Testing an Adapted Auditory Verbal Learning Test Paradigm for fMRI to Lateralize Verbal Memory in Patients with...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Epilepsy Research
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) poses challenges for predicting postsurgical outcomes.
• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) offers a noninvasive method for assessing brain function.
• Understanding memory lateralization is crucial for surgical planning in TLE.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an adapted Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) fMRI paradigm for memory lateralization in TLE.
• To compare memory laterality indexes between TLE patients and healthy controls.
• To investigate the association between fMRI memory lateralization and neuropsychological scores.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study with 50 TLE patients and 22 healthy controls.
• Block design fMRI assessing language and memory function.
• Calculation of laterality indexes and hippocampal anterior-posterior index.
• Neuropsychological assessment compared with fMRI findings.

Main Results:

• Typical language lateralization was less frequent in TLE patients (65.3%) than controls (90.9%).
• Verbal memory laterality was more frequently bilateral (24.3%) and atypical (56.8%) in left TLE patients compared to language lateralization.
• Atypical verbal memory in left TLE patients may correlate with higher cognitive scores.

Conclusions:

• Adapted RAVLT fMRI paradigm aids in assessing verbal memory lateralization in TLE.
• TLE laterality impacts hippocampal memory lateralization.
• Left TLE exhibits a higher prevalence of atypical verbal memory, indicating potential memory reorganization.