Using neuropsychological profiles to classify neglected children with or without physical abuse.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is twofold: First, to investigate whether cognitive functions can contribute to differentiating neglected children with or without physical abuse compared to comparison participants; second, to demonstrate the detrimental impact of children being victimized by a combination of different types of maltreatment.


METHODS
Seventy-nine children aged 6-12 years and currently receiving Child Protection Services because of one of two types of maltreatment (neglect with physical abuse, n=56; neglect without physical abuse, n=28) were compared with a control group of 53 children matched for age, gender, and annual family income. The neuropsychological assessment focused on motor performance, attention, memory and learning, visual-motor integration, language, frontal/executive functions, and intelligence.


RESULTS
Discriminant analysis identified auditory attention and response set, and visual-motor integration (Function 1), and problem solving, abstraction, and planning (Function 2) as the two sets of variables that most distinguished the groups. Discriminant analysis predicted group membership in 80% of the cases. Children who were neglected with physical abuse showed cognitive deficits in auditory attention and response set, and visual-motor integration (Function 1) and problem solving, abstraction, and planning (Function 2). Children who were neglected without physical abuse differed from the control group in that they obtained lower scores in auditory attention and response set, and visual-motor integration (Function 1). Surprisingly, these same children demonstrated a greater capacity for problem solving, abstraction, and planning (Function 2) than the physically abused neglected and control children.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study underscores the relevance of neuropsychology to maltreatment research. The results support the heterogeneity of cognitive deficits in children based on different types of maltreatment and the fact that neglect with physical abuse is more harmful than neglect alone.
Nolin
Pierre
P
Groupe de Recherche et d'intervention en Négligence, Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, C.P. 500 Trois-Rivières, Qué G9A 5H7, Canada.
Ethier
Louise
L
D001288:Attention; D001307:Auditory Perception; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002663:Child Language; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires