Relationship of Age at Onset, Chronologic Age, and Adequacy of Preoperative Performance to Verbal Memory Change After Anterior Temporal Lobectomy

Abstract Objective Anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) surgery for epilepsy is commonly associated with post-surgical impairments in memory and language abilities, specifically episodic memory and confrontational naming. Less is known regarding outcomes of patients with atypical language dominance. Method Casey is a 19 year-old, ambidextrous, male with a history of remote symptomatic medically intractable focal epilepsy secondary to right inferior temporal encephalomalacia. Casey underwent right anterior temporal lobectomy and resection of mesial structures including part of the hippocampus. Results Casey’s pre-surgical neuropsychological evaluation revealed overall intellectual functioning in the average range with relative strengths in perceptual reasoning skills and weaknesses in attention, executive control, confrontational naming, and verbal fluency. Casey’s pre-surgical cognitive profile and functional MRI were suggestive of bilateral language organization. At post-surgical evaluation, Casey demonstrated strong overall cognitive abilities, basic reading, visual–spatial skills, and visual memory, as well as notable improvements in his processing speed and visual-motor integration. He demonstrated significant improvement in verbal working memory, verbal fluency, and contextual verbal memory. Casey continued to show significant weaknesses in word finding, phonetic verbal fluency, and rote verbal learning and memory, and milder weaknesses in aspects of executive functioning. Casey continued to demonstrate mood difficulties. Conclusions The current case provides evidence of continued mild deficits in traditional dominant hemisphere skills including rote verbal memory and focal language abilities, in a patient with a history of mixed language dominance, following right hemisphere ATL surgery. This case further highlights the importance of pre-surgical neuropsychological evaluation and fMRI in patients undergoing right ATL surgery.

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Surgical Treatment of Mesiotemporal Lobe Epilepsy: Which Approach is Favorable?

Neurosurgery ◽

10.1093/neuros/nyx138 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 81 (6) ◽

pp. 992-1004 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Barbara Schmeiser ◽

Kathrin Wagner ◽

Andreas Schulze-Bonhage ◽

Irina Mader ◽

Anne-Sophie Wendling ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Verbal Memory ◽

Postoperative Outcome ◽

Temporal Lobectomy ◽

Surgical Approaches ◽

Seizure Outcome ◽

Consecutive Series ◽

Complication Rates ◽

Pharmacoresistant Epilepsy ◽

Anterior Temporal Lobectomy ◽

Selective Amygdalohippocampectomy

Abstract BACKGROUND Mesiotemporal lobe epilepsy is one of the most frequent causes for pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Different surgical approaches to the mesiotemporal area are used. OBJECTIVE To analyze epileptological and neuropsychological results as well as complications of different surgical strategies. METHODS This retrospective study is based on a consecutive series of 458 patients all harboring pharmacoresistant mesiotemporal lobe epilepsy. Following procedures were performed: standard anterior temporal lobectomy, anterior temporal or key-hole resection, extended lesionectomy, and transsylvian and subtemporal selective amygdalohippocampectomy. Postoperative outcome was evaluated according to different surgical procedures. RESULTS Overall, 1 yr after surgery 315 of 432 patients (72.9%) were classified Engel I; in particular, 72.8% were seizure-free after anterior temporal lobectomy, 76.9% after key-hole resection, 84.4% after extended lesionectomy, 70.3% after transylvian selective amygdalohippocampectomy, and 59.1% after subtemporal selective amygdalohippocampectomy. No significant differences in seizure outcome were found between different resective procedures, neither in short-term nor long-term follow-up. There was no perioperative mortality. Permanent morbidity was encountered in 4.4%. There were no significant differences in complications between different resection types. In the majority of patients, selective attention improved following surgery. Patients after left-sided operations performed significantly worse regarding verbal memory as compared to right-sided procedures. However, surgical approach had no significant effect on memory outcome. CONCLUSION Different surgical approaches for mesiotemporal epilepsy analyzed resulted in similar epileptological, neuropsychological results, and complication rates. Therefore, the approach for the individual patient does not only depend on the specific localization of the epileptogenic area, but also on the experience of the surgeon.

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