title: Visuospatial deficits in children 3-7 years old with shunted hydrocephalus.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Durban-Westville.
authors.forename: Serena V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Theophilus
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lazarus
authors.forename: Narendra
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nathoo
mesh_terms: 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