TY - JOUR
T1 - A right amygdalohippocampectomy: A diagnostic challenge
AU - Jonker, Frank
AU - Jonker, Cees
AU - Bronzwaer, Laura
AU - Scherder, Erik
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Objective Amygdalohippocampectomy (AHE) is the resective surgery for medically intractable mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. To date no study has investigated a wide range of neuropsychiatric symptoms in right AHE outpatients. Patients and methods Three patients with right AHE participated in this study. The control group are patients with cognitive complaints with no history of epilepsy or neurological impairment and no structural abnormalities on the MRI/CT. We expected no difference in verbal memory compared to the controls. Concerning affective Theory of Mind (ToM) we expect a difference between controls and AHE patients. In terms of behavior it is expected that coping and behavioral questionnaires do not significantly differ between AHE and controls, but that proxies of AHE patients do report more behavioral/psychiatric symptoms. Results No significant difference was found between groups concerning the cognitive functions. For affective ToM we did find a significant difference (p = 0.044). A significant difference for the use of more reassuring thoughts (p = 0.006) and a trend for less passive reactions on the coping questionnaire, suggesting an ‘active coping style’. Overall, AHE patients report fewer problems the self- reported questionnaires. Proxies of the AHE patients reported a trend for more behavioral disinhibition compared to proxy ratings of the control group. Conclusion Right AHE patients underestimate their behavioral and emotional changes due to self-awareness deficits. Ratings of significant others are of immense importance for the detection of psychiatric and behavioral problems. Lesions in the amygdala- orbitofrontal cortex connection disrupt the emotional network, which might explain our results.
AB - Objective Amygdalohippocampectomy (AHE) is the resective surgery for medically intractable mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. To date no study has investigated a wide range of neuropsychiatric symptoms in right AHE outpatients. Patients and methods Three patients with right AHE participated in this study. The control group are patients with cognitive complaints with no history of epilepsy or neurological impairment and no structural abnormalities on the MRI/CT. We expected no difference in verbal memory compared to the controls. Concerning affective Theory of Mind (ToM) we expect a difference between controls and AHE patients. In terms of behavior it is expected that coping and behavioral questionnaires do not significantly differ between AHE and controls, but that proxies of AHE patients do report more behavioral/psychiatric symptoms. Results No significant difference was found between groups concerning the cognitive functions. For affective ToM we did find a significant difference (p = 0.044). A significant difference for the use of more reassuring thoughts (p = 0.006) and a trend for less passive reactions on the coping questionnaire, suggesting an ‘active coping style’. Overall, AHE patients report fewer problems the self- reported questionnaires. Proxies of the AHE patients reported a trend for more behavioral disinhibition compared to proxy ratings of the control group. Conclusion Right AHE patients underestimate their behavioral and emotional changes due to self-awareness deficits. Ratings of significant others are of immense importance for the detection of psychiatric and behavioral problems. Lesions in the amygdala- orbitofrontal cortex connection disrupt the emotional network, which might explain our results.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85034777070&origin=inward
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29175724
U2 - 10.1016/j.clineuro.2017.11.010
DO - 10.1016/j.clineuro.2017.11.010
M3 - Article
C2 - 29175724
VL - 164
SP - 57
EP - 63
JO - Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery
JF - Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery
SN - 0303-8467
ER -