title: Learning disabilities spectrum and sexual dimorphic abilities in girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
abstract: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia could provide a promising model for the study of the effects of hormones on cognition. The aim of this study was to assess sexual dimorphic abilities related to oral language, spatial abilities, and verbal fluency and to determine the existence of learning disabilities in 11 congenital girls with adrenal hyperplasia compared with 11 healthy girls. Both groups underwent a neuropsychological evaluation using the Child Neuropsychological Assessment battery for Spanish-speaking children. Results showed that the congenital adrenal hyperplasia group had a significantly lower performance than the control group in the repetition and expression domains, right-left comprehension task, and verbal semantic fluency task. A higher incidence of learning disabilities (predominantly reading related) in the patient group compared with their controls was also evident. Thus, the presence of weak verbal areas along with a high incidence of learning disabilities related primarily, though not exclusively, to reading was documented in these girls.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Departamento de Estudios en Educación Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico. oinozem@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Inozemtseva
authors.forename: Esmeralda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matute
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Juárez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000312:Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001076:Aptitude; D002648:Child; D032882:Comprehension; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011340:Problem Solving; D011594:Psychometrics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012660:Semantics; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D014888:Wechsler Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data