Ictal face perception disturbance, tattoos, and reclaiming the self

T T Winton-Brown; L Smith; J Laing; T J O'Brien; A Neal

doi:10.1016/j.ebr.2023.100595

Ictal face perception disturbance, tattoos, and reclaiming the self

Epilepsy Behav Rep. 2023 Mar 15:22:100595. doi: 10.1016/j.ebr.2023.100595. eCollection 2023.

Authors

T T Winton-Brown^{1

2}, L Smith^{1

2}, J Laing¹, T J O'Brien¹, A Neal¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
² Department of Psychiatry, Alfred Hospital, 99 Commercial Rd, Prahran, Australia.

Abstract

We present a case of a young man with frightening ictal disturbance of face perception, or prosopometamorphopsia, arising from the left temporo-occipital region, leading to significant psychosocial impairment. A vivid forearm tattoo of the ictal experience conveyed its nature to the treating team and facilitated a psychotherapeutic process leading to significant psychosocial recovery. This case highlights the marked psychosocial and developmental impacts of epilepsy and the benefit of incorporating these into assessment and treatment.

Keywords: Cognitive behavioural therapy; Epilepsy; Neuropsychiatry; Prosopometamorphopsia; Social anxiety; Tattoos.

Publication types

Case Reports