Novel Methods of Assessing Memory with Technology: Addressing the Need for New Theory and Measures in the Setting of Minimally Invasive Epilepsy Surgery

EasyChair Preprint 15652

Abstract

The rise of minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures (e.g., stereotactic laser ablation) coupled with technological advances have revealed gaping holes in cognitive theory and our ability to thoroughly assess such constructs. Being able to create focal surgical destruction zones has revealed a mismatch between existing structure-function theory of the brain and post-surgical results. For example, extant research literature often focuses on the involvement of the medial temporal lobes in memory or the fusiform gyrus in semantic memory/language, yet these highly precise lesional studies are showing theory to often be incomplete or incorrect. In the setting of SLA in epilepsy surgery, some of our worst post-surgical memory outcomes occur when extra-medial TL regions are destroyed rather than medial TL structures. This is likely because cognitive theory has been based on indirect, correlative measures of brain function (e.g., fMRI) or large lesions in the brain resulting from disease or surgery. Additionally, most clinical measures of cognitive and emotional functioning are kept simplistic in nature to allow for the most straightforward interpretation. For example, memory testing is usually done in a sensory domain specific manner (e.g., visual vs. auditory) rather than allowing for integration of memory features (e.g., visual, auditory, semantic, autobiographical, historical being integrated and assessed wholistically). We highlight emerging weaknesses in theory as well as shortcomings in cognitive assessment, and present data to demonstrate how novel tests can be developed using videography, gamification, internet delivery to allow for longer windows of delayed recall, and updated theory to better assess neural network interactions.

Keyphrases: Unity Game Engine, memory assessment, surgical outcome, telemedicine/virtual assessment

@booklet{EasyChair:15652,
  author    = {Daniel Drane and Noah Okada and Yousef Rajeh and Ellie Paek and Keith Adams and Emily Wall},
  title     = {Novel Methods of Assessing Memory with Technology: Addressing the Need for New Theory and Measures in the Setting of Minimally Invasive Epilepsy Surgery},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 15652},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2025}}