Caffeine & Temporal Lobe Seizures

Temporal lobe epilepsy is on of the many forms of epilepsy -- a neurological condition diagnosed as a result of recurring epileptic seizures. The causes of temporal lobe epilepsy are unknown, although some people develop the condition as a result of an injury to the head, or an infection which affects the brain. If you have temporal lobe epilepsy, several dietary and lifestyle factors may affect your seizure activity. Caffeine may affect your temporal lobe seizures. Consult your doctor for advice regarding seizure control.

Symptoms

Seizures starting in the temporal lobe have certain common features. Often, a person with temporal lobe epilepsy will experience sensory hallucinations or "auras" at the beginning of a seizure. These may include hearing voices or music, or hallucinating certain smells. A sense of "deja vu" or "jamia vu" may occur -- "deja vu" is a sense of having lived through a moment before, "jamais vu" is when a familiar situation or place feels unfamiliar. Often, a seizure starting in the temporal lobe can become generalized to other areas of the brain, resulting in a "grand mal" convulsive seizure involving a loss of consciousness.

Expert Insight

An animal study carried out at the Wellcome Research Park in North Carolina, and published in the November 1987 issue of the journal "Brain Research," found that caffeine has a "pro-convulsant" effect upon the hippocampus of the brain. The hippocampus is part of the temporal lobe, and therefore caffeine may play a role in provoking a temporal lobe seizure. In this study, rats were dosed with theophylline and caffeine before being given Metrazol to induce seizures. Both theophylline and caffeine caused a lowering of the amount of Metrazol needed to cause a seizure, indicating that both theophylline and caffeine can act to lower the seizure threshold.

Caffeine Sources

Dietary sources of caffeine include coffee, kola nuts, tea and chocolate. Caffeine occurs naturally in these foodstuffs, with coffee typically having a higher caffeine concentration than tea, and both beverages having a higher caffeine concentration than chocolate. Caffeine is also added to certain types of sodas, including cola and pepper-type drinks. Energy drinks also commonly contain caffeine, as do certain prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs. If you are trying to avoid caffeine intake as part of your seizure control regimen, be aware that caffeine is added to several types of over-the-counter painkillers.

Considerations

Temporal lobe epilepsy is a broad diagnosis that covers a wide spectrum of seizure types and experiences. No two people with TLE will experience the condition in the same way. Likewise, the effects of caffeine upon seizure activity will vary greatly from patient to patient. You may be able to tolerate limited quantities of caffeine without affecting your seizure rate, or you may need to eliminate caffeine from your diet. Keeping a seizure diary can help you identify potential seizure-triggering foods, including caffeine. Consult your doctor for advice and supervision regarding seizure control -- attempts at self-diagnosis and self-treatment are particularly dangerous in the case of epilepsy.