NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF FRONTAL-LOBE EPILEPSY

While most neuropsychological studies in focal epilepsies are concerne d with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), only few investigations aim cogni tive functioning in unresected patients with frontal lobe epilepsy (FL E). Following functional models arising from lesional studies, we eval uated patients with TLE (21 left, 17 right) and FLE (6 left, 17 right) with respect to attention and speed, motor coordination, verbal/nonve rbal fluency, concept formation, response inhibition, anticipatory beh avior and memory span. The following results were obtained. When compa red to TLE, FLE was associated with significantly poorer results in al most all tests, fluency tests being the exception. No group difference s were found with respect to the lateralization of the epileptic focus or the presence or absence of cerebral lesions. Factor analysis of th e tests indicated that different subfunctions (speed, STM, motor coord ination, response maintenance and inhibition) were assessed. A particu lar cognitive pattern of impaired motor coordination or response inhib ition appeared to be characteristic for patients with FLE.