Get Adobe Acorbat ReaderGet Adobe Acrobat ReaderResearch Areas - Epilepsy and Memory Dysfunction

Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological condition. Up to 50% of patients complain of significant memory problems, often underestimating the frequency of their everyday memory failures. Such complaints are especially prevalent in patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE), the most common variety of adult-onset epilepsy, in which memory-related structures are directly involved by seizure activity. Most previous work on memory impairment in epilepsy has concentrated on performance in conventional memory tests, focusing mainly on the ability to form new memories, often in the context of assessment before or after surgery for temporal lobe epilepsy. The memory deficits in epilepsy patients often go undetected by neuropsychological tests. Standard neuropsychological instruments typically test memory retention at intervals of up to 30 minutes. Our research shows that whilst patients may appear unimpaired on standard neuropsychological tests, memory deficits become significantly more apparent over intervals of days and weeks.