Imaging the Effect of Centrotemporal Spikes and Seizures on Language in Children

Summary

This project examines how seizures, and abnormal brain activity, affect language skill in children with Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centro-Temporal Spikes (BECTS). BECTS is a common type of childhood epilepsy, and while BECTS patients stop having seizures by their late teenage years, many studies have shown that these children have language problems that may lead to academic and social difficulties. Using standardized language testing, monitoring of brain activity, and MRI brain imaging, this project aims to determine what particular combination of BECTS symptoms put children most at risk for language problems and whether treatment with anti-epileptic medications may be helpful.

Timeline

Start

2012-01

Primary completion

2017-07

Completion

2017-07

Publications

• Results Tenney JR, Glauser T, Altaye M, Szaflarski JP, Spencer C, Morita D, Vannest J. Longitudinal stability of interictal spikes in benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes. Epilepsia. 2016 May;57(5):805-11. doi: 10.1111/epi.13367. Epub 2016 Mar 25.
• Results Vannest J, Tenney JR, Altaye M, Byars AW, Spencer C, Maloney TC, Szaflarski JP, Morita D, Glauser TA. Impact of frequency and lateralization of interictal discharges on neuropsychological and fine motor status in children with benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes. Epilepsia. 2016 Aug;57(8):e161-7. doi: 10.1111/epi.13445. Epub 2016 Jun 28.

Drugs

Indications