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Correlation between language impairment and problems in motor development in children with rolandic epilepsy
Geke M Overvliet1, Albert P Aldenkamp, Sylvia Klinkenberg
1Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, The Netherlands. OvervlietG@kempenhaeghe.nl
Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B
|September 23, 2011
Summary
Children with rolandic epilepsy show impaired reading skills, particularly with sentences. Motor development issues correlate with these language delays, suggesting a cortical connection.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Epileptology
Background:
- Rolandic epilepsy is frequently associated with impaired school performance, especially in language.
- Despite originating in the motor-sensory cortex, the link between motor and language deficits in rolandic epilepsy is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between motor development problems and language impairment in children with rolandic epilepsy.
- To assess reading skills in children diagnosed with rolandic epilepsy.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 48 children diagnosed with rolandic epilepsy participated in a non-controlled, open clinical study.
- All participants underwent a 24-hour electroencephalogram (EEG) and a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment.
Main Results:
- Children with rolandic epilepsy exhibited significant delays in reading words (mean=6 months) and sentences (mean=8.6 months) compared to healthy peers.
- A significant correlation was found between motor development problems and delays in reading skills (words: r=-0.426, P=0.006; sentences: r=-0.343, P=0.03).
Conclusions:
- Reading performance is demonstrably impaired in children with rolandic epilepsy, with sentence reading being more affected than word reading.
- The study suggests a significant interaction between motor development and language abilities at the cortical level in these children.
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