Review Article

Role of Functional MRI in Presurgical Evaluation of Memory Function in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Table 1

Memory and language fMRI studies in prediction of postoperative verbal memory decline following a temporal lobectomy.

AuthorsYearNumberMemory paradigmsSummaryRemarks

Rabin et al. [34]200435 (20 Rt/15 Lt)Complex visual scene encodingSignificant inverse correlation between activation ipsilateral to temporal lobectomy and memory outcome. No significant correlation in the contralateral activationfMRI ARs correlated significantly with memory lateralization by IAT

Richardson et al. [37]200410 (all Lt)Verbal memory encodingRelatively greater verbal memory encoding activity in left HC compared with right HC, as measured using fMRI, predicts the extent of verbal memory decline in the same subjectsMaterial specific (verbal)

Richardson et al. [35]200630 (all Lt, 12 underwent ATL)Verbal memory encodingFunctional adequacy of left HC best predicts postoperative memory outcome in left HSMaterial specific (verbal), event related

Binder et al. [40]200860 (all Lt)LanguageLateralization of language is correlated with lateralization of verbal memoryWada memory testing is insufficiently reliable

Powell et al. [49]200815 (7 Rt/8 Lt)Encoding of words (verbal), pictures, and facesRelatively greater ipsilateral activation had greater memory declineSupports the functional adequacy theory of HC function

Frings et al. [50]200822 (10 Rt/12 Lt)Encoding and recognition of object locationsPositive correlation between the degree of ipsilaterality lateralized HC activation and postsurgical verbal memory declineNonverbal paradigm predicts postsurgical verbal memory decline

Binder et al. [36]201067 (37 Rt/30 Lt)Language and scene memory encodingRisk of verbal memory decline is more closely correlated with language lateralization than with overall asymmetry of episodic memory processesLanguage paradigm to predict verbal memory decline

Bonelli et al. [39]201072 (31 Rt/41 Lt)Encoding of words (verbal), pictures, and facesPreoperative memory fMRI was the strongest predictor of verbal and visual memory declineMemory fMRI in prediction of both postsurgical verbal and visual memory decline

Dupont et al. [51]201025 (14 Rt/11 Lt)Scene encoding and recognitionfMRI activation during a delayed-recognition task is a better predictor of individual postoperative verbal memory outcome than is the Wada test Only one study revealed marked discordant LI between memory fMRI and Wada test (only 48% of the patients showed concordant result)

Rt: right; Lt: left; AR: asymmetry ratio; IAT: intracarotid sodium amytal test; HC: hippocampus; ATL: anterior temporal lobectomy; HS: hippocampal sclerosis; LI: laterality index.