Route Learning Performance: Is it a Hippocampus Function?

• Published in: Cognitive and behavioral neurology Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 4 - 10
• Main Authors: GUTTERRES PEREIRA, Adriana, WETTERS PORTUGUEZ, Mirna, IRIGOYEN DA COSTA, Danielle, SCHERMANN AZAMBUJA, Luciana, POSSA MARRONI, Sabine, DA COSTA, Jaderson Costa, AZAMBUJA PEREIRA-FILHO, Arthur
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01-03-2011
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe - physiopathology; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe - surgery; Female; Functional Laterality; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Hippocampus - physiology; Hippocampus - physiopathology; Humans; Male; Maze Learning - physiology; Medical sciences; Mental Recall - physiology; Middle Aged; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Neuropsychological Tests; Orientation - physiology; Reference Values; Space Perception - physiology; Spatial Behavior - physiology; Temporal Lobe - surgery; Hippocampectomy; Human; Nervous system diseases; Epilepsy; Memory; selective amygdalo-hippocampectomy; Central nervous system; Encephalon; Cerebral disorder; Learning; Acquisition process; Central nervous system disease; Performance; Hippocampus
• ISSN: 1543-3633; 1543-3641
• DOI: 10.1097/WNN.0b013e318218c3d6

In temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), about 30% of the patients do not achieve adequate pharmacologic control of refractory crises, and surgery becomes an alternative. In ablative interventions, neuropsychologic testing of memory is a crucial step. However, evaluations of the right hippocampal functions have not been consistent.
To assess the hippocampal function in remote orientation and visuospatial memory in patients with refractory temporal epilepsy.
A controlled study of patients with left (LTLE) or right (RTLE) TLE. The subjects were submitted to a neuropsychologic evaluation through the Route Learning Test and the Childhood Home Test in the preoperative period. The statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis, analysis of variance, χ, and Mann-Whitney U tests.
There was no significant difference in performance in the remote visuospatial memory (as measured by the Childhood Home Test) across the groups (LTLE, RTLE, and control). Concerning the spatial orientation memory, however, there was a significant difference between the LTLE and controls as compared with the RTLE group (P<0.001), the latter showing a poorer performance.
The study suggests that spatial orientation memory relies on the integrity of the right hippocampus. Nevertheless, further studies are necessary to confirm this hypothesis.