Verbal memory decline is less frequent at 10years than at 2years after temporal lobe surgery for epilepsy

• Published in: Epilepsy & behavior Vol. 24; no. 4; pp. 462 - 467
• Main Authors: Andersson-Roswall, Lena, Malmgren, Kristina, Engman, Elisabeth, Samuelsson, Hans
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.08.2012
• Subjects: Epilepsy surgery; Individual changes; Long-term follow-up; Memory; Neuropsychological assessment; Long-term follow-up; Individual changes; Epilepsy surgery; Neuropsychological assessment; Memory
• ISSN: 1525-5050; 1525-5069
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2012.05.015

We investigated individual short- and long-term verbal memory changes after temporal lobe resection for epilepsy. Fifty-one patients (23 operated on the speech-dominant temporal lobe, DTL and 28 on the non-dominant temporal lobe, NDTL) were tested on learning/immediate recall and delayed recall of word-list and word-pairs preoperatively, 2years postoperatively and 10years postoperatively. Changes were defined using reliable change indices of 23 healthy controls assessed at corresponding intervals. Fewer patients had reliable declines at 10years than at 2years (DTL: 13–35% vs 35–44%; NDTL: 0–4% vs 7–21%). Four DTL patients (17%) had reliable declines in ≥2 tests at 10-year follow-up. More NDTL patients had improvement at 10years than at 2years (18–30% vs 4–22%). The only risk factor for decline both short and long term was DTL resection. In conclusion, most patients had stable verbal memory postoperatively. A few DTL patients had a lasting decline at long-term follow-up, but more patients showed partial recovery, especially in the NDTL group. ► We investigated individual verbal memory at 2years and 10years after TLR for epilepsy. ► Fifty-one patients were tested on learning/immediate and delayed recalls. ► Changes were defined using reliable change indices of 23 healthy controls. ► Fewer patients had reliable declines at 10years than at 2years. ► More patients showed partial recovery than lasting decline across time.