Learning impairment in epileptic patients

In order to evaluate immediate recall and learning in epileptic patients, four tests were chosen: Wechsler's memory span for digits, graphic reproduction of geometric figures from the Wechsler Memory Scale, learning of a list of words from the Rey Memory Scale, and recognition of these words. These tests were performed on 200 epileptic patients over the age of 15 years, without defined cerebral lesions, and with a normal or subnormal social adjustment. Memory impairment was analyzed with respect to the following variables: seizure frequency, seizure type, duration of the disorder, and anticonvulsant medication. Patient data were compared with values obtained for a population of 100 normal subjects matched for age and level of education. Comparison between epileptics and controls clearly demonstrated a statistically significant memory impairment in the group of patients. However, the reasons for these poor performances are not clear, and none of the studied parameters (type of epilepsy, frequency of seizures, duration of the disease, and medication), if considered alone, accounts for this impairment.