Prediction of Verbal Memory Loss in Individuals After Anterior Temporal Lobectomy

Purpose: Decreased memory function represents the area of greatest neuropsychological morbidity after anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL), particularly for left ATL candidates. We wished to identify easily derived demographic and neuropsychological predictors of risk of pre‐to postoperative memory decline using only information available preoperatively. Methods: We assessed decline in memory as measured by the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) by deriving multiple regression equations using the following measures as independent variables: age at onset, chronological age at time of surgery, sex, Full Scale IQ (FSIQ), level of education, and preoperative memory scores. In all, 203 patients (93 males, 110 females), undergoing ATL (107 left, 96 right) with preoperative and 6‐month postoperative testing, were examined. Results: The combination of age, FSIQ, sex, side of surgery and preoperative score was highly predictive (p‐values