitorio y actividad intercrítica en la epilepsia rolándica.

INTRODUCTION: Benign focal epilepsy in infancy with centro-temporal paroxysms is a frequent form of epilepsy within this group of epilepsies. Despite its relative benignity, however, it may be accompanied by neuropsychological deficits and therefore constitutes a suitable in vivo model for studying how the brain functions when processing information. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 7-year-old child who began with this type of epilepsy by manifesting focal seizures during the early stages of sleep and who, with the absence of any continuous spike-wave activity in non-REM sleep, presented transient unilateral neglect syndrome on the right-hand side related with electroencephalographic intercritical activity. CONCLUSIONS: The neuropsychological manifestations in this type of epilepsy can be due to intercritical paroxysmal activity. The clinical features depend on where the paroxysms are located and in which direction they spread. A dysfunction of the physiological neuronal synchrony among the neuronal networks that are necessary for thinking processes could be the cause of this disorder.

Heminegligencia, déficit cognitivo transitorio y actividad intercrítica en la epilepsia rolándica / Unilateral neglect, transient cognitive impairment and intercritical activity in rolandic epilepsy

Introducción. La epilepsia focal benigna de la infancia con paroxismos centrotemporales es una epilepsia frecuente dentro de estas epilepsias. Sin embargo, a pesar de su relativa benignidad, puede cursar con déficit neuropsicológicos, por lo que constituye un modelo in vivo adecuado para estudiar el funcionamiento cerebral para procesar la información. Caso clínico. Niño de 7 años de edad que comenzó con este tipo de epilepsia mediante la manifestación de crisis focales durante las etapas tempranas del sueño y que, sin tener actividad de puntas-ondas continuas en el sueño no REM, presentaba una heminegligencia derecha transitoria relacionada con la actividad intercrítica electroencefalográfica. Conclusiones. Las manifestaciones neuropsicológicas en este tipo de epilepsia pueden deberse a la actividad paroxística intercrítica. La clínica depende del lugar donde se asienten los paroxismos y hacia dónde difundan. Una disfunción de la sincronía neuronal fisiológica entre las redes neurales que son necesarias para los procesos del pensamiento podría ser la causa de este trastorno

Introduction. Benign focal epilepsy in infancy with centro-temporal paroxysms is a frequent form of epilepsy within this group of epilepsies. Despite its relative benignity, however, it may be accompanied by neuropsychological deficits and therefore constitutes a suitable in vivo model for studying how the brain functions when processing information. Case report. We report the case of a 7-year-old child who began with this type of epilepsy by manifesting focal seizures during the early stages of sleep and who, with the absence of any continuous spike-wave activity in non-REM sleep, presented transient unilateral neglect syndrome on the right-hand side related with electroencephalographic intercritical activity. Conclusions. The neuropsychological manifestations in this type of epilepsy can be due to intercritical paroxysmal activity. The clinical features depend on where the paroxysms are located and in which direction they spread. A dysfunction of the physiological neuronal synchrony among the neuronal networks that are necessary for thinking processes could be the cause of this disorder