Neuropediatrics 2017; 48(S 01): S1-S45
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1602975
P – Poster
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Difficulties in the Acquisition of Literacy in Children with Rolandic Epilepsy or Rolandic EEG Pattern

L. Mörsdorf
1   Department of Community Health, Speech and Language Therapy, University of Applied Sciences, Bochum, Germany
,
S. Costard
1   Department of Community Health, Speech and Language Therapy, University of Applied Sciences, Bochum, Germany
,
H. Neumann
2   Department of Neuropediatrics, University Children´s Hospital, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
,
T. Lücke
2   Department of Neuropediatrics, University Children´s Hospital, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
26 April 2017 (online)

Also available at
 

Background/Purpose: Review of empirical findings concerning acquisition of reading and writing in children with Rolandic epilepsy (RE) or Rolandic EEG Pattern (RP) and the impact of anticonvulsive therapy, lateralization of the epileptic discharges and socio-cultural environment.

Methods: Systematic research in the databases Cochrane Library, PubMed, Livivo and PsycINFO, published since 2009. Keywords were: Rolandic epilepsy, rolandic discharges, BECTS combined with literacy, medication, lateralization, and social environment. Seventeen clinical studies were found; 10 of them using control groups.

Results: Most of the studies revealed that RE/RP has a negative influence on the acquisition of literacy, no matter if there are seizures or not. Deficits were found in the domain reading and in the precursors for literacy, phonological awareness and rapid automatized naming. There are hints that children with RE/RP show an atypical (re-)organization of the functional networks underlying reading and writing acquisition. Whether antiepileptic treatment has a positive or negative effect on these networks remains unclear since studies on this topic have yielded inconsistent results. No studies were found on the effect of the socio-cultural environment on children with RE/RP.

Conclusion: It seems that RE/RP is less benign as expected, since children with RE/RP are at higher risk for literacy acquisition problems than their healthy peers. But there are many open questions concerning influence factors like seizure frequency and medication, and it is necessary to carry out more clinical studies focusing on these topics.