Potential role of a cognitive rehabilitation program following left temporal lobe epilepsy surgery.

Objectives: To assess the effects of a memory rehabilitation program in patients with left temporal lobe epilepsy following surgery.

Methods: Twenty-four patients agreed to participate and 18 completed the study; nine received memory rehabilitation while nine had no input and were designated as controls. Verbal learning efficiency, naming abilities, memory subjective ratings, ecological activity measures and a language fMRI paradigm were used as outcome measures.

Results: Improved verbal learning and naming test performance, increase in memory strategy use and improved self-perception were observed following the rehabilitation. Changes in fMRI activation patterns were seen in the rehabilitation group over the long term.

Conclusion: The findings support the potential role of a cognitive rehabilitation program following left temporal lobe surgery.