EXAMINATION OF EXECUTIVE ABILITY IN EPILEPSY SURGERY CANDIDATES

The latent structure and neuroanatomical correlates of three experimen tal tests of executive function, derived from Luria's (1966) work, wer e investigated in a sample of epilepsy surgery candidates (N = 64). Th e tests required integrity of elementary hand movements in addition to executive ability, but were intended primarily to address the latter. As expected, results of a principal components analysis suggested tha t the latent structure of the three new tests was executive rather tha n motor. To explore their sensitivity to frontal lobe dysfunction, the data were entered into a discriminant function analysis with seizure onset location (frontal, temporal) as the dependent variable. The comb ined discriminating power of the three experimental measures was signi ficant (chi(2)(3) = 17.2, p < .001), and overall accuracy of classific ation was 82.8%. It is suggested that the three new tests of executive function would make a useful addition to comprehensive neuropsycholog ical evaluations of epilepsy surgery candidates.