The effect of electrical stimulation of medial temporal lobe structures in epileptic patients upon ACTH, prolactin, and growth hormone.

We measured ACTH, cortisol, prolactin, and growth hormone concentrations in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy who were having depth electrode studies. During the collection period, electrical stimuli were applied to amygdala and hippocampus to establish after-discharge thresholds. After-discharges that lasted at least 10 seconds or seizures caused secretion of ACTH and prolactin but not growth hormone. Stimuli that did not produce after-discharges of this duration inhibited ACTH secretion, but had no effect on prolactin or growth hormone secretion.