title: [Decision-making under ambiguity condition in epileptics].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the ability of decision making under ambiguity condition in epileptics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five epileptics (EP) at our hospital during June 2011 to March 2012 and 25 healthy controls (HC) were surveyed by Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) with ambiguous probability. Statistical analyses were performed with analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent sample t test. And α = 0.05 denoted the level of significant differences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As compared with HC, the epileptics were impaired in decision-making under ambiguity and scored lower in IGT (EP: -4.56 ± 10.26; HC: 4.32 ± 24.14; t = -2.23, P = 0.029). A comparison between the scores of subjects on 5 blocks suggested: HC subjects scored higher on block 3 (HC: 2.40 ± 7.07; EP: -1.44 ± 3.98) and block 5 (HC: 4.00 ± 7.46; EP: 0.00 ± 4.51) than the scores of EP subjects (block 3, F = 3.950, P = 0.022, block 5, F = 6.416, P = 0.027).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The EP patients have significant impairment in decision-making under ambiguity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Yu-bao
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Li-li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012309:Risk-Taking; D055815:Young Adult