BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) is one of the most common pediatric epilepsies, and it generally has a good prognosis. However, recent research has indicated that the epileptic activity of BECTS can cause cognitive defects such as language, visuospatial, and auditory verbal memory deficits. This study assessed language-delivery deficits in BECTS patients using diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI). METHODS: T1-weighted MRI, DTI, and language tests were conducted in 16 BECTS patients and 16 age-matched controls. DTI data were analyzed using the TRActs Constrained by Underlying Anatomy tool in FreeSurfer 5.3, and 18 major white-matter tracts were extracted, which included 4 language-related tracts: the inferior longitudinal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus-parietal terminations, superior longitudinal fasciculus-temporal terminations, and uncinate fasciculus (UNC). Language tests included the Korean version of the Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test, Test of Problem-Solving Abilities (TOPS), and the mean length of utterance in words. RESULTS: The BECTS group exhibited decreased mean fractional anisotropy and increased mean radial diffusivity, with significant differences in both the superior longitudinal fasciculus and the left UNC (p<0.05), which are the language-related white-matter tracts in the dual-loop model. The TOPS language test scores were significantly lower in the BECTS group than in the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It appears that BECTS patients can exhibit language deficits. Seizure activities of BECTS could alter DTI scalar values in the language-related white-matter tracts.
Anisotropy ; Child ; Cognition Disorders ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Rolandic ; Humans ; Language Tests ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory Disorders ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if therapeutic horseback riding (THR) can improve language and cognitive function in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or intellectual disability (ID). METHODS: We conducted a prospective case-control study on children diagnosed with ASD or ID. Eighteen and 11 children were enrolled for THR and control groups, respectively. For 8 weeks, those in the THR group underwent conventional therapy plus 30 minutes of THR per week while controls only received conventional therapy. Participants’ language (using Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test [REVT] and Preschool Receptive-Expressive Language Scale [PRES]) and cognitive abilities (using Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children [K-ABC] and the cognitive domain of Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II [BSID-II]) were assessed at baseline and at 8 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: There was no baseline difference between the two groups. In the THR group, there were statistically significant improvements in most domains after THR including receptive and expressive language and cognition compared to those before THR. In the control group, however, only receptive vocabulary ability assessed by REVT and cognitive function assessed by BSID-II showed improvements after conventional therapy. However, there were no statistically significant differences in language or cognitive abilities between the two groups at 8 weeks after treatment. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that THR might improve language and cognitive abilities. Although the mechanisms and pathways involved in such improvements are currently unclear based on our findings, THR might have potential to optimize language and cognitive abilities of children with ASD and ID.
Autism Spectrum Disorder ; Autistic Disorder ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Cognition ; Humans ; Infant ; Intellectual Disability ; Language Tests ; Prospective Studies ; Vocabulary ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate correlations between values of articulation tests and language tests for children with articulation disorder in Korea. METHODS: Data of outpatients with chief complaint of an articulation problem were retrospectively collected. Patients who underwent Urimal Test of Articulation and Phonation (U-TAP) with Assessment of Phonology and Articulation for Children (APAC), Preschool Receptive-Expressive Language Scale (PRES), or Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test (REVT) simultaneously were identified. Patients whose word-level percentages of correct consonants in U-TAP (UTAP_wC) were more than 2 standard deviations below the mean as diagnostic criteria for articulation disorder were selected. Those whose receptive language age (P_RLA), expressive language age (P_ELA), or combined language age (P_CLA) in PRES was delayed more than 24 months compared to their chronological age in months as diagnostic criteria for language disorder were excluded. RESULTS: Thirty-three children aged 3–6 years were enrolled retrospectively. PRES and U-TAP showed significant correlations for most of value relationships. PRES and APAC showed significant correlations for all value relationships except for receptive language age. All values of REVT were significantly correlated with all values from U-TAP, but not with any value from APAC. Articulation tests U-TAP and APAC showed significant correlations between percentages of correct consonants. Language tests PRES and REVT showed significant correlations for all value relationships. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that articulation abilities and language abilities might be correlated in children with articulation disorder.
Articulation Disorders ; Child ; Humans ; Korea ; Language ; Language Disorders ; Language Tests ; Outpatients ; Phonation ; Retrospective Studies ; Speech Articulation Tests ; Speech Disorders

OBJECTIVE: Declines in naming ability and semantic memory are well-known features of early Alzheimer's disease (AD). We developed a new screening algorithm for AD using two brief language tests : the Categorical Fluency Test (CFT) and 15-item Boston Naming Test (BNT15). METHODS: We administered the CFT, BNT15, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to 150 AD patients with a Clinical Dementia Rating of 0.5 or 1 and to their age- and gender-matched cognitively normal controls. We developed a composite score for screening AD (LANGuage Composite score, LANG-C) that comprised demographic characteristics, BNT15 subindices, and CFT subindices. We compared the diagnostic accuracies of the LANG-C and MMSE using receiver operating curve analysis. RESULTS: The LANG-C was calculated using the logit of test scores weighted by their coefficients from forward stepwise logistic regression models : logit (case)=12.608−0.107×age+1.111×gender+0.089×education−0.314×HS(1st)−0.362×HS(2nd)+0.455×perseveration+1.329×HFCR(2nd)−0.489×MFCR(1st)−0.565×LFCR(3rd). The area under the curve of the LANG-C for diagnosing AD was good (0.894, 95% confidence interval=0.853–0.926 ; sensitivity=0.787, specificity=0.840), although it was smaller than that of the MMSE. CONCLUSION: The LANG-C, which is easy to automate using PC or smart devices and to deliver widely via internet, can be a good alternative for screening AD to MMSE.
Alzheimer Disease ; Dementia ; Humans ; Internet ; Language Tests ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Memory ; Semantics

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study is to assess the responsiveness of electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities and their effects on language ability after initiating different types of antiepileptic therapy in children with newly diagnosed benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS). METHODS: The records of patients newly diagnosed with BECTS (n=120; 69 males) were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were randomly treated with lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, or topiramate monotherapy, and underwent at least two EEG and standardized language tests. Effects were compared using Pearson’s chi-square tests and paired t-tests. RESULTS: The recurrence rates for seizures in the lamotrigine, topiramate, and oxcarbazepine groups were 19.4%, 21.7%, and 11.4%, respectively, while complete or partial recovery (as indicated by EEG) occurred in 32%, 39%, and 16% of the patients. Patients in the lamotrigine group showed significant improvements in all parameters assessed by the Test of Language Problem Solving Abilities, except for ‘determining cause.’ Patients in the oxcarbazepine group also showed improvements, except for ‘making inferences’ (p < 0.05). Most linguistic index scores were worse in the topiramate group except for Mean Length of Utterance in Words. Patients in the lamotrigine and oxcarbazepine groups showed significant improvements in the receptive language test (p < 0.05). EEG improvements were not related to language ability. CONCLUSIONS: The improvements in language and problem-solving performance in children with BECTS were greater for lamotrigine and oxcarbazepine than for topiramate. However, EEG remission did not imply that language function would be improved after the treatments.
Anticonvulsants* ; Child ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Rolandic* ; Humans ; Language Tests ; Language* ; Linguistics ; Problem Solving ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures

OBJECTIVE: Education is expected to have an effect on differential item functioning (DIF) on the 15-item Modified Boston Naming Test in the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Packet (BNT-KC). However, no study has examined DIF in the BNT-KC. METHODS: We used the item response theory to investigate the impact of education on the DIF in the BNT-KC among elderly individuals with or without dementia (n=720). A two-parameter item response model was used to determine the difficulty and discrimination parameters of each item. The Benjamini-Hochberg procedure was used to address the risk of Type I errors on multiple testing. RESULTS: Four items, “mermaid,”“acorn,”“compass,” and “pomegranate” continued to demonstrate DIF after controlling for multiple comparisons. Those with low education levels were more likely to error on “mermaid” and “compass,” while those with high education levels were more likely to error on “acorn” and “pomegranate.”“Hand” and “red pepper” were too easily identified to be used for detecting dementia patients. “Monk's hat” and “pomegranate” were less discriminating than other items, limiting their usefulness in clinical setting. CONCLUSION: These findings may provide useful information for the development of a revised version of the BNT-KC to help clinicians make diagnostic decisions more accurately.
Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; Dementia ; Diagnostic Errors ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Education* ; Humans ; Language Tests

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the types and severity of subcortical aphasia after stroke and to determine the predictors of the degree of aphasic impairment. METHODS: Medical records of 38 patients with post-stroke subcortical aphasia (19 males; mean age, 61.7±13.8 years) were reviewed retrospectively with respect to the following tests: the Korean version of the Western Aphasia Battery (K-WAB), the Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI), and the Fugl-Meyer Index (FMI). The severity of aphasia was evaluated by the aphasia quotient (AQ) and the language quotient (LQ). RESULTS: Anomic aphasia was the most frequent type of aphasia (n=15, 39.5%), and the lesion most frequently observed in subcortical aphasia was located in the basal ganglia (n=19, 50.0%). Patients with lesions in the basal ganglia exhibited the lowest scores on the FMI for the upper extremities (p=0.04). Severity of aphasia was significantly correlated with the K-MBI (Pearson correlation coefficient: γ=0.45, p=0.01 for AQ and γ=0.53, p=0.01 for LQ) and FMI scores for the lower extremities (γ=0.43, p=0.03 for AQ and γ=0.49, p=0.05 for LQ). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, K-MBI remained the only explanatory variable closely associated with aphasia severity. CONCLUSION: This study showed the general characteristics of post-stroke subcortical aphasia, and it revealed that K-MBI was an associated and explanatory factor for aphasia severity.
Anomia ; Aphasia* ; Basal Ganglia ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; Humans ; Language Tests ; Logistic Models ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke* ; Upper Extremity

PURPOSE: This study aimed to verify the safety of low-dose topiramate on language development in pediatric patients with migraine. METHODS: Thirty newly diagnosed pediatric patients with migraine who needed topiramate were enrolled and assessed twice with standard language tests, including the Test of Language Problem Solving Abilities (TOPs), Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test, Urimal Test of Articulation and Phonology, and computerized speech laboratory analysis. Data were collected before treatment, and topiramate as monotherapy was sustained for at least 3 months. The mean follow-up period was 4.3±2.7 months. The mean topiramate dosage was 0.9 mg/kg/day. RESULTS: The patient's mean age was 144.1±42.3 months (male-to-female ratio, 9:21). The values of all the language parameters of the TOPs were not changed significantly after the topiramate treatment as follows: Determine cause, from 15.0±4.4 to 15.4±4.8 (P>0.05); making inference, from 17.6±5.6 to 17.5±6.6 (P>0.05); predicting, from 11.5±4.5 to 12.3±4.0 (P>0.05); and total TOPs score, from 44.1± 13.4 to 45.3±13.6 (P>0.05). The total mean length of utterance in words during the test decreased from 44.1±13.4 to 45.3±13.6 (P<0.05). The Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test results decreased from 97.7±22.1 to 96.3±19.9 months, and from 81.8±23.4 to 82.3±25.4 months, respectively (P>0.05). In the articulation and phonology validation in both groups, speech pitch and energy were not significant, and all the vowel test results showed no other significant values. CONCLUSION: No significant difference was found in the language-speaking ability between the patients; however, the number of vocabularies used decreased. Therefore, topiramate should be used cautiously for children with migraine.
Child* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Language Development ; Language Tests ; Migraine Disorders* ; Problem Solving ; Vocabulary

OBJECTIVETo investigate the basic factors of the progress amplitude of hearing and speech rehabilitation effect of preschool deaf children with cochlear implants, and provide guidance for the improvement and optimization of rehabilitation strategies.

METHODUsing the standard hearing and language assessment tools, tracked and evaluated 1 422 CI preschool deaf children for a period of one year, and calculated the effect of hearing and speech rehabilitation, carried out the correlation analysis and variance analysis among different grouping variables.

RESULT(1) There was a negative correlation (P<0.01) between the rehabilitation effect and cochlear implantation age, existed the different degree of positive correlation (P<0.01) between the rehabilitation effect and parents cultural level, but no correlation between the rehabilitation effect and parents hearing status.(2) Father's education level, in comparison to mother's education level, had greater impact on the children rehabilitation effect.(3)There was positive correlation(r=0.689, P<0.01) between the progress amplitude of hearing and speech rehabilitation effect. (4) The progress amplitude of auditory and language rehabilitation effect of 2-3 years old group was the highest value(the progress amplitude of hearing and speech recognition rate reached 77.5%, the progress amplitude of language age progress rate reached 2.02 years old), and there were significant differences (P<0.05) between over 3 years old groups.

CONCLUSIONS(1) To expect the better progress amplitude of rehabilitation effect, cochlear implant age should not be more than 3 years old. (2) Father's effect in the process of rehabilitation is more helpful for deaf children's learning enthusiasms.

Age Factors ; Child, Preschool ; Cochlear Implantation ; Cochlear Implants ; Deafness ; rehabilitation ; Hearing ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Language ; Speech Perception

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of language profiles according to whether or not Korean children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD) also have ADHD, and to examine the relationship with executive function. METHODS: Participants in the study were boys with ADHD aged 6 to 11 years who visited the clinic from January 2012 to December 2013. In this study, 25 boys with ASD were included, and completed scales included the Korean version of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised(K-ADI-R), Korean version of Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule(K-ADOS), Korean ADHD Rating Scale(K-ARS), and Korean-Conners' Parent Rating Scale(K-CPRS). They also completed neuropsychological tests and assessed language profiles. Patients were categorized into two groups(with ADHD and without ADHD). T-test and Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used for analysis. RESULTS: Statistically, no difference was found in receptive and expressive language ability between the ASD groups with and without ADHD. However, a lower score in Test of Problem solving(TOPS) was observed for ASD with ADHD than for ASD without ADHD, with problem solving and finding cues showing significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that language profiles in the ASD group without ADHD could be similar to those in the ASD group with ADHD, but comorbid ADHD could lead to more difficulty in linguistic ability for problem solving and could be related with executive function of the frontal lobe.
Autism Spectrum Disorder* ; Autistic Disorder* ; Child* ; Cues ; Executive Function ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Language ; Linguistics ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Parents ; Problem Solving ; Weights and Measures