[Higher touch and kinesthetic functions in children with former speech/language development disorders: a neuropsychological study].
Two groups of children took part in this study to test the hypothesis that children diagnosed in infancy as specific speech/language-impaired have deficits in tactile-kinesthetic functions: A formerly clinical group of 25 German-speaking pupils with a mean age of 8;7 years (SD 7.1 months) who have previously been identified as specific speech/language-impaired (on average at 4;11 years, SD 10.6 months) and a control group of 25 normal pupils in elementary school without a former or actual speech/language disorder (mean age: 9;2 years, SD 8.3 months). The control group was matched with the formerly clinical group for gender and age. Performance scores of both groups on a nonverbal intelligence test (the Raven's Matrices), on a tactile-kinesthetic subtest (Berliner-Luria-Neuropsychologisches Verfahren f¿r Kinder), and on a developmental language test (Heidelberger Sprachentwick- lungstest) were compared. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the mean tactile-kinesthetic performance of both groups (3.1 vs. 4.0) who present a nearly identical nonverbal intelligence. Thirty-two percent of the formerly clinical group demonstrated a performance below the norm. Analysis of the laterality did not reveal significant differences in performance between left and right hand, neither in right-handers nor in left-handers of both groups. Nevertheless right-handers demonstrated on average a better somatosensory performance with their left hand. Mean language and tactile-kinesthetic performance correlate significantly in the formerly clinical group (r = 0.45, p < 0.05), but not in the control group (r = 0.08). The formerly clinical group was inferior in performance to the normal subjects especially in complex functions as in the tactile discrimination of sharp/blunt and in topognosia.
Kiese-Himmel
C
C
Abteilung Phoniatrie/Pädaudiologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Deutschland.
Kruse
E
E
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007699:Kinesthesis; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014110:Touch
Höhere taktile und kinästhetische Funktionen bei ehemals sprech-/ sprachentwicklungsgestörten Kindern: eine neuropsychologische Studie.