Verbal Learning Differences in Epileptic Patients with Left and Right Temporal Lobe Foci

Mungas, Dan M; Ehlers, Cindy L.; Walton, Nancy Y.; McCutchen, Charlotte B.

doi:10.1111/j.1528-1157.1985.tb05660.x

Cited by 101 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…This is important because there has been a certain amount of controversy with regard to how well one can identify hemisphere ofepileptic focus by observing memory performance in presurgery patients (Andrewes, Puce, & Bladin, 1990;Delaney, Rosen, Mattson, & Novelly, 1980;Mungas, Ehlers, Walton, & McCutchen, 1985). In this small group of subjects, at least, the tests employed in Experiments 1 and 2 appear to fare quite wen in this regard.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dissociations among memory measures in memory-impaired subjects: Evidence for a processing account of memory

1992

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Deficits in conceptual transfer on both implicit and explicit memory tests were obtained for memory-impaired temporal lobe epileptic (TLE) subjects in three studies. In Experiment 1, in which a generate-read paradigm was employed, memory-impaired TLEs failed to show normal generation effects on conceptually driven tests of semantic cued recall and general knowledge questions, although their data-driven memory as measured by word-fragment completion and graphemic cued recall tasks was normal. In Experiment 2, memory-impaired patients having left temporal lobe seizure foci were tested on these four tasks and compared with nonimpaired TLEs having right temporal foci. The left TLEs showed deficits on conceptually driven tasks and normal memory for data-driven tests. These findings were extended in Experiment 3, in which left TLE patients failed to show any benefit from blocked study, as compared with random study, on category production and semantic cued-recall tests, although right TLEs and normal controls showed blocking effects on both tasks. These findings may be accommodated by a processing framework of memory in which memory-impaired patients are characterized as having deficits in conceptual, but not in data-driven, processing capabilities.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dissociations among memory measures in memory-impaired subjects: Evidence for a processing account of memory

1992

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“…Functional assessment of MTLE patients using cognitive neuropsychologic measures shows a material specific deficit of verbal memory in patients with left temporal epilepsy, and of visual memory in patients with right MTLE (67)(68)(69)(70)(71)(72). In patients with left MTLE, preoperative verbal memory deficit has been correlated with cell loss in CA3 (73).…”

Section: Developmental Acquired Medial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Localmentioning

confidence: 99%

Substrates of Localization‐Related Epilepsies: Biologic Implications of Localizing Findings in Humans

Spencer

1998

Epilepsia

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“…Other left hemisphere functions can be seen as resources to compensate or substitute for verbal memory impairment. Several studies on patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) showed that verbal memory, and in particular, short-term memory, is strongly related to verbal capacities and attention (21)(22)(23)(24). These functions can therefore be seen as markers for a patient's ability to compensate behaviorally for verbal learning and memory impairments.…”

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confidence: 99%

Functional Plasticity After Left Anterior Temporal Lobectomy: Reconstitution and Compensation of Verbal Memory Functions

Helmstaedter

Elger

1998

Epilepsia

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Summary:Purpose: This study investigated the functional plasticity of the brain to reconstitute and compensate for verbal memory functions after epilepsy surgery of left temporocortical and temporomesial structures. We hypothesized that memory outcome would be best when surgery is performed within the period of cerebral plasticity, and that the outcome should be worst when fluid intelligence starts to decrease with physiologic aging. We also raised the question of different plasticity and compensation mechanisms for temporomesial and temporocortical memory functions.Methods: We evaluated preoperative and l-year-postoperative memory data and other verbal functions in 104 patients with epilepsy, who underwent a standard left anterior temporal lobe. resection. We used memory measures that had been previously shown to be most selective for mesial and lateral functions, respectively. Determinants of postoperative memory outcome were evaluated by multiple regression analysis. Group statistics were calculated on the basis of the periods that are usually assumed to be significant for plasticity and behavioral compensation. Individual postoperative changes in memory functions were evaluated on the basis of test-retest data obtained in a group of 100 nonsurgical patients with localization-related epilepsies (mean retest interval >12 months).Results: Only changes in cortically represented learning and data acquisition were related to age, plasticity, and capacities for behavioral compensation. No patient in the youngest group (younger than 15 years), 33% of patients who had surgery between the ages of 15 and 30 years, and 61% of the patients undergoing surgery older than age 30 years had significant deterioration in verbal learning. In contrast, postoperative changes in temporomesial consolidatiodretrieval processes were independent of age at the time of surgery, plasticity, and capacities for behavioral compensation.Conclusions: Our data indicate different time windows for the reconstitution and compensation of mesial and cortical aspects of memory. Whereas the reconstitution of and compensation for cortical functions appear restricted by decreasing plasticity and physiological aging, mesial functions seem to be reconstituted by contralateral mesial structures over a much longer period. Concerning drug-resistant localization-related epilepsies, our results justify early consideration of surgery, especially when cortical structures are affected. Key Words: Left temporal lobe epilepsy-Memory-Cortical functions.The left temporal lobe is significantly involved in verbal declarative memory processing. Based on current neurobiologic models of memory, it is possible to differentiate between cortical and mesialhippocampal aspects of declarative memory performance, the first being involved in functions of working memory, data acquisition, and permanent repository of knowledge, the latter being involved in long-term consolidation and retrieval of memory contents (1,2). Recently we provided evidence that this model can also be appli...

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Verbal Learning Differences in Epileptic Patients with Left and Right Temporal Lobe Foci

Cited by 101 publications

References 21 publications

Dissociations among memory measures in memory-impaired subjects: Evidence for a processing account of memory

Dissociations among memory measures in memory-impaired subjects: Evidence for a processing account of memory

Substrates of Localization‐Related Epilepsies: Biologic Implications of Localizing Findings in Humans

Functional Plasticity After Left Anterior Temporal Lobectomy: Reconstitution and Compensation of Verbal Memory Functions

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