Executive Functions in an Egyptian Sample of Adults with Generalized Epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy affects 65 million patients worldwide, Furthermore, Impacts of epilepsy are experienced across many aspects of an individual's life, including mental and physical wellness, cognitive abilities, instructional performance, occupational roles, and social networks, Cognitive function is critical to the quality of life of patients with epilepsy, so this study considered executive functions in epilepsy patients. Epilepsy syndromes are divided into focal and generalized types, which is dependent on whether seizures emerge from a localized brain area or display a widespread involvement of both hemispheres from the outset. Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the executive functions (EFs) (planning, cognitive flexibility, and working memory) in adults with generalized epilepsy. Materials and methods: A total of 25 adults aged 18 to 44 years with generalized epilepsy were recruited from the Epilepsy outpatient clinic of the Department of Neurology, Kasr Al-Ainy Hospital in Cairo. A similar amount of age-and sex-matched healthy volunteer's controls (numbered 32) were included as a control group. The participants completed subtests from the Arabic version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Adults (Fourth Edition) including Digit Span, Arithmetic, Letter-Number Sequencing, and Block Design, as well as the Stroop Color-Word Test as a neuropsychological test. Results: Compared to the Control group Adults with generalized epilepsy exhibited poor performance in EFs-planning, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. Conclusion: Adults with generalized epilepsy had impairment in planning, cognitive flexibility, and working memory which may affect their Quality of life.