Epilepsy, a chronic condition of recurrent seizures, affects language, but the extent and nature of the language disturbance varies widely according to the type, severity, and cause of the epilepsy. There is paucity of literature on the electroencephalographic abnormalities in children with speech and language impairment. The present study was therefore planned to find the association of epileptiform EEG abnormalities in children with speech and language impairment and if present, their localization and lateralization to the language areas of the brain that are present predominantly in the left hemisphere.
Aim of the Work:
The aim of this study was to assess prevalence of EEG abnormalities in children with delayed speech and not experiencing seizures from age 3 to 8 years old.
Subjects and Methods:
The study was conducted on Paediatric patients having speech and language impairment (n=50, age-3 to 8 years) selected on the basis of detailed history and neurologic examination. Electroencephalography (EEG) was performed as per American Clinical Neurophysiology Society guidelines using 21 channel RMS computerized EEG machine for a minimum of 40 minutes to capture both wakefulness and sleep along with activation procedures like hyperventilation (if feasible) and photic stimulation. EEG was
reviewed for any abnormal EEG background, benign variants, interictal epileptiform discharges and ictal discharges.