| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3049851 | Epilepsy & Behavior | 2012 | 4 Pages |
In presurgical treatment planning for patients with epilepsy, neuropsychological testing assists in lateralization of the seizure focus. Previous research with English speakers has shown that patients with left hemisphere (LH) onsets versus right hemisphere (RH) onsets perform worse on naming and other verbal skills tests, but similar findings with Hispanic patients are limited. Thirty-nine Spanish-speaking patients were administered a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests in Spanish. LH-onset patients performed significantly worse than RH-onset patients on verbal comprehension (P = 0.006), visual matching (P = 0.047), the Ponton–Satz Boston Naming Test (P = 0.001), and the dominant hand trial of the Grooved Pegboard Test (P = 0.012). A stepwise regression model to predict seizure laterality from these tests was significant (F = 12.10, P = 0.001), but only the Ponton–Satz Boston Naming Test was retained. This comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests in Spanish proved useful in predicting lateralization in patients with partial epilepsy.
► Neuropsychological testing assists in lateralizing the seizure focus in epilepsy. ► This study was the first to use a comprehensive battery of tests in Spanish. ► Patients with left hemisphere onsets performed worse on several subtests. ► This battery proved useful in lateralizing the seizure focus in Hispanic patients.
