How early stroke influences language development in young children

Neonatal arterial ischemic stroke (NAIS) is the most common form of childhood stroke and occurs in 1 in 5,000 live births. Children with left middle cerebral artery (MCA) NAIS often develop normal early language skills but show higher-order language deficits during adolescence. Examining functional language networks could therefore be a useful tool for identifying children at risk of NAIS.