Language and learning disorders in epilepsy with continuous spike-waves during slow sleep

Efficacy of antiepileptic drugs in children with epilepsy is usually evaluated on the basis of reduction in seizure frequency. However, in a number of cases, the effect of a drug in reducing EEG paroxysmal activity should be considered. This applies particularly to Landau-Kleffner syndrome and to the syndrome of continuous spike-waves during slow sleep. In developmental language disorders, EEG paroxysmal activity is present in almost 30% of the cases. Paroxysmal abnormalities are usually less frequent than what is observed in epilepsy with continuous spike-waves during slow sleep. Pathogenesis remains unknown and the relationship between EEG evolution and language improvement is not as clear as in Landau-Kleffner syndrome.