title: Object naming and semantic knowledge in temporal lobe epilepsy.
abstract: Object-naming impairment is common among temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients, but other aspects of semantic memory have received limited attention in this population. This study examined object-naming ability and depth of semantic knowledge in healthy controls (n = 29) and patients with early onset TLE (n = 21). After administration of the Boston Naming Test (BNT), the authors asked participants to provide detailed definitions of 6 BNT objects. The TLE group demonstrated a significant deficit relative to controls in both object-naming ability and semantic knowledge for the target objects, even after controlling for IQ. In a multiple regression analysis that included other neuropsychological test scores as independent variables, the semantic knowledge score was the only significant predictor of patients' object-naming performance. Thus, at the group level, early onset TLE patients have a semantic knowledge deficit that contributes to dysnomia.
authors.affiliation: Matthews Neuropsychology Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 53792, USA. Bell@neurology.wisc.edu
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Woodard
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Rutecki
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sheth
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Dow
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seidenberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000849:Anomia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D012660:Semantics