Neuropsychological test performance in frontal-lobe epilepsy: the influence of aetiology, seizure type, seizure frequency and duration of disorder.

Although frontal-lobe epilepsy accounts for a sizeable proportion of all partial epilepsies the neuropsychological characteristics have proved difficult to document. A possible explanation for this may lie in the impact of seizure-related variables. However, these have rarely been addressed in a frontal-lobe epilepsy sample. In this report the neuropsychological sequelae of the aetiology of epilepsy, seizure spread, seizure frequency and duration of disorder were examined in a sample of 74 subjects with frontal-lobe epilepsy (42 with left, 32 with right). Only a few significant results were revealed and in these cases the possibility of greater cortical dysfunction rather than specific frontal impairment would offer a viable solution. Further studies are needed in order that firmer conclusions concerning the impact of the variables investigated on neuropsychological performance in a sample of subjects with frontal-lobe epilepsy can be drawn.