Differential Psychological Performances in Major Motor, Psychomotor, and Mixed Seizure Classifications of Known and Unknown Etiology

Abstract

SUMMARY Comparisons on an extensive battery of psychological tests were made in the following eight groups of patients. Three groups with seizures of known etiology (major motor, psychomotor, and mixed major motor and psychomotor) were matched on age, education, and diagnostic classification and were compared with three similar groups of seizure patients in whom etiology was unknown, and with a control group and a group of brain damaged patients without epilepsy. Using intergroup differences on the Halstead Impairment Index as a summary measure of performance level, the results indicated that all groups except the group with psychomotor epilepsy of unknown etiology demonstrated significant impairment in comparison to control subjects. No differences were found between the test performances of controls and subjects with psychomotor epilepsy of unknown etiology. Patients with psychomotor epilepsy of unknown etiology performed at significantly better levels than did patients with major motor seizures of unknown etiology. The groups with psychomotor seizures of known etiology achieved higher mean scores on each test variable than did the group with major seizures of known etiology, although the differences were not nearly as clear as in the comparisons involving psychomotor and major motor seizures of unknown etiology. RÉSUMÉ On a appliqué une large batterie de tests psychologiques à huit groupes de malades et on a comparé leurs résultats. Trois groupes ayant des crises d'étiologie connue (crises majeures motrices, crises psycho‐motrices et crises majeures motrices associées à des crises psycho‐motrices) ont été appariés selon l'âge, l'éducation et le diagnostic. On a comparé leurs résultats aux tests d'abord avec ceux de trois groupes similaires de malades épileptiques dont les crises étaient d'étiologie inconnue, ensuite avec ceux d'un groupe contrôle et enfin avec ceux d'un groupe de malades organiques sans épilepsie. D'après l'index de Halstead, les résultats montrent que tous les groupes, excepté le groupe ayant une épilepsie psycho‐motrice d'étiologie inconnue, obtiennent des résultats significativement inférieurs à ceux des sujets du groupe contrôle. Il n'y a pas de différence entre les résultats aux tests obtenus par les sujets du groupe contrôle et par les sujets ayant une épilepsie psycho‐motrice d'étiologie inconnue. Ces derniers obtiennent des notes d'un niveau plus élévé que celles des malades ayant des crises majeures motrices d'étiologie inconnue. A chaque test, le score moyen obtenu par les groupes ayant des crises psycho‐motrices d'étiologie connue est plus élevé que le score moyen obtenu par le groupe ayant des crises majeures motrices d'étiologie connue. Mais les différences ne sont pas aussi nettes que lorsqu'on compare les résultats des sujets ayant des crises psycho‐motrices d'étiologie inconnue et ceux ayant des crises majeures motrices d'étiologie inconnue.

Behavioral Characteristics of Epilepsy Patients Compared with Normal Controls

“…It appears that for this large sample of noninstitutionalized, newly diagnosed, unmedicated epilepsy patients, the level of intellectual function compares favorably with that of the general population. Lower levels of intellectual performance have frequently been reported for epilepsy samples (Dodrill and Troupin, 1974;Klove and Matthews, 1969;Lennox, 1942;Matthews and Klove, 1967;Reynolds, 1983). This may have resulted in part from the inclusion in these studies of results more chronic, poorly controlled, highly medicated epilepsy patients.…”

Cognition and health-related quality of life in a well-defined subgroup of patients with partial epilepsy

“…On the other hand, in the study of "normal epileptics" age at onset, duration, seizure type, and seizure frequency could not explain the cognitive impairments [2]. Studies of mixed patient groups, ranging from relatively well-controlled to refractory epilepsy, revealed that an early age at onset, primary generalised epilepsies and symptomatic aetiology were associated with lower intellectual functioning [9,10]. Furthermore, in patients with refractory epilepsy memory impairments are associated with localisation of the epileptogenic zone in the temporal lobe [11] and might also be negatively affected by drug treatment [12,13].…”

Use of computer assisted and interactive cognitive training programmes with moderate to severely demented individuals: A preliminary study

“…All of the participants completed the combined cognitive training programme. See Table I Morris, 1997), the Digit Symbol-Coding and Incidental Recall of the Wechsler Adult Intelligent Scale, Third Edition (WAIS-III; Wechsler, 1997), the Grooved Pegboard (Klove, 1963;Lezak, 1995;Matthews & Klove, 1967), the Trail Making Test (Lezak, 1995;Reitan & Davison, 1974), Controlled Oral Word Association Test and Category Naming (Goodglass & Kaplan, 1972;Lezak, 1995), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS; Brink et al, 1982), Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE; Folstein, Folstein, & McHugh, 1975), Quality of Life (Spitzer et al, 1981), Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ; Pfeffer, Kurosaki, Harrah, (Buschke & Fuld, 1974) and the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ; Broadbent, Cooper, Fitzgerald, & Parkes, 1982).…”