Visuospatial deficits in children 3-7 years old with shunted hydrocephalus.
OBJECTIVE
To define non-verbal intelligence deficits in children 3-7 years of age following shunted hydrocephalus (HCP).


METHODS
Prospective randomised single-blinded study. Thirty shunted HCP (study) and 30 cardiac (control) patients between the ages of 3 and 7 years were compared on eight non-verbal subtests of the Junior South African Individual Scales (JSAIS).


METHODS
Department of Neurosurgery at Wentworth Hospital, Durban, South Africa.


RESULTS
Significant differences between the HCP and cardiac groups were recorded on all eight subtests of the JSAIS. The HCP group experienced problems with spatial orientation, perceptual planning and organisation, emotive deficits, abstract thinking and visual concepts.


CONCLUSIONS
All patients with shunted HCP had specific deficiencies in defined cognitive areas of non-verbal intelligence when compared with the controls. Further studies are warranted to determine the effects of ventriculoperitoneal shunting on non-verbal intelligence so that the special educational needs of HCP children may be met.
Frank
Serena V
SV
School of Psychology, University of Durban-Westville.
Lazarus
Theophilus
T
Nathoo
Narendra
N
D000377:Agnosia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology