Addressing neuropsychological diagnostics in adults with epilepsy: Introducing the International Classification of Cognitive Disorders in Epilepsy: The IC CODE Initiative

This paper addresses the absence of an international diagnostic taxonomy for cognitive disorders in patients with epilepsy. Initiated through the 2020 Memorandum of Understanding between the International League Against Epilepsy and the International Neuropsychological Society, neuropsychological representatives from both organizations met to address the problem and consequences of the absence of an international diagnostic taxonomy for cognitive disorders in epilepsy, overview potential solutions, and propose specific solutions going forward. The group concluded that a classification of cognitive disorders in epilepsy, including an overall taxonomy and associated operational criteria, was clearly lacking and sorely needed. This paper reviews the advantages and shortcomings of four existing cognitive diagnostic approaches, including taxonomies derived from the US National Neuropsychology Network, DSM‐V Neurocognitive Disorders, the Mild Cognitive Impairment classification from the aging/preclinical dementia literature, and the Research Domain Criteria Initiative. We propose a framework to develop a consensus‐based classification system for cognitive disorders in epilepsy that will be international in scope and be applicable for clinical practice and research globally and introduce the International Classification of Cognitive Disorders in Epilepsy (IC‐CODE) project.