Open AccessWords fail me: The verbal IQ deficit in inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome
Author(s) -
Dancey Christine P.,
Attree Elizabeth A.,
Stuart George,
Wilson Christine,
Sonnet Amanda
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
inflammatory bowel diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.932
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1536-4844
pISSN - 1078-0998
DOI - 10.1002/ibd.20837
Subject(s) - irritable bowel syndrome , medicine , inflammatory bowel disease , disease , cognition , gastroenterology , psychiatry , clinical psychology
Background: Many chronic illnesses are accompanied by impaired cognitive functioning. In people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), there is some research to suggest a decrement in verbal IQ (VIQ), when compared to people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and healthy controls. Although this is an important finding, it is necessary to ensure that such deficits are not due to methodological problems such as the failure to take into account pre‐morbid functioning. Methods: A total of 88 people (IBD, N = 29; IBS, N = 29; Controls, N = 30) completed the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI), the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WATR), the Trait Rumination Questionnaire (TRQ), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐12). Results: We found evidence of a VIQ decrement in both IBD and IBS groups when measured against both healthy controls and against their own pre‐morbid IQ scores (WTAR‐Predicted WAIS‐III IQ measures). However, the decrement was larger (and of clinical significance) in the IBD group but not in the IBS group. Conclusion: Some tentative evidence is presented which suggests that poor VIQ performance may be due in part to interference from excessive rumination. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2009)