Randomised controlled trial on the impact of collateral damage and disconnections on memory outcome after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery and the relevance of surgically caused memory decline for every day activities and functioning

Neuropsychological outcome in memory and non-memory functions as well as in brain activation in three fMRI paradigms will serve as dependent measures. Each patient will undergo comprehensive neuropsychological testing pre-operatively and 12 months post-operatively. The following tests will be applied:
1. Verbal learning and memory: two parallel versions of a pre- and post-operative Verbal Learning Test (VLMT- Verbaler Lern- und Merkfähigkeitstest). The VLMT (German adaptation of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test) requires five trials of learning and recall of a word list consisting of 15 words, free recall immediately after distraction (learning/recall of a second list in one trial) and a recall after a half-hour delay, which is followed by a recognition trial (list with original words plus distractors).
2. Figural learning and memory was obtained using the DCS-R, a German, revised version of the DCS, a design list learning test (Diagnostikum für Zerebralschädigung)
3. Language functions:
3.1. "Confrontation naming", Boston Naming Test
3.2. "Phonematic" and "semantic fluency"
3.3. "Token Test", a subtest of the Aachener Aphasie-Test (a German test battery for aphasia) which is seen to measure verbal comprehension
4. Attention functions:
4.1. "d2-Test", a letter cancellation test
4.2. The c.I.T., a short test to measure cerebral insufficiency (Kurztest für cerebrale Insuffizienz)
5. Psychomotor speed, mental tracking and cognitive flexibility:
5.1. "Trail Making Test A and B" (TMT-A/B)
5.2. Motoric sequences after Lurija
5.3. Purdue Pegboard
5.4. Finger Tapping Test
6. Visual and spatial abilities:
6.1. Subtest LPS-7 of the Leistungsprüfsystem (LPS), a German intelligence battery
6.2. The Mosaic-Test, a subtest of the German version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Revised (HAWIE-R)
6.3. Labyrinth test
7. FMRI investigation: a new fMRI paradigm will be established for reward learning

All respective measures (primary and secondary outcome measures) will be obtained pre-operatively and 12 months post-operatively.

These address the question of the patients' quality of life, personality, depression and memory-dependent activities, which will be assessed using the following questionnaires:
1. A German version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
2. FPZ (Fragebogen zur Persönlichkeit bei zerebralen Erkrankungen), an unpublished German CNS-disease related personality questionnaire
3. A German adaptation of the QOLIE-10 (Quality of Life Inventory in Epilepsy, 10-Item version), a brief questionnaire to screen for quality of life in epilepsy
4. "Memory activities in every day life" MADL, a questionnaire on frequencies of memory dependent everyday activities. The MADL, is a new, unpublished rating scale which has been developed as part of a workshop of the International League against Epilepsy in Venice and is intended to fill the gap between neuropsychological memory impairment, subjective opinion and memory in every day life.

All respective measures (primary and secondary outcome measures) will be obtained pre-operatively and 12 months post-operatively.