Rehabilitation of verbal memory by means of preserved nonverbal memory abilities after epilepsy surgery.

ABSTRACT: We present a patient with epilepsy who underwent left anterior temporal cortex resection, sparing the hippocampus, to stop drug-refractory seizures. Given that one year after surgery the patient showed verbal memory difficulties, we proposed a short (twelve weeks) and intensive (two times a week) training based on visual imagery strategies as the nonverbal memory abilities were preserved. Neuropsychological and fMRI assessments were performed before and after rehabilitation to evaluate the cognitive progress and cerebral modifications induced by this rehabilitation program. Our results showed that the rehabilitation program improved both scores for verbal memory and the everyday quality of life. Changes in cerebral activity highlighted by fMRI suggest that the program might have facilitate

SUBMITTER: Mosca C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4307883 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature