Confrontation Naming Skills in Persons with Medically Intractable Temporal and Extratemporal Epilepsy

Confrontation naming in persons with epilepsies (PWE) shows contraindicating results and most of these studies have focused on temporal lobe epilepsies (TLE) with extratemporal lobe epilepsies (ETLE) almost neglected. In the Indian context, there have been a scarcity of research aimed at understanding confrontation naming skills in PWE. The current study was conceived with the aim of using a locally developed visual confrontation naming test to explore the naming skills of 64 carefully recruited temporal and extratemporal epilepsies affecting dominant and nondominant hemisphere along with 64 normal controls. Results showed absence of difference between PWE and normal controls as well as between right or left hemispheric temporal and extratemporal epilepsies on visual confrontation naming tests. Results are discussed in terms of lack of sensitivity of visual confrontation naming tests in PWE with higher levels of education. Data driven cues suggest development of specific confrontation naming batteries for use in PWE.