Early language and communicative abilities of children with periventricular leukomalacia
Feldman, H.M.; Evans, J.L.; Brown, R.E.; Wareham, N.L.
American Journal of Mental Retardation Ajmr 97(2): 222-234
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0895-8017 PMID: 1384568 Document Number: 404838
Ten 2-year-old children with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), a brain injury associated with prematurity, were evaluated using language samples. Five children scored less than 80 on cognitive testing (delayed). Five children with thid disorder and normal cognitive scores were assessed at two ages, matched with the delayed group on CA and developmental level. The delayed group produced significantly fewer lexical tokens and spontaneous verbal utterances than did the CA-matched group. No significant differences were observed between the delayed group and either comparison group on other measures of lexicon, grammar, or communication. The data demonstrate a relation between cognitive abilities and measures of verbal productivity in children with PVL.