ABSTRACT
Background: Social cognition refers to specific mental processes that subserve social interaction. Impaired social cognition has been increasingly reported in patients with epilepsy and negatively affects overall quality of life (QOL). In this article, we will review neuroimaging studies of social cognition in people with epilepsy. Methods: An electronic search of the literature was conducted and 14 studies qualified for inclusion in the review. Results: Although the studies reviewed revealed a varied pattern of neural activations in response to emotion recognition and theory of mind tasks, consensual findings included altered pattern of signal activation in the social cognition network in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) compared to healthy controls and significantly reduced signal activations and functional connectivity within this network in patients with right mesial temporal lobe pathology. Conclusion: This review contextualizes our current understanding of the pathophysiology of impaired social cognition in epilepsy and makes recommendations for further research.
ABSTRACT
Anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) is the standard surgical treatment for medically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). While seizure outcome is favorable, cognitive outcomes are a concern, particularly in respect of memory and naming. A systematic review of the literature on the naming outcomes of ATL is presented in this article. Searches were conducted on PubMed and PsycInfo, yielding a total of 93 articles, 21 of which met inclusion criteria. Declines in visual naming are common following ATL in the dominant hemisphere, and particularly, for naming living stimuli or famous faces. The Boston Naming Test (BNT) declines by a mean of 5.8 points, exceeding the Reliable Change Index (RCI). There are no reports of deficits in auditory naming following ATL, despite the fact that auditory naming has shown to be a more sensitive measure of dysnomia than the BNT in TLE patients. The absence of structural hippocampal pathology and late-onset epilepsy are the strongest predictors of naming decline. Recommendations are made for further study.
