"Hand to face": A behaviour modulated by epileptic seizures | ["La mano al viso": Un comportamento modulato dalle crisi epilettiche]

Postictal nosewiping is commonly observed in temporal lobe epilepsy and is highly predictive of seizure onset ipsilateral to the hand used. Our aim was to quantify by videotape analysis all hand movements directed toward either the nose or mouth, eye, ear, front and scalp in the preictal, postictal, and interictal periods. We found that these movements represent a unique pattern of behaviour, facilitated in the postictal period, and not necessarily reflex movements triggered by ictal-related vegetative modifications.