[The intra-carotid amobarbital test--indications--procedure--results]

In presurgical assessment of epilepsy, the intracarotid amobarbital procedure (IAP) is used for the detection of functional asymmetries of the cerebral hemispheres with respect to cognitive functions. The IAP permits a precise and reliable determination of patterns of language dominance, although analysis of the lateralization of specific memory functions is constrained by methodological problems. In addition, the IAP yields information on the lateralization of other cognitive functions such as attention, consciousness, and emotion. It may also serve as a means of delineating the primary epileptic focus. Furthermore, the IAP may also be helpful in the assessment of non-epileptic patients prior to elective operations in brain regions relevant to cognition.