why neuorpsych testing for epilepsy surgery

[taft]

I was wondering if anyone can explain to me why they do mandatory neuropsych testing for epilepsy surgery. My son is going to have it starting next week for 4 weeks. (only 4 appointments) Taft is really smart but he NEVER will show people what he knows so im not anticipating him doing well.

Steph

[langansmom]

Not sure but my guess is that they do it to get a full picture of strengths and weaknesses so that you can assess the risks and benefits of performing surgery on certain areas of the brain? I assume if your son is really strong with speech, for example, and they are looking to section the area of the brain that deals with speech, then they would want you to be able to weigh that. Of course, if he doesn't "perform" for the tests, then it probably won't give you much info. Sigh. Langan is not a great tester either. :(

(((hugs))) I hope things go well!

[Carly'sMa]

Ok, I'm not sure, but since this surgery affects the brain, maybe they are getting a baseline so that they can evaluate him before and after the surgery?

[Lorarama]

I agree with Carly's mom, I believe it is a baseline and he will be tested again after surgery. Jacqueline has had the neuro-psyche testing done twice so far. They do a ton of different tests and interviews, so even if he doesn't normally show his strengths, I think they can get an overall view of his abilities thru all the different tests. They do IQ's and motor skills as well as visual memory and auditory memory. It's very thorough. Jac's testing takes place over 2 full days, but she is older and able to get thru more in a day. I wouldn't be concerned if he tests lower than what you feel is his ability, because when they do the same tests post-op, they might catch differences and then be able to tailor his therapies from there. It's more for a measure for him pre-op versus post-op, not against other children. I hope that makes sense.

Best of luck, take care.

[grace]

i also agree, to get a baseline... to be sure they know what his strengths and weaknesses are going in.

lucinda

[mybaboo]

The ladies are right, its a baseline measurement. Its part of how they prove the "value" of the surgery by measuring gains post-op. I thought it was ridiculous, that Molly had to go through it....at 18 months old with a documented cognitive level of 3 months (it at least made her testing very short!). But its just part of the protocol. Don't sweat it, if he doesn't participate well it won't affect the decision whether he will have surgery or not.