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The role of candidate‐gene CNTNAP2 in childhood apraxia of speech and specific language impairment
Author(s) -
Centanni T. M.,
Sanmann J. N.,
Green J. R.,
IuzziniSeigel J.,
Bartlett C.,
Sanger W. G.,
Hogan T. P.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
american journal of medical genetics part b: neuropsychiatric genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.393
H-Index - 126
eISSN - 1552-485X
pISSN - 1552-4841
DOI - 10.1002/ajmg.b.32325
Subject(s) - specific language impairment , apraxia , psychology , articulation (sociology) , language disorder , speech disorder , language impairment , syntax , speech production , dyslexia , audiology , reading (process) , developmental psychology , cognitive psychology , medicine , aphasia , linguistics , cognition , computer science , natural language processing , neuroscience , psychiatry , philosophy , politics , political science , law
Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a debilitating pediatric speech disorder characterized by varying symptom profiles, comorbid deficits, and limited response to intervention. Specific Language Impairment (SLI) is an inherited pediatric language disorder characterized by delayed and/or disordered oral language skills including impaired semantics, syntax, and discourse. To date, the genes associated with CAS and SLI are not fully characterized. In the current study, we evaluated behavioral and genetic profiles of seven children with CAS and eight children with SLI, while ensuring all children were free of comorbid impairments. Deletions within CNTNAP2 were found in two children with CAS but not in any of the children with SLI. These children exhibited average to high performance on language and word reading assessments in spite of poor articulation scores. These findings suggest that genetic variation within CNTNAP2 may be related to speech production deficits. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.