title: Psychosocial status 10 years after temporal lobe resection for epilepsy, a longitudinal controlled study.
abstract: Knowledge about long-term psychosocial outcome of temporal lobe resection (TLR) for epilepsy is limited. The aims of this study were to describe vocational outcome 10 years after TLR and to analyze the effect on the vocational situation by seizures, laterality of resection, verbal memory, and mood. Fifty-one patients were prospectively followed 10 years after TLR. Psychosocial and neuropsychological data were ascertained at baseline and 10 years after surgery and at corresponding time points for 23 controls. Fewer patients worked 10 years post-operatively compared with controls (TLR patients: 61% and controls: 96%). However, seizure-free patients were more likely to retain employment (71%) than patients who had seizures (41%). The odds of working full-time were 9.5 times higher for patients with seizure freedom than for those with continuing seizures. There were no associations between working at 10 years and side of resection or mood, and impairment of verbal memory did not have an influence on vocational outcome.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Epilepsy Research Group, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. lenaar@privat.utfors.se
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Andersson-Roswall
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Engman
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Samuelsson
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Malmgren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D009790:Occupations; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012919:Social Behavior; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014706:Verbal Learning; D055815:Young Adult