A case of adversive seizures induced by hyperventilation

Abstract

We report a case of adversive seizures featuring neck rotation and conjugate deviation induced by the hyperventilation maneuver. At the age of 6 years the patient suffered from conjugate deviation to the left. She herself felt no symptoms other than oculomotor symptoms. Hyperventilation induced an adversive seizure and ictal EEG showed sharp waves in the right frontal, central, and parietal areas. No brain image showed abnormal findings. Zonisamide completely attenuated her attacks. It is well known that hyperventilation induces absence seizures, and it has been reported that hyperventilation can induce complex partial seizures. However, no previous reports have described patients diagnosed as having adversive seizures with conjugate deviation induced by hyperventilation. We report the present case because, although its epileptogenesis is unknown, the patient is a rare case not only clinically but also electrophysiologically.