Landau-Kleffner syndromeTHESES
Landau-Kleffner syndrome (abstract)*. Thesis. Sorocaba, 1995
Sandro Blasi Esposito**
This study is based on the report of six new cases of Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS) and on a review of the world literature available on this syndrome until 1994.
The proposed theory suggests that LKS originates from a continuous electrical hypersynchrony abnormality, during periods of child's speech acquirement, and secondarily a receptive aphasia, that cause disturbances on language mechanisms and behavioral patterns. These studies suggest that the electrical disorder arises in a focus on temporal lobe, both idiopathic or symptomatic, and secondarily spread to the adjacent speech areas and lead to the long standing acoustic-gnostic aphasia.
After the data analyses the author suggest a strict follow up protocol in these patients. It includes: periodic EEG monitoring, both in the sleep and awake phase; successive neuropsychological evaluation; early treatment with corticosteroids and anticonvulsivants that will point principally to the normalization of the EEG more than seizure's control; and an evaluation of aphasia specifically the visual-perceptive aspect of it.
Key words: acquired aphasia, verbal auditory agnosia, epileptic aphasia, Landau-Kleffner syndrome.
