| Poster | Poster Session 09 Program Schedule
02/16/2024
03:30 pm - 04:45 pm
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)
Poster Session 09: Epilepsy | Oncology | MS | Infectious Disease
Final Abstract #64
Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R) Performance in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Sofia Lesica, Corewell Health, Grand Rapids, United States
Hien Luu, Corewell Health, Grand Rapids, United States
Brittany Fust, Corewell Health, Grand Rapids, United States
Carly Musser, Corewell Health, Grand Rapids, United States
Michael Lawrence, Corewell Health, Grand Rapids, United States
Category: Epilepsy/Seizures
Keyword 1: epilepsy / seizure disorders
Keyword 2: epilepsy / seizure disorders - surgical treatment
Keyword 3: temporal lobes
Objective:
Neuropsychological assessment of patients with epilepsy aims to localize seizure focus and predict surgical outcomes. Whereas left (dominant) temporal lobe function has been consistently associated with learning and retention of verbal information, research linking the right (nondominant) temporal lobe with learning and retention of nonverbal material has been mixed (Lee et al., 2002). Difficulties in documenting this association might stem from the failure of current neuropsychological instruments to adequately measure visual memory. For instance, in a study assessing the validity of a presurgical epilepsy battery via principal component analysis (Conradi et al., 2020), scores on nonverbal memory measures (DCS-II and ROCFT) failed to load onto an interpretable “nonverbal memory” factor.
The Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R; Benedict et al., 1996) is a visual memory measure similar to the DCS-II, commonly used to assess right temporal function in patients with epilepsy. Research on the utility of the BVMT-R for this purpose, however, is limited. Although the BVMT-R is validated for use in various clinical samples (Benedict et al., 1996), Barr et al. (2004) found that scores on the measure are not sensitive to nonverbal memory dysfunction in individuals with right temporal lobe epilepsy. The aim of this investigation is to provide preliminary assessment of whether BVMT-R performance can differentiate between individuals with right (RTE) and left temporal epilepsy (LTE).
Participants and Methods:
The sample consisted of 59 presurgical epilepsy candidates, 26 with RTE and 33 with LTE (61% females, 88.1 % White, 3.4 % Black, 3.4 % Hispanic, 5.1% other). Mean age and years of education were 36.3 and 13.2, respectively. Mean BVMT-R scores differences between RTE and LTE groups were assessed via point-biserial correlations, in which seizure lateralization (left vs. right) served as the independent variable and BVMT-R Total and Delayed T scores served as the dependent variables.
Results:
Mean BVMT-R Total and Delayed T scores were not significantly different between the LTE (Total M = 40.53, SD = 11.15; Delayed M = 40.53, SD = 12.91) and the RTE (Total M = 41.62, SD = 13.53; Delayed M = 43.76, SD = 13.91) groups, r(57) = .043, p = .771 (Total), r(57) = .116, p = .432 (Delayed).
Conclusions:
Results suggest that BVMT-R scores may not be sensitive to seizure lateralization. Additional research is required to further assess this relationship and establish more accurate measures of right temporal function.
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