Disrobing Associated with Epileptic Seizures and Forensic Implications

:  Little is known about the clinical aspects and medico‐legal consequences of disrobing in the context of epileptic seizures. Seizure‐related disrobing may occur either as an ictal automatism or during the postictal period. Some patients may experience a seizure while already in the unclothed state...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of forensic sciences 2012-03, Vol.57 (2), p.550-552
Main Authors: Wortzel, Hal S., Strom, Laura A., Anderson, Alan C., Maa, Edward H., Spitz, Mark
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Behavior
behavioral medicine
Convulsions & seizures
epilepsy
Female
forensic medicine
forensic psychiatry
forensic science
Forensic sciences
Humans
Male
Patients
Quality of life
Retrospective Studies
seizures
Seizures - psychology
Side effects
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Summary::  Little is known about the clinical aspects and medico‐legal consequences of disrobing in the context of epileptic seizures. Seizure‐related disrobing may occur either as an ictal automatism or during the postictal period. Some patients may experience a seizure while already in the unclothed state, engage in ictal wandering, and thereby appear in public in the nude. Two cases involving disrobing associated with seizures captured via video‐monitored electroencephalography are offered. An additional case reveals the legal consequences endured by one patient who experienced a nocturnal seizure and began wandering in an unclothed state. Collectively, these cases illustrate the medical reality of seizure‐related disrobing and the related adverse effects on patients’ quality of life. Disrobing associated with epileptic seizures carries the potential for serious legal consequences if not properly identified as an ictal phenomenon.
ISSN:0022-1198
1556-4029
DOI:10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01995.x