Cognitive Analysis Before and After Surgery in Spanish-speaking Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients

SOLIS, P, ODDO, S, GIAGANTE, B, CONSALVO, D, SILVA, W, SALGADO, P, PAPAYANNIS, C, D'ALESSIO, L, SEOANE, E, SAIDON, P, KOCHEN, S.

Paris

Congreso; 26th International Epilepsy Congress; 2005

Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyse neuropsychological evaluation results in temporal lobe refractory epilepsy patients, before and after anterior temporal lobectomy. Methods: We selected 35 patients (p.) with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy. All patients were evaluated with a neuropsychological protocol that includes the assessment of intelligence, attention, handedness, verbal memory, visual memory, language and executive function. A z-score was applied to raw values for each patient. The results were compared with those from a normal population. According to this, patients were classified as 'normal' when test results presented values above z-2. We also compared raw values for each test, before surgery, 6 months, and one year after surgery. Results: We have 17 patients with left anterior temporal lobectomy (LATL) and 18 patients with right anterior temporal lobectomy (RATL). From the total population evaluated, 83% have memory deficits. From the analysis of raw test values, we found after surgery, p. with visual memory deficits (delay recall) (p=0.03), executive function, specially Wisconsin card sorting test (p=0.03), and word generation test (FAS) (p=0.02), improved significantly after a year from the surgery. On verbal memory, language and attention test, there were no significant changes after surgery. From the analysis of each patient, after surgery, we found a variable outcome with a better prognosis on RATL group. Conclusion: On the studied patients the neuropsychological profile was characterised by material-specific (verbal/visual) memory deficits. We found a better prognosis after surgery when they had visual memory deficits and a RATL as was described by other authors.