[Research] How your memory may be affected by inter-ictal discharges

[KarenB]

http://www.epilepsy.com/newsletter/...ail&utm_term=0_cf0feb6500-5f1db6d2a0-12250501

If you're one of those who have little spikes and such on the EEG when you're NOT having seizures, you may find this research interesting.

Apparently, brain misfiring can cause memory issues, but not the learning of new material.

That may explain why we have to keep going back and teaching Jon new skills that he'd learned ages ago.

 

[Dignan]

Could these interictal discharges be classified as "sub-clinical" seizure activity? Or, since the charges show up on EEG then does that in effect rule them out from being labeled in that fashion?

 

[arnie]

Inter-ictal seizures are the same thing as subclinical seizures, and can also be called electrographic siezures. They can only be detected by EEG. I tend to think that there is a smooth continuum of seizure activity ranging from the mildest of subclinical to tonic-clonic, and that there is a certain point somewhere along that line where we may sort of feel the echo of a seizure but are not really sure it happened. I believe I have many of those every day, and my neurologist says that's almost certainly the caseeven though I have not had a continuous EEG for a long time. I'm not at all surprised that memory can be affected, because mine certainly is!

 

[JaneP]

Unless I'm misunderstanding what you wrote Karen, I have to disagree. I've had M.D.'s, PhD's. and others say that's 1 main reason my short term memory is messed up (to put it short). I often have to hear something a hundred times before it'll stick, but yet can recall things I heard 20 or 30 years ago. I'll sit there and talk to people about things I seen or heard when I was 5 or 6 years old and they can't believe I can recall that. But yet they get annoyed (even relatives to this day who you would think should by now know better) when they have to tell me something more than once or twice.

 

[KatieCoy83]

I'm going through this stuff now. My Neurologist is weaning me off keppra now to see if it will improve memory and retention. I'm sure my brain is just fried from the ups and downs of meds and dosages. Some days things click and make it to long term. But other days I have to read the same sentence over to understand what it actually said.

Hope not being on keppra works. These "brain farts" (as my parents say) suck!

 

[cadsgj]

Interesting. I sure wish I could go with some certainty one way or the other, or all of the above. But for me, after 3 brain surgeries I guess I am at field three?