Profiles of cognitive performance associated with reading disability in temporal lobe epilepsy.
92 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) were classified into reading deficient (RD; N = 41) and non-reading deficient (no-RD; N = 51) groups. A cutoff of 80 was used to further classify patients as having low average or better (AVG: IQ > 79) or below average (LOW: 69 < IQ < 80) intellectual ability. Differences between RD-AVG and no-RD-AVG patients in profiles of performance on cognitive tests were specific to verbal and non-verbal memory and verbal abilities, but not visuoconstructional and executive abilities. RD-LOW patients exhibited globally reduced abilities. Profiles of performance on cognitive tests were sensitive to side of seizure onset in the no-RD AVG group, but not the RD-AVG or RD-LOW groups. These data suggest that a group of patients with TLE and reduced academic achievement exhibit cognitive deficits suggestive of a language learning disability, and that cognitive tests are less sensitive to side of seizure onset in this group.
Breier
J I
JI
Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas, Health Science Center, Houston 77030, USA. jbreier@oto.med.uth.tmc.edu
Fletcher
J M
JM
Wheless
J W
JW
Clark
A
A
Cass
J
J
Constantinou
J E
JE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D014825:Vocabulary; D014888:Wechsler Scales