Wisconsin Card Sorting Test Performance and Impulsivity in Patients With Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Suicidal Risk and Suicide Attempts

This study determined if executive function & impulsivity are related to risk for suicide & suicide attempts in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. 42 patiens were recruited. Mutliple regression analysis was carried out to examine predictive associations between clinical variables & Wisconsin Card Sorting Test measures. 24 patients had a score on the Risk for Suicide Scale greater than 7 which meant they had the highest relative risk for suicide attempts. Family history of psychiatric disease, current major depressive episode, left temporal lobe epilepsy, & perseverative responses & total errors on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test increased by 5.3 & 7.5 suicide risk & suicide attempts, respectively. Executive function contributed greatly to suicide risk. (45 refs.) JA