Evaluation of memory and brain tissue changes in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy

• Grant number: 12/21351-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2013
• End date: December 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Alexandre Valotta da Silva
• Grantee: Viviane Yumi Hatano
• Host Institution: Instituto de Saúde e Sociedade (ISS). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) associated with hippocampal sclerosis is the most common epilepsy in adults. Different studies have shown that there are changes in the structure of the hippocampus, as cell loss and different rearrangements cell caused by epilepsy. The temporal lobe is associated with cognitive functions, responsible for cognitive impairment and memory dysfunction. Studies have shown that there are alterations in memory in these patients when tested for neuropsychological assessment before and after surgery. However, no study demonstrated the relationship between neuronal loss, dispersion cell, the type associated with mesial temporal sclerosis in TLE - histopathological data - with the results of tests of verbal memory: Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) and Logical Memory test (WMS-R) and non-verbal memory test: Rey Visual Design Learning test (RVDLT) test and Rey Complex Figure performed in the neuropsychological assessment when these patients undergo surgery for epilepsy. Thus, this study aims to relate the data from the histopathological analysis of the hippocampus of patients with refractory epilepsy from the classification of mesial temporal sclerosis associated with TLE and the relation of loss and dispersion cell and bilamination in the granular layer of the dentate gyrus with data from tests of verbal memory and non-verbal neuropsychological evaluation in these patients. This project is a subproject related to projects FAPESP 2005/56446-0 (Coordinator: Carlos Alberto Moreira-Filho), FAPESP 2009/53443-1 (Coordinator: Edson Amaro Jr) and FAPESP 2005/56464-9, coordinator: Giovanni G . Cerri). (AU)