Abstracts

The aim of this study is to analize the basal cognitive status in temporal lobe epilepsy patients with hippocampal sclerosis (HE), to determine their cognitive profile and to correlate memory deficits with MRI lesion.
We selected 71 pacientes (p.) with temporal lobe epilepsy and HE. All the patients were evaluated with a Neuropsychological Protocol that had been designed specifically by our group. This protocol includes the assessment of intelligence, attention, handedness, verbal memory, visual memory, language and executive function. Test results were standarized for their analysis. We use a chi square test, a Pearson and Spearman correlation test and a multiple regression logistic model.
From the total population evaluated, 66% (47p.) have memory deficits. Patients were divided in 4 groups for their analysis: Patients without memory deficits (n=25), verbal memory deficit patients (n=21), visual memory deficit patients (n=17) and both memories deficit patients (n=8). We found a correlation of 70% between MRI and material-specific memory deficits. In a 46% (33 p.) we found language deficits, which were specially anomias. Executive functions deficits were observed in 25% (18 p.) of the evaluated patients. Seventy five percent of the p. were refractory to medical treatment and they were surgery candidates.
On the studied patients the neuropsychological profile was characterized by material-specific (verbal/visual) memory deficits and less frequently language and executive functions deficits. Correlation with material-specific memory deficits and HE was observed in a high percentaje of the patients.
We also will discuss some aspects of cerebral plasticity and memory reorganization related specially with language.
Neuropsychological evaluation contributes with important information on the epileptogenic zone localization in temporal lobe epilepsy patients.