title: Attention and psychomotor speed decline in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy: a longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the possible cognitive alterations in epilepsy patients compared with controls over 5 years, and to investigate the clinical variables mainly implied in mental impairment.
  
  
  METHODS
  In our longitudinal single-center study, 50 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and 50 controls were administered the same battery of comprehensive neuropsychological tests at baseline and after 5 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TLE patients showed a significant impairment in attention and psychomotor speed compared with controls after 5 years, while the other cognitive domains did not exhibit any important changes. This worsening was mainly related to the duration of epilepsy, the age at onset, a history of tonic-clonic seizures and a low educational level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe that tapping the attention and psychomotor speed decline in TLE patients should be considered relevant for future research, in order to achieve a deeper understanding of the cognitive dimensions of this field.
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Center, St. Paolo Hospital, University of Milan, Via A. Di Rudini 8, 20142 Milan, Italy. ada.piazzini@ao-sanpaolo.it
authors.forename: Ada
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piazzini
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chifari
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morabito
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Canger
authors.forename: Maria Paola
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Canevini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis