Anticipating seizure: pre-reflective experience at the center of neuro-phenomenology.
Claire Petitmengin, Vincent Navarro, Michel Le van Quyen
Consciousness and cognition September 1, 2007 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2007.05.006 via PubMed
Summary
A dynamic approach to epileptic seizure anticipation, combining neuro-dynamic analysis of brain activity with pheno-dynamic analysis of subjective experience, can guide and determine each other. This method consolidates the foundations for a cognitive, non-pharmacological therapy for epilepsy. The neuro-phenomenological co-determination demonstrated through this example offers new insight into the gap between subjective experience and neurophysiological activity.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 123 |
| Key finding | A dynamic approach to epileptic seizure, integrating neuro-dynamic and pheno-dynamic analyses, supports the development of a cognitive non-pharmacological therapy and sheds light on the relationship between subjective experience and neurophysiological activity. |
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to show through the concrete example of epileptic seizure anticipation how neuro-dynamic analysis (using new mathematical tools to detect the dynamic structure of the neuro-electric activity of the brain) and "pheno-dynamic" analysis (using new interview techniques to detect the pre-reflective dynamic micro-structure of the corresponding subjective experience) may guide and determine each other. We will show that this dynamic approach to epileptic seizure makes it possible to consolidate the foundations of a cognitive non pharmacological therapy of epilepsy. We will also show through this example how the neuro-phenomenological co-determination could shed new light on the difficult problem of the "gap" which separates subjective experience from neurophysiological activity.