title: Mental slowing in relation to epilepsy and antiepileptic medication.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Slowing of the central information-processing speed (CIPS) is frequently observed in epilepsy as a consequence of epileptic seizures and/or antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). A variety of neuropsychological tests are used to asses this 'mental slowing,' but it is highly questionable whether the different tasks measure the same cognitive process. Also, it remains unspecified to which degree the various tasks are sensitive to seizure- or treatment-related factors, or both.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used an open clinical non-comparative study design. The sample consisted of adult patients with cryptogenic localization-related epilepsy who performed different cognitive measures of CIPS and psychomotor speed (PmS). Clinical data about their seizures and antiepileptic drug treatment were collected from an electronic patient database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty patients were included. CIPS tasks mutually correlated significantly, but did not correlate with measures of PmS (finger tapping and reaction time). Also, the CIPS tasks were differently affected by treatment and seizure effects. Processing of complex information is affected by tonic-clonic seizures, while less complex tasks are more sensitive for AED effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CIPS tasks are mainly measuring central processing, and the psychomotor component of these tasks is negligible. We propose a psychometric continuum on which PmS and CIPS tasks are ordered with ascending complexity. The model shows that the tasks are affected differently by seizures, treatment, age, and education level. In neuropsychological practice, this continuum can be helpful in the detection of treatment and seizure effects on the CIPS in epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Sciences, Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grevers
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Sciences, Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, The Netherlands.|Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L E M
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Breuer
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Sciences, Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, The Netherlands.|MHENS School of Mental Health & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: IJff
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Sciences, Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, The Netherlands.|Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.|MHENS School of Mental Health & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.|Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.|Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Aldenkamp
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003071:Cognition; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants
keywords: antiepileptic drugs; central information-processing speed; cognitive measures; epileptic seizures; psychomotor speed