title: Lexical retrieval pre- and posttemporal lobe epilepsy surgery in a pediatric sample.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate lexical retrieval, presurgery and postsurgery, among children and adolescents who had undergone temporal lobe resection for intractable epilepsy and to compare outcomes in patients whose surgery involved the left temporal lobe or the right temporal lobe.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart review identified 36 patients from a major pediatric epilepsy treatment center who had undergone temporal lobe resection (21 underwent left temporal lobe resection; 15 underwent right temporal lobe resection) for intractable epilepsy and who had completed neuropsychological testing that included a measure of confrontation naming (Boston Naming Test, BNT) and verbal fluency (Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Fluency) prior to and after surgery. Linear mixed effects regression models were used to evaluate presurgery and postsurgery changes and to compare the left temporal lobe resection group with the right temporal lobe resection group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Confrontation naming performance declined after left, but not right, temporal lobe resection (p<0.05). This effect was not documented for verbal fluency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Left temporal lobe resection for intractable epilepsy is associated with a decline in lexical retrieval. The risk of decline in specific language functions following surgery involving the left temporal lobe should be incorporated in the counseling of patients and families in decision-making with regard to surgery.
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA. Electronic address: clemente.vega@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Clemente
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: Laurie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: Blaise
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: Deborah P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Waber
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boyer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Epilepsy surgery; Neuropsychological; Pediatric epilepsy