B-05 Age of Seizure Onset Predicted Categorical Fluency Switching and Anxiety in People with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Objective To examine whether demographic variables can assist in predicting executive dysfunction in individuals with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Method Data were collected from presurgical evaluations of 13 individuals with TLE (67% females, mean age 34 ± 12) at the University of California, San Francisco Epilepsy Center. Executive functions were assessed using subtests from the D-KEFS (Verbal Fluency and Color/Word Interference Tests) and the Trail Making Test B. Given that depression and anxiety symptoms have been previously shown to be associated with poorer executive performance in individuals with TLE (Paradiso et al., 2001), predictability of the BDI-II and BAI scores were also tested. Linear regression analyses were used to test predictive values of demographic variables (age, age at seizure onset [ASO], years of education, gender, and right vs. left temporal epileptogenic source). Results ASO (β = .75, p = .021), gender (β = .632, p = .041), and education (β = .555, p = .05) explained 66% of the variance in the Verbal Fluency Switching scaled scores (R²=.66, F(4,8)= 3.876, p = .049). Education (β = .772, p = .009) and ASO (β = .686, p = .023) explained 70% of the variance in Verbal Fluency Switching Accuracy scaled scores (R² = .708, F(4,8) = 4.844, p = .028). Age (β = -.862, p = .003) and seizure onset (β = .457, p = .049) explained 52% of the variance in BAI scores (R² = .525, F(4,16) = 3.319, p = .032). Conclusions ASO predicted category switching and anxiety severity, while none of the demographic variables explored in this study predicted visuomotor switching. Further research should explore the efficacy of early interventions to protect against future executive dysfunction in TLE.