Intelligence functions disorders in patients with complex partial epilepsy

• Autor(a) principal: Stella, Florindo [UNESP]
• Data de Publicação: 2004
• Outros Autores: Maciel, Jayme Antunes
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0004-282X2004000600010; http://hdl.handle.net/11449/67989
• topic: Cognitive functions; Epilepsy; Intelligence; adult; clinical article; cognition; complex partial seizure; controlled study; female; human; intellectual impairment; intelligence; male; performance; Adult; Case-Control Studies; Cognition Disorders; Epilepsy, Complex Partial; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Statistics, Nonparametric; Wechsler Scales

Objective: To compare the performance of patients with complex partial epilepsy with the normal controls in the subtests of an instrument used to assess intelligence function. Method: Fifty epileptic patients, whose ages ranged from 19 to 49 years and 20 normal controls without any neuropsychiatric disorders. The Wechsler-Bellevue adult intelligence test was applied in groups, epileptic patients and control subjects. This test is composed of several subtests that assess specific cognitive functions. A statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric tests. Results: All the Wechsler-Bellevue subtests revealed that the intelligence functions of the patients were significantly inferior to that of the controls (p<0.05). This performance was supported by the patient's complaints in relation to their cognitive performance. Conclusion: Patients with complex partial epilepsy presented poorer results in the intelligence test when compared with individuals without neuropsychiatric disorders.