Electrophysiologic pathologic correlations in patients with complex partial seizures.

We studied interictal activity and site of ictal onset in 26 patients with complex partial seizures of temporal lobe origin. All patients had prolonged electrocorticographic recordings from subdural electrode arrays placed both over the convexity and beneath the temporal lobe. We found a significant correlation between the epileptogenic focus and the type of pathologic lesion found at time of surgery. Macroscopic lesions strongly tended to have an epileptogenic focus on the lateral surface of the temporal lobe; patients with only microscopic abnormalities tended to have an epileptogenic focus in the mesial/basal region of the temporal lobe.