Objectives:

Verbal memory is associated with left and non-verbal memory is associated with right temporal lobe because of the material specificity of the memory. In this study, it is examined verbal and nonverbal memory functions by individual assessment of the patients during presurgical period.

Methods:

Total of 137 patients (70 men and 67 women) who were diagnosed for TLE and prepared for surgical treatment at Istanbul University Cerrahpasa School of Medicine were assessed for the association of verbal and nonverbal test results and the side of the seizure origin (right n=73 left, n=56 or bilateral n=8). Verbal memory processing scale (SBST) for verbal memory and Wechler Memory Scale Visual Subtest (WMS/G) for non-verbal memory functions were applied to the patients.

Results:

44.6% of patients with left TLE but 5.5% of right TLE showed material specific memory impairment. Both verbal and nonverbal memory tests were seen in normal limits in the majority of the patients (left TLE 28.6%, right TLE 50.7%). Besides, `global` effect in which verbal and also nonverbal memory were affected was seen quite frequently (left TLE 21.4%, right TLE 17.8%). While the number of the patients with left TLE who showed incompatible low performance on nonverbal memory was low (5.4%), this rate was found to be quite high in patients with right TLE (26%).

Conclusion:

In individual evaluation, observation of low performance on material specific memory of contralateral side in patients with right TLE requires overview.

Keywords: Memory, surgery, material specifity, neuropsychology, prognosis, temporal lobe epilepsy