Changes in retrograde memory following temporal lobectomy

Extensive retrograde memory deficits have been detected in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and in patients who have undergone temporal lobectomy (TL). To date, no group study has used a prospective longitudinal design. We assessed memory for public and autobiographical facts and events in patients (n = 15) with focal left- or right-sided TLE before and after TL using a battery of tests that covered the life span. Patients who underwent TL demonstrated material-specific memory decline in retrograde memory. Left TL was associated with a significant drop in recall of famous people’s names. Patients who underwent right TL exhibited a significant decline in the recall of autobiographical events from across the life span. Our study indicates for the first time that TL is associated with a risk of mild, material-specific retrograde memory decline. Verifications with a larger sample size and other measures of remote memory are needed.