Symptoms:

The early warning symptoms (called an aura) include:

• Abnormal sensations
• Epigastric sensations ("a funny feeling in my gut," "stomach rising")
• Hallucinations or illusions (vision, smells, tastes, or other sensory illusions)
• Sensation of deja vu, recalled emotions or memories
• Sudden, intense emotion not related to anything occurring at the time

During the seizure:

• Consciousness maintained during the seizure (partial)
• Consciousness reduced or lost during the seizure (partial complex)

• Abnormal mouth behaviors
  • Lip smacking
  • Chewing or swallowing without cause
  • Profuse salivation "slobbering"
• Abnormal head movements
  • Forced turning of the head
  • Forced turning of the eyes
  • Usually in the direction opposite of the location of the brain lesion
• Repetitive movements, such as picking at clothing
• Rhythmic muscle contraction and relaxation (rare) -- affecting one side of the body, one arm, leg, part of face, or other isolated area

• Numbness, tingling, crawling sensation
• Occurring in only one part of the body or spreading
• Preceding motor symptoms
• Sensory hallucinations (visual, hearing, touch, etc.)

• Abdominal pain or discomfort
• Nausea
• Sweating
• Flushed face
• Dilated pupils (eyes)
• Rapid heart rate/pulse

• Changes in vision, speech, thought, awareness, personality
• Loss of memory (amnesia) regarding events around the seizure (partial complex seizure)

Signs and tests:

Diagnosis of temporal lobe seizure is suspected primarily on the basis of the symptoms presented and the results of tests. Diagnosis may include a complete physical examination, including a detailed neuromuscular examination, which may or may not be normal.

• An EEG (electroencephalograph, recording of the brain's electrical activity) shows characteristic changes confirming partial (focal) seizures, and may show the focus (location of the cause).
• A head CT scan or a cranial MRI may show the location and extent of the lesion.
• A lumbar puncture may be necessary if there is suspicion of an infection causing the seizure.