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Epileptic olfactory auras: a clinical spectrum

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Abstract

Objective

To investigate the relative frequency of olfactory aura in a large number of patients with focal epilepsy, and examine the full clinical spectrum of epileptic olfactory auras (OAs) and their relationship to hemispheric lateralization and localization of epileptogenic focus.

Methods

This retrospective study was based on the medical records of 1384 patients with focal epilepsy. Of these, 71 (5.1%) patients were present with OAs, comprising 25 (35.2%) men and 46 (64.8%) women with a mean age of 35.43 ± 12.89 years. These 71 patients were classified according to the clinical features of the OAs, and the electroencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging findings were examined.

Results

The relative frequency of OAs was 5.1% in the focal epileptic patients. The clinical spectrum of OAs in our cases was outlined as follows, complex OAs and elementary OAs. Elementary OAs were divided into three subgroups: elementary neutral OAs, elementary unpleasant OAs, and elementary pleasant OAs. In our cases, there was no difference between the right and left hemispheres in terms of lateralization of the epileptogenic focus. In all the 71 patients, the epileptogenic zone was most commonly localized in the temporal lobe (n = 58; 81.7%).

Conclusions

The relative frequency of OAs in focal epilepsies is likely to be found higher than expected. Elementary OAs occur much more frequently than complex OAs. Among the elementary OAs, elementary unpleasant OAs and elementary neutral OAs are the most common types, whereas elementary pleasant OAs are extremely rare.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Malatya Teaching and Research Hospital, Neurology Clinic, Malatya, Turkey

    İrem Taşcı

  2. Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Fırat University, Elazig, Turkey

    Ferhat Balgetir, Bülent Müngen & Murat Gönen

Authors
  1. İrem Taşcı
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  2. Ferhat Balgetir
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  3. Bülent Müngen
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  4. Murat Gönen
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Contributions

I. Tasci MD. Study concept and design; data analysis and interpretation; editing manuscript; accepts responsibility for conduct of research.

F. Balgetir MD. Study concept and design; acquisition of data; data analysis and interpretation; drafting manuscript; accepts responsibility for conduct of research.

B. Mungen MD. Study concept and design; acquisition of data; data analysis and interpretation; drafting manuscript; accepts responsibility for conduct of research.

M. Gonen MD. Data analysis and interpretation; editing manuscript; drafting manuscript; accepts responsibility for conduct of research.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ferhat Balgetir.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

Ethical approval

This prospective clinical study was approved by the Local Ethic Committee (Approval date, 20.12.2018; No. 21/09). The study was performed in accordance with the principles of Helsinki Declaration.

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Taşcı, İ., Balgetir, F., Müngen, B. et al. Epileptic olfactory auras: a clinical spectrum. Neurol Sci 42, 3397–3401 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-04999-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-04999-x

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