A Comparison of Neuropsychological Outcomes following Responsive Neurostimulation and Anterior Temporal Lobectomy in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy.

Neuropsychological outcomes following temporal lobe resection for drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) are well established. For instance, left anterior temporal lobectomy (LATL) is associated with a greater risk for cognitive morbidity compared to right (RATL). However, the impact of neuromodulatory devices, specifically responsive neurostimulation (RNS), remains an area of active interest. There are currently no head-to-head comparisons of neuropsychological outcomes after surgical resection and neuromodulation. This study reports on a cohort of 21 DRE patients with the RNS System who received comprehensive pre- and post-implantation neuropsychological testing. We compared both cognitive and seizure outcomes in the RNS group to those of 307 DRE patients who underwent LATL (