PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - David F. Sobel
AU  - Maung Aung
AU  - Hiroshi Otsubo
AU  - Michael C. Smith
TI  - Magnetoencephalography in Children with Landau-Kleffner Syndrome and Acquired Epileptic Aphasia
DP  - 2000 Feb 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 301--307
VI  - 21
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/21/2/301.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/21/2/301.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2000 Feb 01; 21
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS) is epileptiform aphasia acquired during childhood and occurring in children with previously normal language development. The epileptiform activity in these children is thought to result in a functional ablation of eloquent speech areas. The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of magnetoencephalography (MEG) for localizing the source of epileptiform activity in these patients.METHODS: Nineteen patients with acquired aphasia and a suspected diagnosis of LKS were referred for MEG evaluation. Patients ranged in age from 4 to 14 years. Fourteen MEG studies were performed on a 74-channel system, four on a 148-channel whole-head system, and one on a 37-channel system.RESULTS: Thirteen of the 19 patients had perisylvian MEG spikes. In 10 of the patients, the spikes were bilateral, and in three they were unilateral. Four other patients had non-sylvian spikes, and two patients had no spikes recorded. The results of MR imaging were normal or noncontributory for all 19 patients.CONCLUSIONS: MEG can play a useful role in evaluating children with LKS and acquired epileptiform aphasia, both in diagnosis and in aiding presurgical localization of epileptiform activity when surgery is being considered.