Verbal memory decline is less frequent at 10 years than at 2 years after temporal lobe surgery for epilepsy.
We investigated individual short- and long-term verbal memory changes after temporal lobe resection for epilepsy. Fifty-one patients (23 operated on the speech-dominant temporal lobe, DTL and 28 on the non-dominant temporal lobe, NDTL) were tested on learning/immediate recall and delayed recall of word-list and word-pairs preoperatively, 2 years postoperatively and 10years postoperatively. Changes were defined using reliable change indices of 23 healthy controls assessed at corresponding intervals. Fewer patients had reliable declines at 10 years than at 2 years (DTL: 13-35% vs 35-44%; NDTL: 0-4% vs 7-21%). Four DTL patients (17%) had reliable declines in ≥2 tests at 10-year follow-up. More NDTL patients had improvement at 10 years than at 2 years (18-30% vs 4-22%). The only risk factor for decline both short and long term was DTL resection. In conclusion, most patients had stable verbal memory postoperatively. A few DTL patients had a lasting decline at long-term follow-up, but more patients showed partial recovery, especially in the NDTL group.
Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Epilepsy Research Group, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. lena.a.andersson-roswall@skane.se
Lena
L
Andersson-Roswall
Kristina
K
Malmgren
Elisabeth
E
Engman
Hans
H
Samuelsson
D038481:Anterior Temporal Lobectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*