Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Unilateral Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

[摘要] Background: Neuropsychological impairment is an important co-morbidity of epilepsy. Objective: Study of cognitive functions and their relationship with a number of clinical parameters and MRI brain findings in patients with unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Methods: The present study was carried out on 50 patients with unilateral TLE, with a mean age of 31.22±9.22 years and 10 healthy controls. All patients and controls were subjected to neuropsychological assessment, interictal EEG and MRI study of the brain. Results: The patients performed worse than controls in the neuropsychological evaluation. There was a negative statistical correlation between immediate recall, language, visuoconstructive and executive functions and the duration of illness, and a positive statistical correlation between cognitive functions results and educational status of patients in verbal memory, language, and executive functions. There was significant impairment in patients under polytherapy in comparison to the others in delayed recall, visual memory, visuoconstructive and executive function. Patients with secondary generalization EEG discharge were found to be significantly impaired in delayed recall, visual memory and visuoconstructive function. Those with abnormal MRI findings were found to be impaired in delayed recall, visuoconstructive and executive function. Among left TLE patients with abnormal MRI study, patients with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) were found to be impaired in verbal memory, language, and executive functions, while patients with right TLE who had HS were found to be impaired in visual memory. Conclusion: Cognitive deficits in patients with TLE extend beyond memory deficits, so that psychological interventions should to be made routinely as part of the overall management plan of TLE. [Egypt J Neurol Psychiat Neurosurg.  2011; 48(3): 247-256]

[学科分类] 精神健康和精神病学