Delayed Developmental Language Milestones in Children with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy

Cyrulnik, Shana E.; Fee, Robert J.; De Vivo, Darryl C.; Goldstein, Edward; Hinton, Veronica J.

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2006.12.045

« Previous Next »The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 150, Issue 5 , Pages 474-478, May 2007

Delayed Developmental Language Milestones in Children with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy

Shana E. Cyrulnik, PhD
- Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, New York
Robert J. Fee, BA
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, New York
Darryl C. De Vivo, MD
- Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York
Edward Goldstein, MD
- Department of Neurology, Scottish Rite Children’s Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia.
Veronica J. Hinton, PhD
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, New York
- Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York
- Reprint requests: Dr Veronica J. Hinton, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center and Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 630 West 168^th Street, P & S Box 16, New York, NY, 10032.

Received 3 August 2006; received in revised form 2 November 2006; accepted 22 December 2006.

Objectives

To document the attainment of developmental milestones in children with Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy (DMD) and to determine whether early delays are associated with later performance on measures of cognition.

Study design

Retrospective parental report was utilized to document the acquisition of 10 common developmental milestones in children with DMD (n = 130) and their unaffected siblings (n = 59). Children completed tests of cognitive functioning.

Results

Parents rated children with DMD as delayed on achieving both language and motor milestones more frequently than their unaffected siblings. Furthermore, those children with DMD who were rated as late talkers or late walkers performed more poorly on tests of cognitive function than their on-time peers.

Conclusions

In addition to the commonly reported delays in motor milestones, the current study documents delays in the acquisition of language milestones as well. These early delays are associated with significant impairments in later cognitive functioning.

Abbreviations: DMD, Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy