Understanding Temporal Lobe Seizure -- Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

Medically Reviewed by Christopher Melinosky, MD on March 07, 2024
2 min read

If someone has a seizure for the first time, if a seizure lasts longer than 2 to 3 minutes, or if multiple seizures occur one after the other, take them to the emergency room or call 911 immediately.

If a seizure disorder is suspected, the doctor will begin by taking a thorough medical history, including any birth trauma, serious head injury, medication usage, alcohol intake, or infections of the brain, such as encephalitis or meningitis.

A test called an electroencephalogram, or EEG, can detect the electrical signals that relay information from one brain cell to another. EEGs may show characteristic, abnormal patterns of a seizure if it occurs while the EEG is hooked up.

In addition, X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs of the head can help rule out specific causes of seizures.

Anticonvulsant medications may help reduce or eliminate recurrent seizures in some people. They include:

Temporal lobe seizures may be difficult to completely control with medication alone. It is not unusual for a person to have an occasional temporal lobe seizure despite taking the correct amount of medication.

Some people with temporal lobe seizures respond well to surgery that removes the abnormal part of the brain. This procedure is called a temporal lobectomy.

Other treatments include vagus nerve stimulation in which a device is implanted under the collarbone that stimulates the left vagus nerve, resulting in an inhibition of seizures, and reactive neurostimulation, in which a device is placed in the brain that stops seizures before they happen.

Seizures happen in girls and boys at an equal rate and are more common before the age of 15 and after age 65. For now, there is no way to screen for a seizure disorder before it develops.

Avoiding head injuries -- such as by wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle -- can lower the risk of head trauma that may lead to a seizure disorder.