Neurocognition in Pediatric Temporal Lobe Tumor-Related Epilepsy

Dev Neuropsychol. 2024 Jul;49(4):178-189. doi: 10.1080/87565641.2024.2354745. Epub 2024 May 16.

Abstract

Tumor-related epilepsy is a common and understudied neurological comorbidity among pediatric temporal lobe tumor patients that poses risk for neurocognitive impairment (NCI). Forty-one youth with either TLT+ (n = 23) or nonneoplastic temporal lobe epilepsy (n = 18) ages 6-20 years completed routine neuropsychological evaluations. Rates of NCI were similar across groups; however, NCI was more common in nonneoplastic participants on a task of phonemic fluency, p = .047. Younger age of seizure onset and greater number of antiseizure medications were associated with NCI among TLT+ participants only. Preliminary findings suggest separate prognostic models of cognitive outcomes between TLT+ and nonneoplastic epilepsy populations may be needed.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Brain Neoplasms / complications
  • Child
  • Cognitive Dysfunction / etiology
  • Cognitive Dysfunction / physiopathology
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe* / complications
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe* / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Young Adult