Cognitive linguistic Treatment in Landau Kleffner Syndrome: Improvement in Daily Life Communication

We report a case study of cognitive linguistic treatment in a teenager with chronic severe Landau Kleffner Syndrome. The effect of speech and language therapy in LKS is rarely examined and our case is unique in that we use an effective approach in adult aphasia to treat language deficits in aphasia in LKS. The results show successful acquisition of a considerable amount of new words as well as improved communication in daily life. However, auditory verbal agnosia, the most prominent feature in LKS, persisted. Cognitive linguistic treatment seems a promising treatment to improve spoken language production in LKS, but more research is needed to optimize speech and language therapy of auditory verbal agnosia and auditory language comprehension in children with LKS

Encephalopathy related to Status Epilepticus during slow Sleep: from concepts to terminology

Five pediatric and adult neurologists with clinical and research interests in Encephalopathy related to Status Epilepticus during slow Sleep (ESES) express their opinions on definition, diagnostic assessment and terminology that may be considered for this condition. The aim of this "debate" is to identify aspects in which there is a shared opinion and areas where there are still controversies in the classification and suggest areas which demand further studies and research.

Episodic epileptic verbal auditory agnosia in Landau Kleffner syndrome treated with combination diazepam and corticosteroids

We report 2 pediatric patients who presented initially with seizures followed by subacute language regression characterized by a verbal auditory agnosia. These previously normal children had no evidence of expressive aphasia during their symptomatic periods. Further, in both cases, auditory agnosia was associated with sleep-activated electroencephalographic (EEG) epileptiform activity, consistent with Landau-Kleffner syndrome. However, both cases are unique since the episodic auditory agnosia and sleep-activated EEG epileptiform activity rapidly responded to combination therapy with pulse benzodiazepine and corticosteroids. Further, in each case, recurrences were characterized by similar symptoms, EEG findings, and beneficial responses to the pulse benzodiazepine and corticosteroid therapy. These observations suggest that pulse combination high-dose corticosteroid and benzodiazepine therapy may be especially effective in Landau-Kleffner syndrome.

Reversible aphasia in adolescence: A late-onset form of Landau Kleffner syndrome? Report of a single case

An adolescent boy developed a long-lasting pattern of global aphasia, concomitant to focal (left temporal) EEG abnormalities; this was followed by complete recovery. Laboratory and neuroimaging studies were within normal limits. The possibility of a late-onset Landau Kleffner syndrome is discussed.