Evaluation of Cognitive Changes and Quality of Life in Patients with Refractory Frontal Lobe Epilepsy before and after Surgery for the Treatment of Epilepsy

This study aimed to compare the cognitive functions (memory, executive function, language, and intelligence) and quality of life in patients with treatment-resistant frontal lobe epilepsy before and after frontal lobe surgery.

The present research was a longitudinal study in which patients were followed up one to three years after surgery. The statistical population included all patients with treatment-resistant frontal lobe epilepsy referred to Ayatollah Kashani Center in Isfahan, Iran, who underwent surgery. 24 patients were selected by convenience sampling method, and completed the Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition (WMS-III), the Tower Of London (TOL), the Persian Aphasia Naming Test (PNT), the Persian Diagnostic Aphasia Battery (AQ), the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R), and the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-89) before and after surgery. The data were analyzed using paired t-test in SPSS software.

 The rate of seizures after surgery (1.02 ± 0.89) decreased compared to before it (4.29 ± 3.08) (P = 0.001). Compared to before surgery, patients significantly improved in working memory (P = 0.010), temporal performance in language (P = 0.050), executive functions (P = 0.010), intelligence quotient (IQ) function, especially operational intelligence (P = 0.001), and quality of life (P = 0.05) after surgery. Moreover, there was no significant difference between patients' performance before and after surgery in general executive, general memory, and verbal intelligence.

 Frontal lobe epilepsy surgery has a positive effect on some functions, and does not have any negative effect on some functions at least. Therefore, frontal lobe epilepsy surgery can be a good option for people with treatment-resistant frontal lobe epilepsy.