Bitemporal form of partial reading epilepsy: further evidence for an idiopathic localization-related syndrome.

Idiopathic partial reading epilepsy (RE) is a rare syndrome. We report the clinical and electroencephalographic characteristics of two right-handed patients with the following: reading-induced independent bilateral temporal lobe seizures, accompanied by alexia in left (dominant) sided seizures recorded on video-EEG (electroencephalography); subclinical activation over left posterior temporal and occipital electrodes during reading; no spontaneous seizure and no other trigger than reading; onset in adolescence; and history of varying resistance to treatment. Bilateral independent temporal lobe reflex seizures are part of the clinical spectrum of RE. It may result from hyperexcitability of bilateral cortical networks involved in the early steps of the reading process.