Temporary Regression during Language Acquisition: a Linguistic Analysis of a 2 1/2‐year‐old Child with Epileptic Aphasia

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Abstract
A 2.5-yr-old child suffered a brief and temporary regression of speech, with complete recovery, on 2 separate occasions. During the 2nd episode, clinical evaluation and EEG data led to the diagnosis of epileptic aphasia. The child''s conversations at home were tape-recorded by the mother during the acute phase of the disorder and the recovery period and transcripts of the conversations were analyzed by means of a linguistic profile. These analyses confirmed the clinical improvement in the child''s language abilities, which occurred within a few days. This case illustrates the remarkably specialized and localized cerebral function which underlies speech production at an early age. This function can be interfered with selectively and temporarily without any significant effect on general behavior.