title: Long-term memory performance after surgical treatment of unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).
abstract: Long-term cognitive and memory performance after surgical treatment of unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) was investigated in a series of 98 patients. Neuropsychological evaluation was performed preoperatively and after one and three years postoperatively. Fifty-eight patients (59%) became seizure-free (Engel's class I). Verbal learning and memory declined in long-term follow-up in both left and right TLE groups. Visual memory remained stable. Ongoing postoperative seizures were related to decline in the immediate recall of logical prose, and postoperative seizure-freedom to improvement in verbal fluency in patients with left TLE. There was significant variability in the individual postoperative long-term memory performance. Left side of surgery, better baseline performance and older age at surgery were identified as risk factors for individual decline in delayed verbal memory. Selected patients undergoing surgery for drug-resistant TLE are at risk for significant postoperative memory decline especially after left temporal lobe surgery. Preoperative counseling and long-term follow-up of cognitive performance in individual patients is recommended. Additionally, more accurate predictors of individual postoperative memory performance would be needed.
authors: Department of Neurology, Kuopio Epilepsy Center, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, FIN-70029 Kuopio, Finland; Department of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: leena.jutila@kuh.fi.
authors: Leena
authors: L
authors: Jutila
authors: Department of Neurology, Kuopio Epilepsy Center, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, FIN-70029 Kuopio, Finland; Department of Neurosurgery, Kuopio Epilepsy Center, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, FIN-70029 Kuopio, Finland.
authors: Marja
authors: M
authors: Aikiä
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Kuopio Epilepsy Center, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, FIN-70029 Kuopio, Finland.
authors: Arto
authors: A
authors: Immonen
authors: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Kuopio Epilepsy Center, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, FIN-70029 Kuopio, Finland; Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
authors: Esa
authors: E
authors: Mervaala
authors: Uppsala University, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Rudbeck Laboratory, Dag Hammarskölds väg 20, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Irina
authors: I
authors: Alafuzoff
authors: Department of Neurology, Kuopio Epilepsy Center, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, FIN-70029 Kuopio, Finland; Department of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
authors: Reetta
authors: R
authors: Kälviäinen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D057567:Memory, Long-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Epilepsy surgery; Memory; Outcome; Temporal lobe epilepsy