Language representation and presurgical language mapping in pediatric epilepsy: A narrative review

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Pediatric Neurology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Epilepsy is a common childhood neurological disorder affecting 0.9-2% of children.
• Complex factors in epilepsy contribute to cognitive impairments, including language development issues.
• Approximately 25% of pediatric epilepsy cases are drug-resistant, necessitating surgical consideration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review language representation in children with epilepsy.
• To explore the utility of presurgical language mapping in pediatric epilepsy surgery.
• To highlight the role of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in language mapping.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on language representation and mapping in pediatric epilepsy.
• Analysis of studies utilizing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for presurgical language mapping.
• Compilation of information on language mapping techniques and outcomes in pediatric epilepsy settings.

Main Results:

• Epilepsy, considered a network disorder, can significantly affect language development in children.
• Presurgical evaluations, including language mapping, are vital for preserving cognitive and language functions post-surgery.
• fMRI is a recommended non-invasive tool for presurgical language mapping in pediatric epilepsy centers.

Conclusions:

• Language mapping in pediatric epilepsy aids in localizing the epileptogenic zone.
• Presurgical language mapping helps predict cognitive outcomes following epilepsy surgery.
• This mapping facilitates planning for cognitive rehabilitation in children with epilepsy.