Cognition in specific learning disability.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the cognition abilities of children with specific learning disability (SpLD) viz. dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia with those of non-impaired children.


METHODS
The study group consisted of 95 newly diagnosed SpLD children (aged 9-14 years) and the control group consisted of 125 non-impaired children (aged 9-14 years). An academic achievement of two years below the actual grade placement on educational assessment with a Curriculum-Based test was considered diagnostic of SpLD. A battery of 13 cognition function tests based on Guilford's Structure of Intellect Model was administered individually on each child in four areas of information viz. figural, symbolic, semantic and behavioral. Mean scores +/- SD obtained in these four areas were calculated in both groups and compared using Independent Samples t-test. A P value < 0.05 was considered significant.


RESULTS
Children with SpLD had significantly lower scores (mean +/- SD) in all four areas of information: maximally in the symbolic area (18.66 +/- 4.83 vs. 28.30 +/- 4.29, mean difference 9.64, P < 0.0001, df = 218, 95% CI 8.43-10.86), followed by semantic (18.72 +/- 5.07 vs 27.36 +/- 4.17, mean difference 8.64, P < 0.0001, df = 218, 95% CI 7.40-9.87), figural (17.10 +/- 5.24 vs 25.14 +/- 3.36, mean difference 8.04, P < 0.0001, df = 218, 95% CI 6.89-9.19), and behavioral (5.68 +/- 2.10 vs 7.54 +/- 1.46, mean difference 1.86, P < 0.0001, df = 218, 95% CI 1.39-2.33) areas.


CONCLUSIONS
Cognition abilities are significantly impaired in children with SpLD.
Karande
Sunil
S
Department of Pediatrics, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital, Sion, Mumbai, India. karandesunil@yahoo.com
Sawant
Sulaxna
S
Kulkarni
Madhuri
M
Kanchan
Sandeep
S
Sholapurwala
Rukhshana
R
D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests