Clinical and electroencephalographic characteristics of specific language impairment in children and an evaluation of the efficacy of cerebrolysin

Abstract

To study different forms of specific language impairment in children and to evaluate the efficacy of cerebrolysin in clinical and electroencephalographic aspects. Authors examined 60 children, aged 5-7 years, with a specific language impairment (SLI). The study showed the significantly higher severity of speech disorders, a higher degree of asthenia and dyspraxia/dysgnosia in a group of children with a disorder of receptive language (SLI-R) compared to children with a disorder of expressive speech (SLI-E). A comparative analysis of the EEG power spectra showed large values of slow theta-band EEG in children with SLI compared with healthy children. Children with SLI-R were characterized by the increase in theta rhythm power in the occipital region compared with children with SLI-E. The high efficacy of cerebrolysin in the treatment of this disease (an improvement was obtained in 73.3% of cases) was demonstrated, with the best effect in children with SLI-E (80.0% of cases).