Neuropsychology of epilepsy.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The neuropsychological approach to epilepsy is indispensable for assessment of cognitive function in an interictal period including pre- and postsurgical evaluation, and for disclosing the semiology of nonconvulsive status epilepticus. Another use of the neuropsychological approach is to identify a seizure-precipitating factor by loading systematic cognitive tasking, termed "neuropsychological EEG activation" (NPA), during standard EEG recordings.

METHODS:

In this study, NPA tasks consisted of reading, speaking, writing, written arithmetic calculation, mental arithmetic calculation, and spatial construction.

RESULTS:

The NPA tasks provoked epileptic discharges in 7.9% of the 480 epileptic patients and were often accompanied by myoclonic seizures. Among the cognitive tasks, mental activities mainly associated with use of the hands [i.e., writing (68.4%), written calculation (55.3%), and spatial construction (63.2%)] provoked the most discharges. Seizure-precipitating mental activities were found to be almost exclusively related to idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGEs).

CONCLUSIONS:

These results suggest that NPA is a useful tool for examining the relationship between cognitive function and epileptic seizures, and that the IGE patients with myoclonic seizures are vulnerable to higher mental activity.

• Authors: H Matsuoka
• Journal: Epilepsia (Epilepsia) Vol. 42 Suppl 6 Pg. 42-6 ( 2001) ISSN: 0013-9580 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11902322 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Brain Mapping
• Cerebral Cortex (physiopathology)
• Electroencephalography
• Epilepsies, Myoclonic (diagnosis, physiopathology, surgery)
• Epilepsy, Generalized (diagnosis, physiopathology, surgery)
• Epilepsy, Reflex (diagnosis, physiopathology, surgery)
• Humans
• Neuropsychological Tests
• Risk Factors