Constructional dyspraxia in preterm diplegia: isolation from visual and visual perceptual impairments.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate ophthalmological profiles, visual perception and constructional function in preterm children with spastic diplegia (SD) and to clarify their neuropsychological deficits in comparison with a control group.


METHODS
Thirty-five SD and 34 control children were investigated for visual acuity, eye position, stereoacuity, depth perception, visual perception, visuo-spatial construction and constructional praxis. Each of the results was compared among the four groups as SD with and without strabismus, and control with and without strabismus.


RESULTS
Strabismic SD showed worse visual acuity, worse stereoacuity and worse depth perception than the other groups. Constructional dyspraxia was detected in 94.1% of SD either with or without strabismus, while it was rare in the control group. There was no significant contribution of visual acuity, eye position, stereoacuity or depth perception to constructional dyspraxia by stepwise multiple linear regression analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Strabismic preterm SD children are at high risk for visual dysfunction. Constructional dyspraxia was frequently found in SD children and may be a dysfunction isolated from ophthalmological and visual perceptual dysfunctions.
Koeda
T
T
Division of Child Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Japan.
Inoue
M
M
Takeshita
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D007969:Leukomalacia, Periventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014796:Visual Perception