Memory complaints before and after temporal lobectomy: do they predict memory performance or lesion laterality?
The relationships among self-report of memory, actual memory performance on objective tasks, and lesion laterality were examined in this longitudinal study. Right-handed adults (n = 47) with medically intractable seizures were assessed both preoperatively and 1 year after a left or right temporal lobectomy. Memory complaints remained stable or diminished postoperatively, whereas performance on material-specific memory tasks declined. Regression analyses showed that dosage of medications, seizure frequency and self-reported depression were predictive of postoperative memory complaints, although size of resection and age were not. Together, these data suggest that many patients have a positive though mistaken impression that their memory functions improved after temporal lobectomy, an impression influenced by their positive surgical outcomes. Memory complaints did not predict laterality of the lesion. Sex-laterality interactions were evident for both subjective and objective memory measures.
Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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McGlone
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011336:Probability; D012737:Sex Factors; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome