Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis: cognitive function assessment in Hispanic patients.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to assess the cognitive function status in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis (TLE+HS) to determine their cognitive function profile and to correlate material-specific memory deficits with HS laterality diagnosed by MRI.


METHODS
Seventy-one patients were assessed with a neuropsychological protocol that includes IQ, attention, handedness, verbal memory, visual memory, language, and the executive function. chi(2) and correlation tests were used.


RESULTS
Memory impairment was found in 46 patients (66%): patients without any memory deficit (n=25), patients with verbal memory deficit (n=21), patients with visual memory deficit (n=17), patients with deficit for both types of memory (n=8). Correlation between MRI lesion and memory was 66%. Language was impaired in 33 patients (46%). Eighteen patients (25%) had a deficit of the executive function.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with TLE+HS presented with a deficit in material-specific episodic memory correlating in large proportion with HS lateralization. We also found language and executive function impairments.
Oddo
Silvia
S
Epilepsy Center, Neurology Division, Ramos Mejia Hospital, Av. Scalabrini Ortiz 2330 1 degrees E, Capital Federal, CP: 1425, Buenos Aires, Argentina. silviaoddo@hotmail.com
Silvia
Oddo
O
Solís
Patricia
P
Patricia
Solís
S
Consalvo
Damián
D
Damián
Consalvo
C
Giagante
Brenda
B
Brenda
Giagante
G
Silva
Walter
W
Walter
Silva
S
D'Alessio
Luciana
L
Luciana
D'Alessio
D
Centurión
Estela
E
Estela
Centurión
C
Saidón
Patricia
P
Patricia
Saidón
S
Kochen
Silvia
S
Silvia
Kochen
K
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006624:Hippocampus; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008569:Memory Disorders; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011340:Problem Solving; D012598:Sclerosis / Q000150:complications*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014705:Verbal Behavior