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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Rhys ThomasORCiD
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The study of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy is important in that: it is common and heterogeneous; the etiology is unknown; and patients report broad cognitive problems. We utilized a broad battery of neuropsychometric tests to assess the following: intellectual function, memory, language and naming, executive function, the impact of epilepsy, and antiepilepsy drug side effects. Sixty people with drug-refractory JME were interviewed, and performance was profoundly impaired across the range of tests. Impairments included the following: full-scale IQ (89, p. <. 0.001); processing speed (86, p. <. 0.001); visual memory (immediate and delayed) more affected than verbal memory; verbal fluency and inhibition (p. <. 0.001); and self-reported drug side effects (p. <. 0.001). Eighty-three percent of patients exhibited frank executive dysfunction, which was moderate to severe in 66%. Regression modeling confirmed that an early age at onset and the need for polytherapy were associated with poorer cognitive outcomes. This study confirms previous reports of executive dysfunction in a larger cohort and with greater statistical rigor. We also identified a high prevalence of neurotoxicity symptoms such as fatigue and poorer functioning across intellectual and memory tests than had previously been reported. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.
Author(s): Thomas RH, Walsh J, Church C, Marson AG, Baker GA, Rees MI
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Epilepsy and Behavior
Year: 2014
Volume: 36
Pages: 124-129
Print publication date: 01/07/2014
Online publication date: 02/06/2014
Acceptance date: 30/04/2014
ISSN (print): 1525-5050
ISSN (electronic): 1525-5069
Publisher: Academic Press Inc.
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2014.04.027
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2014.04.027
PubMed id: 24938758
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