title: Computerized cognitive testing in epilepsy (CCTE): a new method for cognitive screening.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Optimized therapy in epilepsy should include individual care for cognitive functions. Here we introduce a computerized screening instrument, called "Computerized Cognitive Testing in Epilepsy" (CCTE), which allows for time-efficient repetitive assessment of the patient's cognitive profile regarding the domains of memory and attention, which are frequently impaired due to side effects of antiepileptic medication.
  
  
  METHODS
  The CCTE battery takes 30min and covers tasks of verbal and figural memory, cognitive speed, attention and working memory. The patient's results are displayed immediately in comparison to age-related normative data. For evaluation of psychometrics and clinical correlations, data from patients of a tertiary referral epilepsy center (n=240) and healthy subjects (n=83) were explored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CCTE subtests show good reliability and concurrent validity compared to standard neuropsychological tests (p<0.01). Adverse cognitive effects of antiepileptic medication can be detected (p<0.05), e.g. significant negative effects of increasing drug load. Specific epilepsy subgroups, e.g. focal versus primary generalized epilepsy or right versus left mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, showed different CCTE profiles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CCTE appears valuable for early detection of individual cognitive alterations related to medication. In addition, it displays interesting differences between epilepsy syndromes. The CCTE battery provides a standardized, time- and personnel-efficient assessment of cognitive functions open to a large number of patients and applicable for clinical and scientific use in epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. katrin.kurzbuch@uk-erlangen.de
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurzbuch
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pauli
authors.forename: Laco
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gaál
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kerling
authors.forename: Burkhard S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kasper
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stefan
authors.forename: Hajo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hamer
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Graf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001288:Attention; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants