Memory performance in older adults before and after temporal lobectomy for pharmacoresistant epilepsy

Little is known about the effects of epilepsy surgery on memory in older adults. The purpose of this study was to determine if older adults exhibit greater memory decline than younger adults after anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL). Patients 55 years and older at time of surgery (23 left, 14 right ATL, range 55-66 years) were compared to patients age 25-35 years (44 left, 33 right ATL) to assess differences in preoperative to postoperative change in WMS-III index scores. Repeated-measures ANOVAs and ANCOVAs revealed that older patients did not demonstrate greater decline than younger patients across any of the memory indices. Rather, in the left ATL group, older patients showed less decline than younger patients on the Auditory Delayed Memory Index. Similarly, in the right ATL group, older patients showed less decline than younger patients on the Visual Delayed Memory Index. These patterns were also apparent in frequency of individual change. Results provide preliminary evidence that older adults who are good candidates for ATL are not at greater risk for memory decline when measured at 7 months postoperatively.