Relation of cortical language distribution and cognitive function in surgical epilepsy patients

Citation
O. Devinsky et al., Relation of cortical language distribution and cognitive function in surgical epilepsy patients, EPILEPSIA, 41(4), 2000, pp. 400-404
Citations number
19
Categorie Soggetti
Neurosciences & Behavoir
Journal title
EPILEPSIA
ISSN journal
00139580 → ACNP
Volume
41
Issue
4
Year of publication
2000
Pages
400 - 404
Database
ISI
SICI code
0013-9580(200004)41:4<400:ROCLDA>2.0.ZU;2-6
Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the relation between the number and spatial distrib ution of language sites and specific patient- and epilepsy-related variable s. Methods: Patients with stimulation-induced reading or naming errors from an terior or inferior temporal cortex (i.e., atypical temporal language sites) were compared with those with language sites confined to Wernicke's area ( WA) in the posterosuperior temporal and inferior parietal perisylvian area. In a consecutive series of 44 left hemisphere language dominant patients w ith complex partial seizures before left temporal lobectomy, correlations w ere compared between cortical language distribution and measures of cogniti ve function. Results: Patients with atypical temporal language sites (group 1) had signi ficantly fewer years of education that did patients with language sites in WA (group 2). Patients in group 1 had poorer verbal learning and fluency th an did patients in group 2. Patients with IQ <80 were significantly more li kely to have multiple sites where stimulation disrupted language than did p atients with normal IQ. Number of language sites had significant negative c orrelations with full-scale IQ, and measures of confrontation naming, verba l fluency, and immediate verbal memory. Conclusions: Language cortex has a wider spatial distribution in epilepsy s urgery patients with lower intelligence, poorer education, and worse verbal and memory skills.