aura
Pronunciation: OR-ah
Subjective sensory or experiential phenomenon preceding or accompanying seizures.
Full Definition
An aura represents the subjective experience of a focal seizure, often serving as a warning sign before generalized seizure activity. Auras can manifest as visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, or psychic phenomena and provide crucial localization information for epilepsy diagnosis. Common types include déjà vu, rising epigastric sensations, visual distortions, or unusual smells. In clinical documentation, detailed aura descriptions help lateralize and localize seizure foci, particularly in temporal lobe epilepsy. Patient-reported aura characteristics guide presurgical evaluation and seizure classification.
Usage
Usage note: In neurology, refers specifically to seizure phenomena, not migraine auras.
In Context
- "The patient described an olfactory aura of burning rubber preceding each seizure." — Epilepsy clinic evaluation
- "Psychic auras with déjà vu suggested mesial temporal lobe seizure onset." — Presurgical assessment report