Changes in Seizure Frequency and Test‐Retest Scores on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

Seidenberg, Michael; O'Leary, Daniel S.; Berent, Stanley; Boll, Thomas J.

doi:10.1111/j.1528-1157.1981.tb04334.x

Cited by 78 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…In 1968 Rodin (17) reported intellectual decline in adults with poorly controlled seizures in contrast to improved intellectual functioning in patients who had experienced periods of remission ≥2 years in the intertest interval. Similarly, Seidenberg et al (18) reported intellectual gains in association with improved seizure control. Other investigators reported stable cognitive functioning in individuals with good seizure control (19)(20)(21) and, conversely, a poorer cognitive outcome in patients with continuing seizures (22,23).…”

mentioning

confidence: 87%

Cognitive Decline in Severe Intractable Epilepsy

2005

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary:Purpose: To explore the relation between seizurerelated variables and cognitive change in patients with severe intractable epilepsy.Methods: A retrospective analysis of data from 136 patients who had undergone a cognitive assessment on two occasions at an interval of ≥10 years. Cognitive measures included tests of memory and executive skills in addition to intelligence quotients (IQ). Details were available regarding seizure type and frequency in the intertest interval.Results: Cognitive decline was severe and occurred across a wide range of cognitive functions. The frequency of generalised tonic-clonic seizures was the strongest predictor of decline. Complex partial seizure frequency was associated with a decline in memory and executive skills but not in IQ. Seizurerelated head injuries and advancing age carried a poor cognitive prognosis, whereas periods of remission were associated with a better cognitive outcome. Early age at onset was not implicated, and duration of epilepsy was a much less potent predictor of cognitive decline than has been reported in cross-sectional studies. No evidence indicated that a higher level of cognitive function protected against cognitive decline.Conclusions: Our findings, together with those from animal studies and surgically treated patients, suggest that seizures can have a direct adverse effect on cognition and that good seizure control even after years of intractability can have a beneficial impact on cognitive prognosis. This study was based on individuals who merited two cognitive assessments ≥10 years apart and hence is biased in favor of those with the most severe forms of refractory epilepsy and those with decline. Key Words: Epilepsy-SeizuresIntelligence-Cognitive decline.Cognitive decline has long been recognized as a sequel of intractable epilepsy (1). A number of factors have been identified as having a role, including underlying pathology, seizures, and medication (2,3). Of the main factors identified, the role of seizures has been less well studied, and the available evidence does not indicate as strong a relation as might be anticipated from clinical experience and animal studies. Research involving animal models of epilepsy has demonstrated that status epilepticus and frequent recurrent chemically and electrically induced seizures can result in cognitive impairment (4-7).Cross-sectional studies of humans have provided some evidence of a relation between seizure frequency and cognitive impairment (8-10). Longer duration of epilepsy has been reported to be associated with greater cognitive impairments (11-13). The negative impact of duration may be in part due to the cumulative impact of seizures, but also to other factors including antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment and pathologic interictal brain activity. Two studies

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 87%

Cognitive Decline in Severe Intractable Epilepsy

2005

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In addition, interpretation of studies involving patients with epilepsy is often complicated because of changes occurring in other important variables suspected of influencing cognition such as seizure frequency (Seidenberg et al, 1981) and the withdrawal of alternative anti-convulsant medication (Thompson, in preparation). Considering the widespread use of sodium valproate in epilepsy it seems important to assess further its influence on cognitive functioning, in particular whether it does exert any beneficial effects as has been suggested.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sodium valproate and cognitive functioning in normal volunteers.

Thompson¹,

Trimble²

1981

Brit J Clinical Pharma

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

1 The effects ofsodium valproate on the performance ofa series ofpsychological tests and mood was studied. 2 Ten healthy male volunteers received sodium valproate and placebo, each for a period of2 weeks, in a double-blind cross-over design. Dosage of sodium valproate was increased to 800 mg/day in the first week and to 1 g/day in the second week of treatment. 3 Psychological testing took place on three occasions, before and on completion of each of the two treatment periods. 4 The few significant differences between drug and placebo conditions indicated impairment on sodium valproate. 5 The findings are discussed in relation to those from a similarly designed study of the anticonvulsant phenytoin. Implications for epilepsy are also considered.

show abstract

“…Epilepsy is a common sequel of encephalitis -roughly a quarter of the survivors suffering from it (McGrath, Anderson, Croxson, & Powell, 1997) -and seizures cannot always be controlled by medication. A high seizure frequency has been shown to have a detrimental effect on cognitive functioning (Dikmen & Matthews, 1977;Seidenberg, O'Leary, Berent, & Boll, 1981;Dodrill, 1986); memory performance in particular may deteriorate because of epilepsy-related neurone loss in the hippocampus (Mouritzen Dam, 1980). If this is the sole cause of progression, the problem may be alleviated with new developments in epilepsy medication.…”

Section: Global Cognitive Declinementioning

confidence: 98%

Neuropsychological sequelae of acute-onset sporadic viral encephalitis

Hokkanen

Launes

2007

Neuropsychological Rehabilitation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Acute encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain parenchyma. In the USA, by estimation, 20,000 cases occur every year. A variety of cognitive deficits may persist after the acute stage, and they are often the sole cause of disability. Recent literature demonstrates the heterogeneity of both amnestic disorders and the outcome following encephalitis. Herpes simplex virus is the most commonly recognised single aetiology of sporadic encephalitis and it may be the cause of the most severe symptoms. Antiviral medication, however, seems to have improved the cognitive outcome when compared to the historical, untreated cases. The cognitive sequelae following herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE) are best known and most commonly described, e.g., in textbooks, but they do not represent the typical symptomatology of encephalitis in general. Much less is unfortunately known about other types of encephalitis, those that account perhaps up to 80% of all cases, where both mild and severe defects have been observed. This article summarises the current knowledge.

show abstract

Changes in Seizure Frequency and Test‐Retest Scores on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

Cited by 78 publications

References 23 publications

Cognitive Decline in Severe Intractable Epilepsy

Cognitive Decline in Severe Intractable Epilepsy

Sodium valproate and cognitive functioning in normal volunteers.

Neuropsychological sequelae of acute-onset sporadic viral encephalitis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About