[Clinical profiles and transitions in the spectrum of specific language impairment in childhood].
OBJECTIVE
To test the clinical nature and diversity of specific language impairment (SLI) in Spanish individuals, in the framework of the neuropsycholinguistic model of Chevrie-Muller and the classification of Rapin and Allen.


METHODS
Forty two language impaired children with normal intelligence and audition have been followed during a mean period of 3 years 7 months in preschool and school ages; all of them have participated in an intervention program for language abilities. The evolutive neuropsychological evaluation at our hospital has comprised measurement of general cognitive abilities, formal (phonology, vocabulary, syntax) and pragmatic aspects of language.


RESULTS
Phonological and syntactic abilities are the better evolutive predictors. The group clinical profiles, in general, fill into the clustering system proposed by Rapin and Allen, but mixed transitional forms are observed in individuals. Also in six patients a transition from one to another clinical form have been observed; in these subjects, mixed phonological syntactical syndrome is an obligate step during their evolutive changes; these changes can be attributed to natural evolutive processes and/or to effects of intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results permit hypothesize that the spectrum of SLI is an unique basic disorder whose clinical manifestations (interindividual and intraindividual during evolution) can be diverse in form and severity. This clinical interpretation is reinforced by the results of recent publications showing that members of the same familial group with identical genetic mutation had different forms of SLI.
Crespo-Eguílaz
N
N
Departamento de Educación, Unidad de Neurología Pediátrica, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, España. ncrespo@unav.es
Narbona
J
J
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male