[Cognitive functions in patients with idiopathic generalized and cryptogenic focal epilepsy].

The study included 32 patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy, 20 patients with cryptogenic focal epilepsy and 20 healthy controls. Cognitive functions were assessed using tests of long- and short-term verbal memory (auditory, visual and motor), attention and word fluency. Correlations between clinical features of the epileptic process and cognitive deficit were analyzed. Cognitive functions in patients with epilepsy were significantly lower compared to controls. Long-term auditory verbal memory and attention were significantly worse in patients with cryptogenic focal epilepsy compared to those with idiopathic generalized epilepsy. The cognitive dysfunction was correlated with seizure frequency, disease duration, lifetime number of seizures, in particular generalized tonic-clonic seizures.