Phenomenology of Temporal Lobe Dysfunction: A Link to Atypical Psychosis—A Series of Cases

Abstract

This report is a phenomenological study of 20 cases of temporal lobe disorders manifested as complex partial seizures. The major behavioral symptoms observed were episodic affective disturbances, episodic cognitive disturbances, and “spells,” with normal functioning between episodes. The remarkable similarity of this phenomenology to what has been described as atypical or episodic psychosis provides a possible theoretical link to the etiology of atypical psychosis. These cases also establish atypical psychosis as an entity clearly different from the other major psychoses.