[Evaluation of maturity in drawing in childhood. II. Development and validation of a graphomotor test in a child with neuropsychiatric disability].
BACKGROUND
In a previous report the graphomotor test (GT) has been validated as a useful, simple, fast, valid and reliable tool for knowing the drawing maturation in childhood.


OBJECTIVE
In this report the data of validity and reliability of the graphomotor test in patients with diverse mental levels and diverse neurological and psychiatric disorders are presented.


METHODS
Two different studies were done: A) In a prospective study all patients (n= 349, aged 5-40) of a neurology and psychiatric department completed the test, and repeated it after 15-30 minutes. 276 of them were also studied with Wechsler test (WPPSI-R, WISC-R or WAIS-R) and in other 53 cases the mental level was known. The tests were scored blindly and separately by a neuropediatrician an a clinical psychologist. B) The results of all the cases (n= 1,001) studied with this test during the clinical consultation with their parents were analyzed.


CONCLUSIONS
1. The GT is a reliable tool for measuring the visuomotor level of children with diverse neuropsychiatric disorders and mental levels above IQ 50: Cronbach's alpha coefficient= 0,98 (test-retest) and= 0,98 (between different observers), and Pearson's r correlations> 0,92 (p< 0,001). The repetition of the test does not change the score. 2. The GT is a valid tool for measuring drawing maturation and the nonverbal intelligence in childhood. Pearson's correlations with verbal, performance and total Wechsler test IQ (VIQ, PIQ and TIQ) were significant (p< 0,01), the best of them were with the PIQ and with the spatial capability factor of Wechsler test (r= -0.58 to -0,72, p<0,001). 3. GT is a very sensitive screening test of the cognitive non-verbal level of patients, with a high negative predictive value (0,97), and this allows to select the cases to study by means of deeper neuropsychological tests. 4. It is a simple, fast and easy test to be done. It can be assessed in the same neurological or pediatric consultation, while talking with the parents. 5. The results are related with the mental level and with the age more than with the type of disorder. 6. GT is, therefore, proposed as another tool to add to the neurologic clinical examination.
Pascual Pascual
S I
SI
Servicio de Neurología Pediátrica; Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, 28046, España. jpascualp@hulp.insalud.es
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011386:Projective Techniques; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013997:Time Factors
Evaluación de la madurez para el dibujo en la infancia. II. Desarrollo y validación de un test grafomotor en el niño con discapacidad neuropsiquiátrica.