Abstract

GUZMAN DE ROJAS, Cecilia. EVALUACIÓN NEUROPSICOLÓGICA DE LOS PROCESOS COGNITIVOS EN LA EPILEPSIA. Ajayu [online]. 2013, vol.11, n.2, pp.81-115. ISSN 2077-2161.

This research project developed a syndromatic picture of the cognitive functions of patients diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy.The study identified the main characteristics of this type of syndrome and what they represent in the life and treatment of these patients pharmacologically as well as therapeutically.The study analyzed three case studies of patients between 30 and 50 years of age who present recurrent seizures in spite of drug treatment. A neuropsychological evaluation was developed through interviews and the administration of three tests:ComprehensiveNeuropsychological Evaluation for adults, Cardamone (2004), Luria’s Neuropsychological Diagnosis, Luria (1974) and Kaufman’s Short IntelligenceTest, Kaufman and Kaufman (2000). The results confirm the clinical diagnosis and the theory. The variables of the study were the cognitive processes. When temporal lobe epilepsy occurs in early childhood, the patient's memory -both long term and short term- generally suffers impairment in adulthood.He/she has difficulty with conscious as well as with incidental selective attention and with the functions required to learn new concepts. Difficulties were also found in both receptive and expressive language and in the intellectual functions which alter emotional level and personality. This research located the epileptogenic zone and confirmed that the aura (physical manifestations that anticipate a seizure) described by the participants is consistent with the type of epilepsy studied in the investigation.

Keywords : temporal lobe epilepsy; alteration; neuropsychological evaluation; neuropsychology; cognitive processes.

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