Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis:: cognitive function assessment in Hispanic patients

Purpose. The goal of this study was to assess the cognitive function status in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis (TLE + HS) to determine their cognitive function profile and to correlate material-specific memory deficits with HS laterality diagnosed by MRI. Methods. Seventy-one patients were assessed with a neuropsychological protocol that includes IQ, attention, handedness, verbal memory, visual memory, language, and the executive function. chi(2) and correlation tests were used. Results. Memory impairment was found in 46 patients (66%): patients without any memory deficit (n = 25), patients with verbal memory deficit (it = 21), patients with visual memory deficit (n = 17), patients with deficit for both types of memory (n 8). Correlation between MRI lesion and memory was 66%. Language was impaired in 33 patients (46%). Eighteen patients (25%) had a deficit of the executive function. Conclusions. Patients with TLE + HS presented with a deficit in material-specific episodic memory correlating in large proportion with HS lateralization. We also found language and executive function impairments. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.