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An inability to learn to read caused by shaken baby syndrome

Leonardo Bevilacqua1, Adam Kuczynski, Merle James-Galton

  • 1Institute of Neurology & National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London, London, UK.

BMJ Case Reports
|April 30, 2014
PubMed

Insights

A boy with early shaken baby syndrome (SBS) experienced profound reading impairment despite intact basic skills. This case challenges the Kennard principle and highlights how early brain injury can cause selective language deficits.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatric Neurology

Background:

  • The Kennard principle posits better recovery from early brain injury.
  • Reading acquisition relies on complex visual and language networks.
  • Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) can cause diffuse or focal brain damage.

Observation:

  • A 12-year-old boy with a history of SBS at 4 months presented with severe reading difficulties.
  • Despite accurate letter naming, he struggled with basic word recognition.
  • He exhibited right homonymous hemianopia and impaired higher visual function, but these deficits did not fully explain his reading inability.

Findings:

  • Speech and language skills were impaired but significantly better than reading abilities.
  • MRI revealed focal damage to both dorsal and ventral reading pathways.
  • The patient's reading performance was disproportionately affected compared to other cognitive functions.

Implications:

  • This case challenges the traditional understanding of early brain injury recovery (Kennard principle).
  • It suggests that early damage to interconnected language networks can lead to highly specific, long-lasting impairments.
  • Findings underscore the vulnerability of the reading network to early-onset brain injury and inform rehabilitation strategies.

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