Affiliations: [a] Center for Brain Health, University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA | [b] Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, TX, USA | [c] Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, TX, USA
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: C. Munro Cullum, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry & Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75235, USA. Tel.: +1 214 648 4646; Fax: +1 214 648 5297; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: There is relatively little research pertaining to neuropsychological assessment of Spanish-speaking individuals with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The current study examined verbal and visual memory performances in 38 primarily Spanish-speaking patients with TLE (Right = 15, Left = 23) of similar epilepsy duration to determine if lateralizing differences can be found using verbal and nonverbal memory tests. On a test specifically designed to assess auditory learning and memory among Spanish-speaking individuals, the Spanish Verbal Learning Test (SVLT), patients with left TLE performed significantly worse than patients with right TLE. In contrast, no significant differences in story or visual memory were seen using common memory tests translated into Spanish. Similar to what has been found in English speakers, these results show that verbal memory differences can be seen between left and right sided TLE patients who are Spanish-speaking to aid in providing lateralizing information; however, these differences may be best detected using tests developed for and standardized on Spanish-speaking patients.
