Ictal spitting during a left temporal lobe-originated complex partial seizure: a case report

Abstract

We present a 35-year-old male patient with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy in whom spitting automatism was documented by ictal recordings during seizures. Spitting is an uncommon automatism and occurs mainly with right-sided, nondominant temporal focus. However, our patient had left mesial temporal sclerosis with nonverbal memory impairment, but intracarotid amobarbital test demonstrated language and memory dominance on the right hemisphere. The authors feel that this case supports the hypothesis of a nondominant temporal lobe origin for the spitting automatism.