Aggression in epilepsy and sleep: from historical accounts to brain networks and human behaviour

Auteurs

Villani F, Mattioli P, Bartolomei F, Gyimesi J, Mula M, Nobili L

Les auteurs en lien sont membres de l'INS.

Équipes

DynaMap

Résumé

Abstract For a long time, epilepsy has been associated with violent behaviour, acquiring a highly stigmatising reputation, shaped mainly by 19th-century medical theories that postulated a direct connection between epilepsy and the criminal personality. Such stigma exerts a negative effect on the quality of life of people with epilepsy and remains a significant concern in forensic settings. This narrative review aims to thoroughly explore the relationship between epilepsy and aggression, highlighting the misconceptions that contribute to this stigma. The evidence presented in this review draws on the authors’ experience and a PubMed search conducted in December 2024. The manuscript is organized into five chapters, addressing: (1) the historical and cultural background of epilepsy and violence; (2) the clinical features of aggression as a peri-ictal manifestation; (3) the neural networks underlying aggression in epilepsy; (4) aggression in sleep-related disorders, an area closely related to epilepsy, where clinical interest and reports of sleep-related violent episodes have progressively increased in recent years; and finally, (5) forensic considerations. In total, 326 records were i

Abstract For a long time, epilepsy has been associated with violent behaviour, acquiring a highly stigmatising reputation, shaped mainly by 19th-century medical theories that postulated a direct connection between epilepsy and the criminal personality. Such stigma exerts a negative effect on the quality of life of people with epilepsy and remains a significant concern in forensic settings. This narrative review aims to thoroughly explore the relationship between epilepsy and aggression, highlighting the misconceptions that contribute to this stigma. The evidence presented in this review draws on the authors’ experience and a PubMed search conducted in December 2024. The manuscript is organized into five chapters, addressing: (1) the historical and cultural background of epilepsy and violence; (2) the clinical features of aggression as a peri-ictal manifestation; (3) the neural networks underlying aggression in epilepsy; (4) aggression in sleep-related disorders, an area closely related to epilepsy, where clinical interest and reports of sleep-related violent episodes have progressively increased in recent years; and finally, (5) forensic considerations. In total, 326 records were i

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