Cerebellar atrophy in temporal lobe epilepsy affects procedural memory

Neurology. 2004 Dec 14;63(11):2129-31. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000145774.89754.0c.

Abstract

The authors examined a cognitive function mediated by the cerebellum, classical eyeblink conditioning, and its relationship to cerebellar volume in healthy controls (n = 59) and temporal lobe epilepsy subjects (n = 77). Controls demonstrated better conditioning, larger cerebellar volumes, and an association between conditioning and cerebellar volume that was not observed in epilepsy patients. These findings provide support for the hypothesis that cerebellar atrophy in epilepsy affects procedural memory.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Adult
  • Air
  • Atrophy
  • Blinking / physiology
  • Cerebellum / pathology*
  • Conditioning, Classical / physiology*
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / complications
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / pathology*
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Memory Disorders / etiology*
  • Memory Disorders / pathology
  • Middle Aged
  • Reflex, Abnormal / physiology