Epileptiform activity in children with developmental dysphasia: quantification of discharges in overnight sleep video-EEG.

We present results of analysis of overnight sleep video-EEG in 8 patients with developmental dysphasia and rolandic discharges. We evaluated the incidence of epileptiform discharges (expressed as paroxysmal activity density) at one or more electrodes in different sleep stages in three different periods of the night (after falling asleep, around midnight and before awakening). The difference of paroxysmal activity density was never higher than 21%, indicating that quantifying the discharges in the whole night recording is not necessary. We also showed that two independent foci may differ in the frequency of discharges. We propose a scheme for evaluation of EEG reflecting both frequency and distribution of discharges.

Structural alterations of the language connectome in children with specific language impairment.

We evaluated brain white matter pathways associated with language processing in 37 children with specific language impairment aged 6-12 years and 34 controls, matched for age, sex and handedness. Arcuate fascicle (AF), inferior fronto-occipital fascicle (IFOF), inferior longitudinal fascicle (ILF) and uncinate fascicle (UF) were identified using magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Diffusivity parameters and volume of the tracts were compared between the SLI and control group. Children with SLI showed decreased fractional anisotropy in all investigated tracts, increased mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity component in arcuate fascicle bilaterally, left IFOF and left ILF. Further, bilaterally increased volume of the ILF in children with SLI was found. We confirmed previous findings indicating deficient connectivity of the arcuate fascicle and as a novel finding, demonstrate abnormal development of the ventral language stream in patients with SLI.