Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Presentation Description / Summary: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common type of epilepsy in people and occurs when there is a precipitating brain injury, such as traumatic brain injury or infantile seizures. This injury is followed by an incubation period and then seizures occur, which are often refractory to antiepileptic medications. Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is the hallmark neuropathologic sign associated with TLE in humans and other species, and includes loss of specific groups of inhibitory neurons, as well as excessive excitatory fibers (termed mossy fiber sprouting). In 80% of cases, HS is unilateral, and in people with refractory TLE, advanced therapeutic options may be used, including surgical removal or laser ablation of the affected hippocampus. In veterinary medicine, TLE does not fit into the classifications of epilepsy currently used. In this lecture, we will discuss what we know about TLE in animals with a focus on dogs and cats. Recent studies have shown conclusive evidence of HS in a subset of cats with seizures. Continued studies show changes within the temporal lobe in dogs with seizures, including partial seizures; however, evidence of HS was not seen. Lastly, future directions of managing TLE will also be discussed.