Recognition Memory for Words and Faces Before and After Temporal Lobectomy

Abstract

To assess the sensitivity of Warrington's Recognition Memory Test (RMT) “Words” and “Faces” subtests to lateralized temporal lobe seizure foci and effects of epilepsy surgery, 27 left- and 39 right-temporal lobectomy patients were tested before and after surgery. Only surgical patients who were seizure-free after surgery were studied. The temporal lobectomy patients were compared to 50 seizure patients who were tested twice without having undergone surgery. RMT scaled scores were analyzed using a 3 × 2 × 2, Group by Pre-post by Content repeated measures ANOVA, which revealed significant Group by Pre-post, Group by Content, and Pre-post by Content interactions. A 3 × 2, Group by Pre-post repeated measures ANOVA of the discrepancy between Words and Faces raw scores revealed a significant Group effect only. Left-temporal lobectomy patients tended to show smaller raw score discrepancies than right-temporal lobectomy patients and seizure controls. Attempts to classify patients as having left- or right-temporal epileptogenic pathology on the basis of difference scores (as described in the RMT manual) revealed that left-temporal patients were frequently misclassified as right temporal; however, those who met classification criteria for left-temporal dysfunction included few patients with right-temporal seizures.