Attentional Impairment in People With Epilepsy

Attentional Impairment in People With Epilepsy

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological conditions.It leads to cognitive impairment in 20-50% of patients with a structural form.

In comparison with seizures, these cognitive disorders are a major additional factor in occupational, social and family disability. They are particularly frequent (50%) in temporal epilepsies and preferably concern memory and language skills.

The cognitive consequences of epilepsy are therefore well described in the following areas: episodic memory, language, executive functions.

Concerning attentional abilities, a recent review has highlighted the lack of work in this specific field in order to properly measure the prevalence and nature of attentional disorders in epileptic patients. Indeed, attentional abilities are often mentioned in studies, but attention is a complex domain defined by four modalities: alertness, selective attention, divided attention and sustained attention. No study systematically assesses all of these modalities.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and nature of attentional disorders in epileptic patients compared to control subjects.

Patients:

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patient with epilepsy, according to Fisher et al. (2005).
• Patient with written informed consent
• affiliation to a social security regime is compulsory
• Individuals who have received full information about the organization of the research and have not objected to their participation and the use of their data.
• Patient 18 years of age and older

Normal controls:

Individuals who have received full information about the organization of the research and have not objected to their participation and the use of their data.

• People 18 years of age and older
• People with no neurological and/or psychiatric history

Exclusion Criteria:

for patients: with another progressive neurological condition for all People of full age who are subject to a legal protection measure or who are unable to express their consent People deprived of their liberty by a judicial or administrative decision People who regularly use psychoactive substances (cannabis, alcohol...)