Landau Kleffner Syndrome

WHAT IS LANDAU KLEFFNER SYNDROME?

Landau Kleffner Syndrome (‘LKS’) is a type of Epilepsy usually appearing in children aged between 5 and 7 years old. LKS often manifests in the form of epileptic activity at night. However, it is possible that a child will suffer from visible seizures during the day.  Seizures will usually stop by the time the child becomes a teenager.  LKS is also characterised by the loss of language skills i.e. Aphasia.  This is because LKS directly attacks the part of the child’s brain which controls comprehension and speech. 

WHAT ARE THE FIRST SIGNS OF LKS?

Often the child begins having trouble understanding what is said to them.  Doctors refer to this as ‘auditory agnosiaor’ or ‘word deafness’.  The rate at which the agnosiaor develops depends on the child in question as it can progress extremely quickly in some children but more gradually in others.  People will often think that a child with LKS has a Hearing Impairment which is not the case.

The problems that a child with LKS has with understanding language and what is said to them will begin to affect their spoken language and the child may stop speaking altogether.  However, children who have learnt to read and write before the onset of the auditory agnosiaor will generally be able to continue to communicate through the use of written language.

DIAGNOSIS

A label of LKS can only be given following a clinical diagnosis. There is no specific test; instead, the child’s history and behaviour are closely scrutinised.  The core features are a history of normal early development and then the sudden loss of language skills. However, often the epileptic activity can also be detected by an EEG (electroencephalography).

It also takes time for LKS to be diagnosed properly. LKS is rare and it is therefore common for children to first be investigated for Deafness, Dyspraxia and/or behavioural problems before a diagnosis is finally made.

TREATMENT

Treatment for a child with LKS is normally through regular medication, usually anticonvulsants and corticosteroids. Speech and Language Therapy and sign-language instruction may also be suggested. A more recent controversial form of treatment is a surgical technique called ‘multiple subpial transaction’ in which the pathways of abnormal electrical brain activity are severed.

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