Development dysphasia and electroencephalographic abnormalities.

Seven patients, six boys and one girl, ranging in age from 2 years 7 months to 5 years 6 months at first contact, presented with severe language delay and dysphasic errors. They were found to have markedly abnormal EEGs despite the fact that only two of the children had had febrile seizures. The EEG abnormalities consisted to spike-wave or sharp wave discharges in focal or bilateral synchronous fashion, and were not affected by anticonvulsants. The children had normal motor development and no dysmorphic features. Results of neurological examinations were normal. CT and isotope scans were unrevealing. Intelligence, measured by a non-verbal scale, was normal. The authors suggest that an electrophysiological disturbance was the underlying cause of both the language deficits and the EEG abnormalities. The remarkably frequent occurrence of postmaturity (five of the seven cases) suggests that perinatal events may be an etiological factor.