Distinct domains of impulsivity are impaired in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy but not in temporal lobe epilepsy

Objective: The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) is the most widely used questionnaire to study impulsivity in persons with psychiatric disorders, but it has rarely been applied to persons with epilepsy. The present study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of BIS-11 as a tool to explore impulsivity in two distinct epilepsy syndromes. Method: The BIS-11 was applied to 20 patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) (32.5 +/- 8.95 years old), 20 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) (37.7 +/- 13.25 years old), and 26 healthy controls (31.86 +/- 11.25 years old). The scores in motor, attentional, and lack of planning impulsivity were compared between groups. Results: Patients with JME showed higher scores than patients with TLE and controls in all domains: motor (JME vs TLE: 28.60 vs 13.25 (mean score), p < 0.001 and JME vs controls: 28.60 vs 14.12, p < 0.001), attentional (JME vs TLE: 21.55 vs 13.45, p < 0.001 and JME vs controls: 21.55 vs 14.88, p < 0.001) and nonplanning (JME vs TLE: 28.05 vs 13.10, p < 0.001 and JME vs controls: 28.05 vs 16.15, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Higher BIS-11 scores in all domains of impulsivity [i.e., motor, attentional, and lack of planning] corroborated previous findings described in patients with JME. On the other hand, BIS-11 could not demonstrate problem solving and inhibitory control deficits related to impulsive behavior, which were described in patients with TLE. Other behavioral measures may be more sensitive to some aspects of impulsivity in TLE. Our results reinforce the concept that distinct epileptic syndromes require different neuropsychological approaches, especially considering a complex construct such as impulsivity. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.