Cognitive rehabilitation two and one-half years post right temporal lobectomy.

Abstract

A 45-year old radiologist, who underwent a right temporal lobectomy to remove a tumor, sought treatment for difficulties with attention/scanning, sustained concentration, leisure reading, driving, and self-monitoring in social situations. A neuropsychological evaluation conducted 2.5 years postsurgery revealed impaired visual-spatial memory, inefficiency in general visual scanning, a mild left-sided neglect, and diminished social perception. The patient subsequently underwent a 4-month cognitive retraining program, which was tailored to his specific neuropsychological deficits. At the termination of treatment, improvements were observed on follow-up neuropsychological data, behavioral observations made by the patient's wife, and efficiency on work-related tasks. This case illustrates the ecological validity of cognitive rehabilitation procedures and emphasizes the need to tailor the procedures to specific cognitive deficits revealed on neuropsychological testing.