CASE-STUDY - CORTICOSTEROID TREATMENT OF LANGUAGE REGRESSION IN PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER

The authors describe a child whose language and behavior regressed at 22 months and in whom pervasive developmental disorder was later diagn osed. At 6 years, he displayed a profound receptive-expressive aphasia accompanied by behavioral disturbances characterized by hyperactivity , impaired social interactions, tantrums, gestural stereotypies, and e cholalia. A single-photon emission computed tomography scan and steady -state auditory evoked potentials suggested bitemporal and left fronta l pathophysiology. The overall profile resembled Landau-Kleffner syndr ome, but no electroencephalographic disturbance was evident. Corticost eroid treatment resulted in amelioration of language abilities and beh avior. These findings suggest that the factors underlying language reg ression in pervasive developmental disorder can, in special circumstan ces, be amenable to pharmacological treatment.