Abstracts

Rationale: Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy are at significant risk for cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to assess the cognitive functions in patients with intractable symptomatic temporal lobe epilepsy. Their performance of in cognitive testing was compared to a group of non-refractory epilepsy patients. Methods: 20 patients with medically refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (MRTLE) (Group I) and 20 patients with non refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (NRTLE) (Group II), seen between September 2011 and May 2012 at the INCN-Epilepsy Surgery Program, undertook the neuropsychological test battery NEUROPSI, which includes items that are relevant for native Spanish-speaking individuals. Results: 80% (n=16) of MRTLE patients showed cognitive impairment. There were significant differences between the two groups, as those with MRTLE had a mean score of 85.45, while those with NRTLE, had a mean score of 101.69 (p=0.007). Although there were no significant differences with respect to memory scores, there was a significant decline in the MRTLE group. In the subgroup analysis of those patients with MRTLE, a much more severe decline in non-verbal memory was noticed in those with right- compared to left- temporal lobe epilepsy (p=0.05). Conclusions: Medically refractory temporal lobe epilepsy can lead to cognitive decline. On the individual NEUROPSI test scores, memory was more deteriorated in the MRTLE group compared to NRTLE.