Chronic epilepsy and cognition: A longitudinal study in temporal lobe epilepsy

It remains unclear whether uncontrolled epilepsy causes mental decline. This longitudinal study contrasts change of memory and nonmemory functions in 147 surgically and 102 medically treated patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. All participants were evaluated at baseline (T1) and after 2 to 10 years (T3). Surgical patients underwent additional testing 1 year postoperatively (T2). Data were analyzed on an individual and group level. Sixty-three percent of the surgical and 12% of the medically treated patients were seizure-free at T3. Fifty percent of the medically treated and 60% of the surgical patients showed significant memory decline at T3 with little change in nonmemory functions (difference not…