Crying seizures without tears and amygdaloid lesions: a case report

Backgrounds: Crying seizures is a rare type of seizure. Some scholars believe that crying seizures are mainly associated with lesions in the anterior temporal lobe, typically the non-dominant hemisphere, which has close connections with negative emotions. However, the role of amygdaloid lesions in crying seizures is not fully understood. Methods: By a patient with crying seizures and lesions in the amygdaloid nucleus who displayed an outburst of crying without tears and synchronous discharges on EEG, to understand crying seizures associated with amygdaloid nucleus lesions. Conclusion: The distorting and fearful face displayed during the episodes of crying seizures may be associated with functional disorders of the amygdaloid nucleus. The patient described in this study can shed new light on our understanding about the role of the amygdaloid nucleus in crying seizures and the feeling of fear.