EVALUATION OF SCHIZOPHRENIA-LIKE PSYCHOSIS IN LEFT HEMISPHERIC TEMPORAL-LOBE EPILEPSY

Associations have been made between epilepsy and mental illness since ancient times. The discussion of the relationship between epilepsy and schizophrenia has invariably been a moot point. The concept of schizo phrenia-like psychoses contrasts starkly with the results of the many studies rejecting any association between epilepsy and schizophrenia. Using a polydiagnostic approach we examined four patients with tempora l lobe epilepsy who had developed psychotic symptoms (DSM III R, ICD 1 0, Leonhard Classification). None of the patients fulfilled ''strict'' criteria of schizophrenia. For this reason we proposed the term of '' acute transient psychotic disorder'' in psychotic patients with left h emispheric temporal lobe epilepsy. For the future, it would seem meani ngful to examine ''schizophrenia-like psychoses'' in different subgrou ps of epilepsy.