MMPI scale elevations before and after right and left temporal lobectomy

Using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), this study investigated preoperative and postoperative emotional and personality adjustment of temporal lobectomy patients from two major epilepsy surgery centers. Temporal lobectomy patients were included only if they were without evidence of lesional pathology on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; other than evidence of mesial temporal sclerosis), were left-hemisphere language-dominant, and had Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised (WRAT-R) reading achievement standard scores of 70 or higher. The MMPI was completed by 175 patients before and after a temporal lobectomy. There were no significant preoperative differences on any MMPI scale between right temporal (n = 79) and left temporal (n = 96) lobectomy patients. Analysis of MMPI data from one of the surgical centers revealed significant effects for postoperative seizure control. Minimal effects of laterality of seizure onset on preoperative or postoperative psychological adjustment were found. Adequacy of preoperative psychological adjustment and postoperative seizure control have a greater impact on preoperative to postoperative psychological adjustment than side of seizure onset.