Impacts of epilepsy and its comorbidities on language changes in school children: Case studies

Abstract

ABSTRACT The effects of epilepsy may compromise language development and negatively impact learning and academic performance. This study investigated the difficulties experienced by students with epilepsy and comorbidities such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Intellectual Developmental Disorder (IDD). This qualitative and descriptive study analyzed clinical cases of four school-aged children and adolescents, aged 11 to 16 years, including two males and two females enrolled in the 5th to the 8th grades of elementary education. The assessment focused on vocabulary, phonological awareness, phonological working memory, reading, writing, and oral and written narrative discourse. The results indicated that epilepsy, when comorbid with other disorders, significantly impaired academic performance, especially regarding memory, discourse organization, and language processing. The impact of epilepsy varied according to seizure type and the presence of associated comorbidities. Participants with adequate seizure control and without severe comorbidities showed performances closer to expectations. The findings revealed deficits in expressive vocabulary, phonological processing, syntactic awareness, reading, writing, and discourse abilities. Early diagnosis, individualized therapeutic intervention, and adapted educational strategies are essential to minimize language and academic impairments associated with epilepsy. Further investigations regarding the relationship between epilepsy and language development are warranted.