Attention, memory, and behavioral adjustment in children with frontal lobe epilepsy.
To explore whether attention, memory, and behavior would be more affected in children with frontal lobe epilepsy than in children with other types of epilepsy, we compared 16 children with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE), 8 with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), and 8 with generalized absence (GEA) seizures on the Performance Speed (PS) and Freedom of Distraction (FD) indices of the WISC-III, the Continuous Performance Test (CPT), the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT), and Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF). Parents completed Achenbach's Child Behavior Check List. Children with FLE scored significantly lower than the other two groups on the PS and CPT. On the CVLT they made more intrusion errors and were more prone to interference. Furthermore, they had more difficulties copying and recalling the ROCF. Behavior profiles revealed greater attention problems in this group. This may put children with FLE at greater risk of developing school problems than children with TLE and GEA.
Hernandez
Maria-Teresa
MT
Groupe de Recherche en Neuropsychologie Expérimentale et Cognition, Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, CP 6128, Succ Centre-Ville, Qué, H3C 3J7, Montréal, Canada.
Sauerwein
Hannelore C
HC
Jambaqué
Isabelle
I
de Guise
Elaine
E
Lussier
Francine
F
Lortie
Anne
A
Dulac
Olivier
O
Lassonde
Maryse
M
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D017034:Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe / Q000523:psychology*; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000523:psychology; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology