Neuropediatrics 2004; 35(1): 50-53
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-815792
Short Communication

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Speech Delay due to a Prelinguistic Regression of Epileptic Origin

C. Mayor Dubois 1 , D. Gianella 1 , V. Chaves-Vischer 1 , C.-A. Haenggeli 2 , T. Deonna 1 , E. Roulet Perez 1
  • 1Neuropediatric Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
  • 2Department of Pediatrics, Hôpital Universitaire Genevois, Geneva, Switzerland
Further Information

Publication History

Received: July 18, 2003

Accepted after Revision: December 1, 2003

Publication Date:
04 March 2004 (online)

Abstract

A 2-year-old boy presented with an early form of benign partial epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes (BCERS) and a severe speech delay. Family video analysis revealed an early regression of babbling and stagnation since the age of 12 months. Complete recovery occurred with anti-epileptic treatment. The deficit corresponded to a transient speech apraxia attributed to an epileptic disconnection of networks coordinating speech articulation. This observation is, to the best of our knowledge, the first demonstration that delayed emergence of language can be due to an epileptic dysfunction interfering with prelinguistic skills and therefore mimicking a developmental delay.

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Eliane Roulet Perez

Department of Pediatrics · Neuropediatric Unit

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois

1011 Lausanne

Switzerland

Email: Eliane.Roulet-Perez@chuv.hospvd.ch