Superior performance in WAIS-R block design among top-level rugby players.
OBJECTIVE
Following a report that a well-known soccer player achieved a perfect score on the Block Design subtest of WAIS-R, WAIS-R was conducted on 31 skilled rugby players.


METHODS
Twenty-seven of the 31 players were recruited for further analyses.


RESULTS
In 14 of 27 players, Block Design scores were the highest of the 11 subtests. In addition to Block Design scores that exceeded the scores for the other subtests, the players' Block Design scores were also better than scores for the standard sample.


CONCLUSIONS
The Block Design is related to spatial cognitive ability. These results showed that highly skilled players of field and ball games possess high spatial cognitive abilities.
Kasahara
S
S
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikaragaoka, Fukushima City Fukushima 960-1295 Japan. namahage@king.odn.ne.jp
Mashiko
H
H
Niwa
S-I
SI
D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005538:Football / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014888:Wechsler Scales