Sexual Auras: Predominance of Epileptic Activity within the Mesial Temporal Lobe Aull-Watschinger et al. (2008)

1. What are the sexual auras?

• Sexual auras are erotic feelings accompanied by sexual arousal and orgasm.

2. Are sexual auras common in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy?

• Yes, sexual auras are common in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

3. What brain region have they been associated with?

• They have been associated with the temporal lobe.

4. Why is the gustatory area likely to get activated (e.g., in Patient 1)? The primary gustatory cortex is located in the insula and around the tongue area of the somatosensory homunculus.

• The gustatory area is likely to get activated because it is located near the MTL and has a connection to the insula (gustatory cortex), which results in the activation of making an arousal and taste sensation

5. Do sexual auras occur exclusively in males or females?

• No, sexual auras occur in both males and females.

6. How can sexual auras be treated surgically?

• Sexual auras can be treated surgically through selective amagdalohippocampectomies. (re-sectioning the anterior temporal lobe, removed seizures and auras from patients _