COMPLEX PARTIAL AND SECONDARILY GENERALIZED SEIZURE PATIENTS - COGNITIVE-FUNCTIONING PRIOR TO TREATMENT WITH ANTIEPILEPTIC MEDICATION

This investigation of cognitive functioning in patients with symptomat ic localization-related (partial) epilepsy prior to administration of antiepileptic medication is part of a nationwide prospective, double-b lind study of drug efficacy and longitudinal changes in cognition asso ciated with seizure disorders. Recently-diagnosed patients with comple x partial or secondarily generalized tonic clonic seizures, equated fo r age, education and IQ, were compared with normal controls on a batte ry of neuropsychological tests: verbal and figural memory measures (Re y auditory verbal learning rest, Rey Osterrieth complex figure), and a brief behavioral toxicity battery comprising measures of motor functi on, concentration and mental flexibility (Lafayette grooved pegboard, controlled word association test, Stroop, paced auditory serial additi on test (PASAT)). Control subjects perform significantly better than b oth groups of seizure patients on several measures of motor speed/inte gration and memory, specifically the pegboard and the RAVLT learning ( 3-5) and recall trials. Secondarily generalized seizure patients show greatest impairment. They perform significantly worse than patients wi th complex partial seizures and control subjects on the controlled wor d association test and the most demanding Stroop color-word trial, bot h measures of concentration and mental flexibility. These findings doc ument deficits in memory as well as concentration and motor function i n complex partial and in secondarily generalized seizure patients prio r to treatment with antiepileptic medication. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scienc e B.V. All rights reserved.