Epilepsy Research and Treatment

Research Article

Executive Functions in Chronic Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Table 1

Medians for scores in neuropsychological background tests as a function of group.


	Max. score	MTLE patients	Healthy controls	value	Patients deviating from norms
		Mdn	Mdn	value	()	(%)

Vocabulary [29]	37	28.5	31.0	.010	0/28¹	0
Numeracy [30, 31]	11	8.0*	9.0	.004	15/28²	54
Mental complex calculation [32]	24	11.0	14.0	.044	0/23³	0
Verbal memory (MGT) [33]
Learning (5. trial)	16	13.0	—	—	5/27⁴	19
Immediate free recall	16	10.0	—	—	11/27⁴	41
Delayed free recall	16	12.0	—	—	9/27⁴	33
Recognition (corrected score)	16	15.0	—	—	8/27⁴	30
Nonverbal memory, immediate free recall (VVM) [34]	31	18.0	—	—	6/25⁴	24
Anxiety (HADS-D) [35]	21	6.0	—	—	5/28⁵	18
Depression (HADS-D) [35]	21	2.0	—	—	2/28⁵	7

Digit span forward (WMS-R) [36]	12	7.0	7.5	.069	7/28⁴	25
Digit span backward (WMS-R) [36]	12	6.0	7.0	.013	8/28⁴	29
Psychomotor speed (TMT-A) [37]		28.5	28.0	.379	3/28⁴	11
Cognitive flexibility (TMT-B) [37]		77.0	55.5	.007	12/28⁴	43
Categorical verbal fluency (RWT) [38]		23.5	27.0	.027	8/28⁴	29
Phonological verbal fluency (RWT) [38]		7.0	9.0	.080	12/27⁴	44
Set-shifting (RWT) [38]		14.0	16.0	.004	2/28⁴	7
Categorization (WCST) [39]
Completed categories	5	2.5	4.0	.010	7/28⁴	25
Perseverative errors		10.0	6.0	.011	10/28⁴	36
Go-NoGo task (adapted from [40])
Correct Go-trials	100	98.9	100.0	.038	2/28⁴	7
Correct NoGo-trials	100	83.3	80.0	.892	3/28⁴	11
Planning (Planungstest) [41]
Total number of moves		36.0	34.0	.009	2/28⁴	7
Errors		0.0	0.0	—	1/28⁴	4

Note: Group comparisons were carried out by means of Mann-Whitney -test. Significance was set at .
MTLE: mesial temporal lobe epilepsy; Mdn: Median; (¹): cut-off IQ 85; (²): cut-off median 9; (³): cut-off 5; (⁴): cut-off 10th percentile; (⁵): cut-off 10; (*): slightly below cut-off; (—): not available.