Objectives:

Adequate language & social cognition and literacy skills demand good concept formation, use & execution of same. Adolescents with drug resistant epilepsy ( AwE) are observed to fail to achieve the same.

Present study aimed to investigate verbal semantics and social cognition inter and intra adolescent’s with drug resistant epilepsy using cognitive communicative checklist for acquired brain injury (CCCABI), Indian Semantic battery(ISB), discourse analysis.

Methods: The cross-sectional study included total 34 individuals divided into two groups i.e.AwE (n=17, age: 13-18 years, Mean age: 15.02 Years, Mean years of education: 8.82 years) & matched controls. Marathi adapted version of CCCAB & ISB, MoCA and Aphasia bank narrative protocol were administered.

Results & Discussion : 86% AwE exhibited impaired verbal semantics and 56% had social cognitive deficits. Generative naming, Organisational abilities were significantly impaired across (Left >Right) (p<0.05) .Semantics, domains of CCCABI and MoCA correlated well. No statistically significant difference found across Temporal & Extra temporal as well as Right hemispheric Epilepsy & Left Hemispheric Epilepsy. Right temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) were observed to have poor thinking, problem solving, thought processing and inferential abilities that of left TLE but more preserved functional communication of ADL and ADI.

Conclusions: Present study provides good insight into language, social cognition of AwE. Generative naming rather Confrontation naming found to be sensitive eliciting semantics. Age of onset, uncontrolled epilepsy, literacy are important factors affecting cognitive communicative skills however both right and left hemispheric drug refractory epilepsy reveal poor social cognition affecting  QOL.