Music Perception in SeLECTs

Overview

Self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS) is the most frequent epilepsy syndrome in children between the ages of 4 and 13 years. SeLECTS is associated in 15 to 30% of patients with specific cognitive deficits, including in particular disorders in language, visuo-spatial memory, declarative memory, and attention. SeLECTS has the potential to evolve into Landau-Kleffner syndrome, the most extreme form of SeLECTS including symptoms of auditory agnosia and aphasia, with potential risks of persistent neuropsychological impairments. In a recent study in adults who had suffered Landau-Kleffner syndrome during childhood, the investigators have shown that these patients, in addition to their known deficit in verbal short-term memory, also exhibit persistent musical difficulties during adulthood, with in particular deficit in melody and rhythm short-term memory. In the present project, the investigators intend to enlarge the understanding of cognitive deficits generated by SeLECTS in children by investigating the integrity of music perception, both for melody and rhythm. To date, data about music perception in children with epilepsy are scarce and we do not know how distinct components of melody and rhythm perception and memory may be altered.

Self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS) is the most frequent epilepsy syndrome in children between the ages of 4 and 13 years. The defining electroclinical feature of SeLECTS is the presence of centrotemporal spikes on EEG between seizures. SeLECTS is associated with specific cognitive deficits in 15 to 30% of patients, including disorders in language, visuo-spatial memory, explicit memory, and attention. The centrotemporal spikes are activated in sleep and, in rare cases, the condition has the potential to evolve into an Epileptic Encephalopathy with spike- and- wave activation in sleep (EE-SWAS), including Landau-Kleffner syndrome. The latest is characterized by symptoms of auditory agnosia and aphasia, with potential risks of persistent neuropsychological impairments. In a previous study, it has been shown that these patients also exhibit persistent musical difficulties. In the present project, the investigators intend to enlarge the understanding of cognitive deficits generated by SeLECTS in children by analyzing the integrity of music perception, both for melody and rhythm, as well as testing the potential of a musical intervention for auditory and cognitive training in children suffering from SeLECTS. The current research plan is to explore music perception in this specific epilepsy syndrome, with behavioral testing (Experiment 1) and neuroimaging using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) (Experiment 2), and on the long run, informed by this exploration and previous studies, the design of a musical therapeutic intervention is envisioned in order to evaluate the impact of this program on music perception, language, and memory.