title: Early language and communicative abilities of children with periventricular leukomalacia.
abstract: 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 this 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.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Wareham
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007804:Language Development; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007807:Language Tests; D007969:Leukomalacia, Periventricular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male