Cognitive disorders in epilepsy II: Clinical targets, indications and selection of test instruments

The intellectual function of patients with epilepsy has been a subject of interest for centuries [1,2]. It was long thought that all patients with epilepsy have poor cognition and progressively worsening memory. This belief started to change in 1985 with the results of a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study done by Mattson et al. through the Veteran’s Administration [3]. Six hundred twenty-two patients were enrolled, followed over one to six years, and given extensive neuropsychological tests before initiation of antiseizure medications and then throughout the study.

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