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J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2009;80:1099-1106 doi:10.1136/jnnp.2009.173161
  • Research paper

Pre- and postoperative fMRI and clinical memory performance in temporal lobe epilepsy

  1. M-C Cheung1,
  2. A S Chan2,
  3. J M K Lam3,
  4. Y-L Chan4
  1. 1
    Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
  2. 2
    Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR
  3. 3
    Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR
  4. 4
    Magnus Magnetic Resonance and Ultrasound Diagnostic Centre, Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong SAR
  1. Correspondence to Dr M-C Cheung, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR; tccmchun{at}inet.polyu.edu.hk
  • Received 21 January 2009
  • Revised 25 March 2009
  • Accepted 1 April 2009
  • Published Online First 22 April 2009

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to examine and compare memory processing in patients with unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) before and after surgery using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Methods: Seventeen preoperative patients with unilateral TLE (nine left, eight right) and eight healthy controls were recruited. They performed a complex visual scene-encoding task during fMRI to measure memory activation in the mesial temporal lobe. Their memory performance was evaluated using standardised neuropsychological tests. After unilateral temporal lobe resection (either temporal lobectomy, selective amygdalohippocampectomy or lesionectomy), the same fMRI paradigm and neuropsychological tests were administered to the patient group.

Results: Left-TLE patients demonstrated a decline in verbal memory after left temporal lobe resection. Their postoperative verbal and visual memory performance was positively associated with postoperative functional activation in the right mesial temporal lobe, whereas the postoperative memory performance of right-TLE patients was positively associated with postoperative functional activation in the left mesial temporal lobe, contralateral to their respective side of resection.

Conclusion: Postoperative memory performance was significantly associated with functional activation contralateral to the side of resection in patients with unilateral TLE, and the function of the contralateral mesial temporal lobe might play an important role in supporting memory performance after temporal lobe resection.

Footnotes

  • Funding This work was supported in part by Departmental General Research Funds (4-ZZ64) from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

  • Competing interests None.

  • Ethics approval Ethics approval was provided by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

  • Patient consent Obtained.

  • Provenance and Peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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