Acquired epileptic aphasia: neuropsychologic follow-up of 12 patients

Pediatr Neurol. 1994 Oct;11(3):230-5. doi: 10.1016/0887-8994(94)90108-2.

Abstract

A study of specific neuropsychologic, neurolinguistic, and behavioral features of acquired epileptic aphasia or Landau-Kleffner syndrome was conducted in a group of 12 patients followed-up for 2-15 years (mean: 8 yr). Seventy-five percent had exhibited some language disturbance prior to acquired epileptic aphasia. Even when 9 patients had normal electroencephalographic findings in the long-term course of the disease, only 3 achieved normal language. No patient with persisting electroencephalographic abnormalities recovered normal or near normal language. The need to perform detailed neurolinguistic and neuropsychologic evaluations in the work-up and follow-up of children with acquired epileptic aphasia is stressed. An adapted neuropsychologic profile battery proved to be practical and objective for the follow-up of these patients.

MeSH terms

  • Agnosia / diagnosis
  • Anomia / diagnosis
  • Aphasia / diagnosis*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Electroencephalography
  • Epilepsy / diagnosis*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Language Tests
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests*
  • Syndrome