Decline in Verbal Memory Associated with Duration and Frequency of Right Temporal Lobe Seizures - An Intracarotid Amobarbital Study.
Abstract number :
B.08
Submission category :
Year :
2000
Submission ID :
3330
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/2/2000 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Dec 1, 2000, 06:00 AM
Authors :
David E Blum, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ.
RATIONALE: Many patients with mesial temporal sclerosis observe that their memory abilities have declined over time, but objective evidence for this is scant. METHODS:_ Verbal memory tests were performed during amobarbital injection of the right internal carotid artery in 31 left- dominant patients with unilateral right temporal lobe seizures and right mesial temporal sclerosis. Scores were compared with duration of epilepsy and seizure frequency. RESULTS:_ Patients with longer duration epilepsy obtained worse memory scores (spearman's test, p <0.05). Only 12% of patients (1 of 8) with duration <20 years had a memory score below 0.75; in contrast 50% (6/12) of the patients with duration >