Temporal lobectomy: resection volume, neuropsychological effects, and seizure outcome.

Publication/Presentation Date

10-1-2009

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The goal of the work described here was to evaluate relationships among resection volume, seizure outcome, and cognitive morbidity after temporal lobectomy for intractable epilepsy.

METHODS: Thirty patients with mesial temporal sclerosis were evaluated pre- and postoperatively with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III, Wechsler Memory Scale III, and three-dimensional coronal spoiled gradient recall acquisition MRI. Preoperative whole-brain volumes were calculated with Statistical Parametric Mapping. Resection volume was calculated by manual tracing. Systat was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS: All resections included the temporal tip, at least 1cm of the superior temporal gyrus, and 3 to 5cm of the middle and inferior temporal gyri. Left were significantly smaller than right temporal resections. Seizure-free patients had significantly larger resections. Immediate verbal memory was significantly worse after left temporal lobectomy. Surgical outcome and resection volume did not affect postoperative neuropsychological results.

CONCLUSIONS: Dominant temporal lobe resections are associated with immediate verbal memory deficits. Larger resection volume was associated with improved seizure control but not worse cognitive outcome.

Volume

16

Issue

2

First Page

311

Last Page

314

ISSN

1525-5069

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

19703792

Department(s)

Department of Medicine

Document Type

Article

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