Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Memory impairments affecting quality of life are common in people with epilepsy (PWE). While memory deficits are often observed on traditional neuropsychological tests, the correlation between these results and subjective memory complaints in PWE is weak. Recent studies show that many PWE exhibit accelerated long-term forgetting (ALF), where recalling information becomes difficult after extended periods (e.g., days or weeks) rather than the shorter intervals typically used in memory tests. ALF has been mostly studied in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) but is also found in other types of epilepsy, leaving the role of epileptogenic zone location unclear. The best method to assess ALF is still unknown. Some studies have added a delayed recall trial to traditional memory tasks, but this approach has limitations in ecological validity, as it allows strategies not often used in daily life. Virtual reality (VR) offers a promising alternative for memory assessment, potentially overcoming the limitations of traditional tests. This study aims to examine the impact of epileptogenic zone location (TLE vs. extra-TLE) on ALF and whether a new VR test correlates more closely with subjective memory complaints in PWE. Sixty PWE (30 with TLE, 30 with extra-TLE) referred for pre-surgical neuropsychological evaluation for drug-resistant epilepsy, and 30 healthy controls will complete a VR memory task, an adaptation of the WMS-III Logical Memory subtest and questionnaires on subjective memory complaints. A follow-up session 14 days later will include recall and recognition trials for both VR and WMS-III tests. ALF is defined as a forgetting rate > 1.5 SD above the control group's average. Group comparisons and ALF prevalence will be calculated. Associations between test performance and memory complaints will be examined, with separate analyses for potential gender effects. This project will enhance the assessment and understanding of ALF, potentially benefiting the quality of life for PWE.