The relationship between emotional intelligence and task-switching in temporal lobe epilepsy

OBJECTIVES: To examine the role of emotional intelligence (EI) in task-switching performance of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). METHODS: An experimental research design conducted at Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan, Mayo and Services Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan from March 2013 to October 2014. Twenty-five patients with TLE and 25 healthy individuals from local community participated in the study. Participants completed measures of intelligence, EI, depression, anxiety, stress, and task-switching experiment. RESULTS: Patients and controls showed an average intelligence quotient, and normal levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. In contrast to controls, patients showed lower EI and impaired task-switching abilities. This result can be seen in the context of disintegrated white matter and cerebral connectivity in patients with TLE. Emotional intelligence was found to be a significant predictor of task-switching performance. CONCLUSION: Emotional intelligence is a potential marker of higher order cognitive functioning in patients with TLE.