Changes in Seizure Frequency and Test‐Retest Scores on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

Abstract

Test-retest performance on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) of 2 groups of adult epilepsy patients are presented and compared. In 1 group, the Seizures Improved (SI) group, seizure frequency had decreased during the test-retest interval, and in the other group, Seizures Unimproved (SU) group, the number of seizures had either increased or stayed the same over the test-retest interval. The SI group showed a significant test-retest improvement on WAIS Verbal IQ, Performance IQ and Full Scale IQ, on 8 of 11 WAIS subtests. The SU group showed significant increases only on the Performance IQ and Object Assembly subtest. Differences between the 2 groups were observed in the pattern of test-retest changes seen on the Performance measures relative to the Verbal measures. Change in seizure frequency is 1 of the factors associated with test-retest changes in the intellectual functioning of epilepsy patients.