Neurpsychological criteria for identification of cognitive deficit in limbic epilepsy

A group of 20 adult outpatients with limbic epilepsy were tested with the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery, Form I (LNNB) to identify the presence or absence of cognitive deficit. Use of clinical scale elevation rules alone identified cognitivedeficit in 75% of current sample cases. Addition of profile range and subclinical generalized profile elevation rules to the clinical scale elevation rule did not significantly increase the percentage of cases (80%) identified as cognitively impaired. Presence of generalized seizures secondary to the primary diagnosis of complex partial seizures (CPS) did not significantly increase the incidence of cognitive deficit over that found with CPS alone. Differences in rates of identification of cognitive deficit with the LNNB in seizure disorded patients in the literature were reviewed and shown to be related to sampling variability. The LNNB appeared to be a useful psychometric measure for identification of cognitive deficit in CPS cases.