Abstracts

There is conflicting data in the literature regarding material-specific memory deficits in patients with epilepsy (Kim et al., 2003). Some research suggests that patients with left hemisphere seizure lateralization have decreased capacity for verbal memory while patients with right hemisphere seizure lateralization have decreased capacity for visual memory. [italic]Subsequent research has not been able to fully confirm these findings.[/italic] The participants were 23 patients diagnoses with epilepsy whose seizure lateralization evaluation including the Wechsler Memory Scale- 3rd Edition. Primary Index scores [e.g. Auditory Immediate Memory (IM), Visual Immediate Memory (VI), General Memory Immediate (IM), Verbal Memory Delayed (AD), Visual Memory Delayed (VD), Auditory Recognition Memory Delayed (ARD), and General Delayed Memory (GM)] were compared using ANOVA. Significant differences were found between AI index scores and ARD index scores. Patients with right hemisphere seizure lateralization scored significantly better on both indexes. There were no significant differences between the groups on other WMS-III indexes. The study provides further support for differences in patients performance on material-specific memory tests. However, the degree of lateralization is less pronounced in patients with epilepsy having left hemisphere epileptic focus. This research provides further evidence of material specific memory deficits on the WMS-III, although not for delayed memory. Patients with right lateralization of seizure activity perform better on tasks of immediate recall of auditory information as well as tasks involving the recognition of verbal information after a delay.