What childhood disorder is characterized by acquired aphasia and multifocal epileptiform abnormalities?

Landau-Kleffner syndrome is a rare childhood disorder that features the sudden onset of acquired aphasia, which refers to a loss of previously acquired language skills. This disorder typically manifests between the ages of 3 and 7 years, following a period of normal speech and language development.

One of the hallmark characteristics of Landau-Kleffner syndrome is the presence of multifocal epileptiform abnormalities on an EEG, alongside the language difficulties. These abnormalities appear as spikes or sharp waves in different areas of the brain, contributing to both the speech and seizure manifestations seen in affected children.

Unlike other conditions, Landau-Kleffner syndrome specifically highlights the interplay between language regression and epilepsy, distinguishing it from other types of childhood epilepsies that may not involve significant language impairment or have different underlying causes.

In contrast, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy primarily presents with myoclonic jerks and generalized tonic-clonic seizures without the specific language acquisition issues; West Syndrome is characterized by infantile spasms and a developmental regression pattern but does not typically involve the same form of acquired expressive language loss; and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome involves multiple seizure types and cognitive impairment but lacks the focused language aspects that characterize Landau-Kleffner