PANIC ATTACKS AS ICTAL MANIFESTATIONS OF PARIETAL LOBE SEIZURES

Although most panic attacks appear to be primary psychiatric disturban ces, some evidence suggests a biologic basis for panic disorder, possi bly associated with temporal lobe dysfunction. Fear is a common affect ive change associated with some complex partial seizures (CPS) origina ting from the right temporal lobe. We describe a previously unreported association between panic attacks and seizures originating from the p arietal lobe in 2 patients with right parietal lobe tumors. Intracrani al monitoring documented correlations between the symptoms of fear and restricted regional parietal cortical discharges. Surgical resections of the lesions (one total, one subtotal) resulted in complete recover y or improvement.