Defective auditory processing in a child with temporal epileptic focus

A 9-year-old boy presented with intolerance to noise that was a trigger for violent temper tantrums that occasionally resembled complex partial seizures. The condition was also a cause for withdrawal from all activities and settings that could potentially be associated with noise. Both electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography clearly demonstrated a left temporal (T5) epileptic focus, although the child never had convulsive seizures. Genetic studies failed to reveal a GRIN2A mutation. We suggest that the hyperacusis in the reported child is another variation of the Landau-Kleffner spectrum.