Orgasm-induced seizures: A study of six patients

Abstract

Purpose: Reflex seizures are known as the epileptic seizures triggered by some specific stimuli in sensitive patients. They are often classified according to the stimuli that trigger them rather than by the type of the seizure. Epileptic seizures induced by sexual orgasm are very rare in the literature. Methods: We report six patients with different epileptic syndromes who experienced seizures after sexual intercourse and orgasm. Results: All patients are women whose epileptogenic focus was in the right temporal in four and left frontal in one patient. One patient had pure generalized reflex epilepsy. Conclusions: Seizures induced by orgasm are very rare, with female and right hemisphere dominance requiring complex mechanisms to occur. © 2006 International League Against Epilepsy.