Reading in children with temporal lobe epilepsy: A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Developmental Psychology
• Pediatric Epilepsy

Background:

• Children with epilepsy exhibit higher rates of reading difficulties than the general population.
• These reading challenges are linked to adverse outcomes, including lower academic achievement and increased unemployment risk.
• Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common focal epilepsy in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing literature on reading difficulties in children with TLE.
• To identify contributing factors to reading impairments in this population.
• To assess the efficacy of interventions for reading difficulties in children with TLE.

Main Methods:

• Searched major databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed) for relevant studies published before September 2016.
• Included original research in English peer-reviewed journals focusing on children with TLE and standardized reading assessments or control groups.
• Six studies met the inclusion criteria from over 2000 initial citations.

Main Results:

• Most studies (5 out of 6) found evidence of reading difficulties in children with TLE.
• Memory was identified as a contributing factor to reading accuracy and comprehension in one study.
• Several studies were underpowered, limiting the examination of epilepsy factors and cognitive deficits on reading.
• No studies investigated the efficacy of reading interventions for children with TLE.

Conclusions:

• Reading difficulties in children with TLE are under-researched despite significant long-term consequences.
• There is a critical need to identify risk factors for reading impairments in TLE.
• Further research is essential to develop and evaluate evidence-based treatments for reading difficulties in this vulnerable population.