title: Level of consciousness and memory during the intracarotid sodium amobarbital procedure.
abstract: Controversy exists regarding differential effects on consciousness of left/right cerebral inactivation via intracarotid amobarbital. Further, the effects of level of consciousness (LOC) on memory during the intracarotid sodium amobarbital procedure (IAP) are unclear. A modified version of the Glasgow Coma Scale altered to avoid the confounding effects of aphasia was employed to assess LOC in 97 patients during the IAP. A greater impairment in LOC occurred with left cerebral inactivation. Memory was more impaired following left hemisphere injections as well as from injections contralateral to seizure focus. Memory was correlated with LOC, and this effect was more prominent for right hemisphere injections and for injections ipsilateral to seizure focus. These findings support differential cerebral roles in consciousness and demonstrate that IAP memory performance may be affected by the patient's LOC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912-3280, USA.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Meador
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Loring
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Figueroa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000654:Amobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003243:Consciousness / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D000654:Amobarbital