Object naming and semantic knowledge in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Abstract

Object-naming impairment is common among temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients, but other aspects of semantic memory have received limited attention in this population. This study examined object-naming ability and depth of semantic knowledge in healthy controls (n = 29) and patients with early onset TLE (n = 21). After administration of the Boston Naming Test (BNT), the authors asked participants to provide detailed definitions of 6 BNT objects. The TLE group demonstrated a significant deficit relative to controls in both object-naming ability and semantic knowledge for the target objects, even after controlling for IQ. In a multiple regression analysis that included other neuropsychological test scores as independent variables, the semantic knowledge score was the only significant predictor of patients' object-naming performance. Thus, at the group level, early onset TLE patients have a semantic knowledge deficit that contributes to dysnomia.

Severe memory impairment in a child with bihippocampal injury after status epilepticus

“…Broman et al (1997) reported a decline of verbal IQ by 35 points in a child with amnesia after anoxic encephalopathy complicated by bitemporal seizures. Naming deficits have also been reported in adults with temporal lobe epilepsy, suggesting that semantic and episodic memory might be impaired in this condition (Bell et al 2001). Our patient had more general learning difficulties -including short-term memory impairment -than patients with 'developmental amnesia' and also more rapid and pronounced forgetting during episodic memory tasks (Vargha-Khadem et al 2001).…”

Lexical retrieval and semantic knowledge in patients with left inferior temporal lobe lesions

“…This type of naming impairment, known as "pure anomia", has been described as reflecting a disconnection between intact semantic knowledge and phonological word forms (Benson, 1979(Benson, , 1988Damasio et al, 1996;Foundas et al, 1998;Raymer et al, 1997), an assertion that is supported by evidence that word retrieval can be facilitated by phonemic cueing. Naming impairments have also been documented following damage to more anterior (BAs 38,20/21) and medial (BAs 28/34,35/36) temporal lobe regions resulting from a variety of lesion aetiologies, including left anterior temporal lobectomy (Bell et al, 2001;Glosser & D'Onofrio, 2001), herpes encephalitis (Moss, Rodd, Stamatakis, Bright, & Tyler, 2005;Pietrini, Nertempi, Vaglia, Revello, & Pinna, 1988;Schmolck, Kensinger, Corkin, & Squire, 2002;Tyler et al, 2004;Warrington & Shallice, 1984), and semantic dementia (Davies, Graham, Xuereb, Williams, & Hodges, 2004;Hodges, Patterson, Oxbury, & Funnell, 1992a;Lambon Ralph, McClelland, Patterson, Galton, & Hodges, 2001;Mummery et al, 1999;Mummery et al, 2000). In contrast to pure anomia, the pathogenesis of the word retrieval deficit in patients with more anterior left temporal lesions appears to involve degradation of semantic knowledge, manifesting in a high proportion of semantic naming errors (e.g., beaver: chipmunk) and ambiguous or inappropriate circumlocutions.…”

Memory impairment in children with temporal lobe epilepsy: a review

“…Memory deficit occurs mainly when epilepsy involves both temporal lobes and the dominant hemisphere (9) . These patients may also present with naming problems (10) .…”