Qualitative block design performance in epilepsy patients

Broken configuration errors on the WAIS-R Block Design subtest have been as sociated with right hemisphere brain damage. This study examined whether pr e-surgical epilepsy patients with seizure foci restricted to the right hemi sphere would break configuration more frequently than those with left hemis phere foci. Subjects included 38 patients with unilateral right or left hem isphere epilepsy of frontal or temporal lobe origin. The left and right hem isphere groups did nor differ significantly in demographic or disease varia bles, IQ, or Block Design standard scores. Right hemisphere patients made m ore broken configurations than did those with left hemisphere foci. In the right hemisphere group, more broken configurations were associated with a l ower Block Design Scaled Score and Full Scale Ie. These results suggest tha t the observation of broken configurations in the Block Design can assist i n corroborating: the seizure focus and highlight the importance of qualitat ive Block Design analysis. (C) 2000 National Academy of Neuropsychology. Pu blished by Elsevier Science.