Watch the language! Language and linguistic-cognitive abilities in children with nocturnal epileptiform activity

- Children with NEA show delayed language abilities compared to age-matches.
- Children with NEA show a trend for difficulties with phonology and naming speed compared to language ability-matches.
- Lateralization and localization of NEA might have an impact on language abilities in children with NEA.

We studied the language and linguistic-cognitive abilities of a group of children with nocturnal epileptiform activity (NEA; N = 33) who were hospitalized at a tertiary epilepsy hospital. The children were compared with two groups: one age- and gender-matched group (N = 33) and one group matched on language ability (vocabulary) and gender (N = 66). We also examined how NEA-related variables affected language abilities.Overall, the children with NEA showed delayed language abilities and a trend for specific difficulties with phonology and naming speed. We did not find firm evidence that the amount of NEA, the use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), and the lateralization and localization of NEA had an effect on language. However, we found that children with right-lateralized epileptiform activity seemed to have specific difficulties with naming speed. Additionally, our results indicated that NEA located in the centrotemporal areas particularly affected phonology and orthographic skills.