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Abstract
Previous research suggests epilepsy and psychogenic non-epileptic seizure (PNES) patients do not show consistent group differences on neuropsychological measures. However, both groups of patients show decreased neuropsychological performance when compared to a normal population (CitationCragar, Berry, Fakhoury, Cibula, & Schmitt, 2002). CitationSwanson, Springer, Benbadis, and Morris (2000) have suggested epilepsy patients show decreased neurocognitive functioning due to neuropathology whereas PNES patients show decreased neurocognitive functioning due to psychopathology. Effort has also been implicated as an important factor in neuropsychological test results in general (CitationGreen, 2003). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships of medical history variables (e.g., duration of disorder), neuropathology, psychopathology, and effort to neuropsychological findings in epilepsy and PNES patients. Neuropsychological functioning was divided into six domains: intelligence, memory, language, executive functions, visual-spatial, and motor. Results indicated that medical history variables were related to intellectual, memory, language, and motor functioning. Psychopathology was associated with all cognitive domains except executive functioning. Effort was related to intellectual, memory, language, visual-spatial, and motor functioning. Neuropathology and diagnosis were related only to memory.
Dona E.C. Locke is now at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
This project was supported by the Epilepsy Foundation through the generous support of the American Epilepsy Society.
This paper is based on a dissertation submitted by Dona Cragar in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a doctorate in clinical psychology.
Thank you to Chantel M. S. Dearth and Chris Miara for their help with data collection, Greg Smith, Ph.D. and Sarah Fischer, M.S., for their statistical advice, and Christi Patten, Ph.D., for her comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript.
Notes
Dona E.C. Locke is now at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
This project was supported by the Epilepsy Foundation through the generous support of the American Epilepsy Society.
This paper is based on a dissertation submitted by Dona Cragar in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a doctorate in clinical psychology.
Thank you to Chantel M. S. Dearth and Chris Miara for their help with data collection, Greg Smith, Ph.D. and Sarah Fischer, M.S., for their statistical advice, and Christi Patten, Ph.D., for her comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript.