Fragmented visuospatial processing in children with pervasive developmental disorder.
Children diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger Syndrome (AS) may be characterised by a similar perceptual focus on details as children with autistic disorder (AD). This was tested by analysing their performance in a visuoperceptual task [the Children's Embedded Figure Test (CEFT)] and a graphic reproduction task [the Rey Complex Figure Task (Rey CFT)]. Control groups were children with Tourette Syndrome (TS) and typically developing children. The TS sample performed similarly to the normal control group in both tasks. The CEFT results did not show the expected preference for local processing in children with PDD-NOS. However, the Rey CFT data revealed that the children with this lesser variant of PDD processed visuospatial information in a fragmented way and were deficient in global processing.
Schlooz
Wim A J M
WA
Department of Child Psychiatry, UMCN St. Radboud ACKJON/de Lingewal, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. w.schlooz@RvAgroep.nl
Hulstijn
Wouter
W
van den Broek
Pieter J A
PJ
van der Pijll
Angela C A M
AC
Gabreëls
Fons
F
van der Gaag
Rutger J
RJ
Rotteveel
Jan J
JJ
D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019370:Observation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*