The memory assessment scales and lateralized temporal lobe epilepsy

✍ Scribed by David W. Loring; Bruce P. Hermann; Gregory P. Lee; Daniel L. Drane; Kimford J. Meador

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 55 KB
• Volume: 56
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-9762
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4679(200004)56:4<563::aid-jclp9>3.0.co;2-k

✦ Synopsis

We report Memory Assessment Scales (MAS) performance in 101 patients with unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE; left, n ϭ 51; right, n ϭ 50) with left cerebral language dominance. A significant multivariate group effect was present for the major summary indices (Verbal Memory, Visual Memory, and Global Memory, p Ͻ .04). Univariate analyses revealed no significant differences for either the Global Memory or Verbal Memory summary scores, although a significant group difference was present for Visual Memory ( p Ͻ .04). The Verbal Memory-Visual Memory discrepancy score was significantly different between right and left TLE groups ( p Ͻ .004). Verbal Memory scores were at least 14 points lower than Visual Memory scores in 34 patients (left ϭ 20, 59%; right ϭ 14, 41%). Visual Memory scores were at least 14 points lower than Verbal Memory performance in 20 patients (leftϭ 5, 25%; right ϭ 15, 75%). Diagnostic efficiency statistics show higher sensitivity but lower specificity in group classification for left TLE patients. These data suggest that the MAS is sensitive to material-specific memory deficits associated with a unilateral temporal lobe seizure focus. However, over onethird of the patients (19/54) with at least a 14-point Verbal Memory-Visual Memory discrepancy were classified incorrectly. The MAS, like other materialspecific memory measures, should be interpreted within the context of other clinical findings.