Epilepsy Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Epilepsy, including details on symptoms, causes, treatment, drugs, information.

Suicide soon after generalized tonic-clonic seizure. A possible peri-ictal phenomenon?

Pompili M, Girardi P, Lester D, Tatarelli R

Department of Psychiatry, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy. maurizio.pompili@uniroma1.it

We report the case of 36-year-old woman who had suffered from focal-unilateral right febrile grand mal since she was 9 months old as a result of neonatal asphyxia. Over the years, a modification of the clinical picture occurred and eventually the patient suffered from paranoid delusions that impaired her ability to work. After many years free from seizures, she experienced one day a generalized tonic-clonic seizure that required hospitalization and, soon thereafter, she committed suicide.

Published 27 March 2006 in ScientificWorldJournal, 6: 356-60.
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