Mechanisms Responsible for Cognitive Impairment in Epilepsy.
Epilepsy is often associated with cognitive and behavioral impairments that can have profound impact on the quality of life of patients. Although the mechanisms of cognitive impairment are not completely understood, we make an attempt to describe, from a systems perspective, how information processing is affected in epilepsy disorders. The aim of this review is to (1) define the nature of cognitive deficits associated with epilepsy, (2) review fundamental systems-level mechanisms underlying information processing, and (3) describe how information processing is dysfunctional in epilepsy and investigate the relative contributions of etiology, seizures, and interictal discharges (IDs). We conclude that these mechanisms are likely to be important and deserve more detailed scrutiny in the future.
Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405.
Pierre-Pascal
PP
Lenck-Santini
Institute of Child Health, University College of London, London WC1N 3JH, United Kingdom.
Rodney C
RC
Scott
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology