Minimal model to document psychometric change after standard anterior temporal lobectomy for intractable seizure disorder

Neuropsychological assessment of persons with epilepsy is recommended whenever neurosurgery is considered as an alternative therapy for seizure disorders refractory to ordinary medical management. Although psychological assessment is common in centers specialized in the care of epilepsy patients, standardized protocols are not common. This study addresses the question of the optimal minimal test battery necessary to differentiate groups of right-handed patients with refractory, complex partial seizure disorder who receive either right or left anterior temporal lobectomy or no surgery. No variable differentiated the groups before surgery. Only Logical Memory-Immediate of the Wechsler Memory Scale differentiated the groups following surgery. This finding is consistent with the literature.