Abdominal aura

Abdominal aura
SpecialtyNeurology, Epileptology
SymptomsAbdominal pain, nausea, vomiting
CausesEpileptic seizures, migraine
Differential diagnosisIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS), infectious gastroenteritis, anxiety
TreatmentAnticonvulsants

Abdominal aura (from Latin abdomen, "belly," and aura, "wind, odor, or gleam of light"), also known as visceral aura and epigastric aura, is a type of somatosensory aura that typically manifests as abdominal discomfort in the form of nausea, malaise, hunger, or pain. Abdominal aura is typically associated with epilepsy, especially temporal lobe epilepsy, and it can also be used in the context of migraine. The term is used to distinguish it from other types of somatosensory aura, notably visual disturbances and paraesthesia. The abdominal aura can be classified as a somatic hallucination. Pathophysiologically, the abdominal aura is associated with aberrant neuronal discharges in sensory cortical areas representing the abdominal viscera.