The Effects of Selective Amygdalahippocampectomy on Cognitive and Memory Functions in Patients with Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Abstract

Scientific Background: Drug resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) seizure can be mostly control after the epilepsy surgery. Evaluate the patients before surgery and lateralization of lesion help to improve the outcome and qualitiy of life of thepatients. lncreasing the qualitiy of life means decreasing the frequency of seizure, as well as improving the cognitive function and decreasing the drug dosage. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of operation on seizure and cognition.Material and Methods: Fifteen patients who were follow up in Marmara University Hospital Epilepsy outpatient clinic, were included the study. These patients have the diagnosis of MTLE and unilateral hippocampal sclerosis and were operated by selective amygdalahippocampectomy (SAH). Before surgery neuropsychological tests applied to the patients and all patients were reevaluated after one year of surgery. Results: Both seizure control obtained 86,6% of patients and seizure prevalance decrease in the rest. after the 1 year period. There were no changes on verbal memory after the surgery in89% of patients but there were significant improvement on visual memory deficit. Other than memory impairment, 66% of patients showed effects on frontal excequtive function, attention, visuospatial abilities, visual memory, but after the surgery, the patinets showed significant improvement at these tests. in both right and left MTLE patients, verbal memory deficit and in only left MTLE patients naming defisit seemed to go on after surgery. Conclusions: It is important to have the operation for drugresistantMTLE patients as early as possible in order to control the seizures and decrease the cognitive and memory deficit.