Memory complaints in epilepsy: an accurate reflection of memory impairment or an indicator of poor adjustment? A review of the literature.

People with epilepsy frequently complain of poor memory. Although organic memory impairment is one possible sequela of neuro-epilepsy variables, these complaints are not consistently supported by performance on objective measures. The current review has two objectives: first, to establish whether inconsistent results are an artifact of methodology and second, to collate existing published literature to identify possible explanations for inaccurate memory self-report in epilepsy. Review of the literature highlights many methodological limitations making it difficult to evaluate findings. However, it is apparent that in people with epilepsy, subjective memory demonstrates a greater relationship with anxiety and depression than with objective memory. We examine the hypothesis that memory complaints in epilepsy are a reflection of difficulties adjusting to, or coping with, the condition. Research has yet to identify any critical variables or pathways through which these factors influence perceptions of memory function. This review proposes a role for illness representations in understanding the nature of memory complaints in epilepsy.