Disturbance in responsiveness in patients with post-meningoencephalitic epilepsy.

A polygraphic study of the somatic, autonomic and electroencephalographic (EEG) components of the orienting reaction elicited by an auditory stimulus was performed in 29 patients with post-meningoencephalitic epilepsy and in 116 matched subjects in three control groups. Patients with post-meningoencephalitic epilepsy had a significantly more intense orienting reaction than control subjects, the degree depending on the seizure frequency, electroclinical form and history, as well as on the features of the EEG.