aura
Pronunciation: OR-ah
A subjective sensory experience that may precede or occur during a seizure, representing focal seizure activity.
Full Definition
An aura is a subjective sensory, motor, autonomic, or psychic phenomenon that occurs at seizure onset when the seizure focus involves eloquent cortex. Auras can present as visual disturbances (flashing lights, colors), auditory phenomena (ringing, voices), olfactory hallucinations (unusual smells), gustatory sensations (metallic taste), somatosensory symptoms (tingling, numbness), emotional feelings (fear, euphoria), or cognitive changes (déjà vu, jamais vu). In pediatric patients, young children may not be able to articulate aura experiences, making recognition challenging. Auras are actually focal aware seizures themselves and may progress to other seizure types. Documentation of aura characteristics helps localize the seizure focus.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from migraine aura in clinical documentation; seizure auras are focal seizures themselves.
In Context
- "The teenager described a rising epigastric aura followed by altered awareness during her focal seizures." — Clinical interview
- "Documentation of the patient's olfactory aura helped localize the seizure focus to the temporal lobe." — Presurgical evaluation