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Cognitive status of young adults with spina bifida
Author(s) -
Barf HA,
Verhoef M,
PhD A JennekensSchinkel,
M M W,
J R H,
H A J
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
developmental medicine and child neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.658
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1469-8749
pISSN - 0012-1622
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2003.tb00896.x
Subject(s) - cognition , population , psychology , young adult , cognitive impairment , pediatrics , medicine , developmental psychology , psychiatry , environmental health
The cognitive status of 168 Dutch young adults (103 females, 65 males; mean age 20 years 9 months, age range 16 to 25 years) with spina bifida (SB) was examined. The main purpose was to establish the effect of the type of SB (occulta or aperta) and the effect of hydrocephalus (HC) within the group with SB aperta (AHC+). Results indicated, on average, a lower cognitive status of persons with AHC+ (n=111) than of persons with SB occulta (n=37) and of persons with SB aperta without HC (AHC‐; n=20). Almost half the young adults with AHC+ had cognitive impairments of some sort. These included more domain specific impairments (70%) as well as a more general cognitive deficit (30%). Cognitive status of persons with SB occulta and of those with AHC‐ was similar to that in the healthy population. The presence of associated pathology, rather than SB per se, has a negative effect on cognitive status.