Electrophysiological and positron emission studies in a patient with cortical myoclonus, epilepsia partialis continua and motor epilepsy.

A patient is described who had a combination of stimulus-sensitive cortical myoclonus, epilepsia partialis continua, and Jacksonian motor epilepsy. He eventually required surgery because of the severity of his seizures. Electrophysiological recordings made before and during surgery, and PET scans performed before surgery identified an abnormal area of cerebral cortex in the postcentral parietal region. It is suggested that the stimulus-sensitive myoclonus arose because input into this region from peripheral sensory afferents produced an abnormal discharge which was fed forwards via cortico-cortical connections to the precentral motor cortex, to produce a reflex muscle jerk. The epilepsia partialis continua may have been caused by spontaneous discharges arising in the same region of parietal cortex. Both forms of jerking disappeared after resection of this part of the cortex.