Behavioral characteristics of epilepsy patients compared with normal controls.

Using neuropsychological testing procedures, we measured the behavioral characteristics of patients with epilepsy unaffected by anticonvulsant drugs and compared these results with control subjects matched for age, sex, and education. In a nationwide VA Cooperative study, 622 patients with well-defined seizure types were given a selected battery of neuropsychological tests prior to and at 1 month after initiation of drug therapy. Seventy-four control subjects were administered the same test battery under standardized conditions at the same VA testing centers. All tests of controls were also repeated 1 month later. The patients with epilepsy scored significantly and consistently below the level of the control subjects on all but three behavioral measures. Differences reaching statistical significance were found on tests of motor function (Finger Tapping, Pegboard, Color Naming), cognitive-attention (Digit Symbol, Discriminative Reaction Time, Word Fluency), and subtests of the Profile of Mood Status (tension, depression, vigor, and confusion). These data provide a profile of behavioral characteristics of unmedicated patients with epilepsy.