| Abstract: | Patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) have been posited by some to manifest a syndrome of interictal personality and behavioral change. Furthermore, this syndrome has been attributed to an underlying mechanism--enhanced affective responsiveness. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether patients with TLE manifest increased emotional responsiveness relative to appropriate controls. Patients with TLE (n = 23) were compared with non-TLE (n = 7) and healthy controls (n = 16) as to their autonomic nervous system responsiveness to an emotionally stressing film. No differences were found among the groups. These results are related to the larger literature concerning epilepsy and psychopathology. |
