Isolated Hyperreligiosity in a Patient with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.
Rocio Garcia-Santibanez, Harini Sarva
Case Reports in Neurological Medicine August 13, 2015 DOI: 10.1155/2015/235856 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A 40-year-old man with temporal lobe epilepsy |
| Key findings | The authors describe a 40-year-old man with temporal lobe epilepsy whose hyperreligiosity appeared after medication noncompliance and resolved when medications were resumed. They note that religious experiences occur in about 0.3 to 3.1 percent of patients with epilepsy and may be ictal, interictal, or postictal, and that treatment targets the underlying seizure etiology. |
Abstract
A 40-year-old man with history of temporal lobe epilepsy presented to the emergency department with hyperreligiosity after medication noncompliance. After medications were resumed, he returned to baseline. Many famous prophets are believed to have suffered epilepsy. Waxman and Geschwind described a group of traits in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy consisting of hyperreligiosity, hypergraphia, altered sexual behavior, aggressiveness, preoccupation with details, and circumstantiality. The incidence of religious experiences ranges from 0.3 to 3.1 percent in patients with epilepsy. Religious experiences can be ictal, interictal, or postictal. Treatment is aimed at the underlying seizure etiology.