Single case study. Contact epilepsy: a rare form of reflex epilepsy.

An 80-year-old male is presented who had violent myoclonic seizures with occasional brief loss of consciousness, triggered by tactile stimuli directed to the upper extremities and upper part of the trunk which evolved over a 10-year period. Physical examination revealed very few neurological abnormalities. His resting electroencephalograms were normal, but generalized spikes, polyspikes, and slow wave discharges were precipitated by tactile stimuli with the patient sitting up. He showed no significant response to standard anticonvulsant therapy. The relevant literature is reviewed briefly.