Neuropsychological functioning in children with non-syndromic cleft of the lip and/or palate.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluate neuropsychological functioning in children with non-syndromic cleft of the lip and/or palate (NSCL/P) through profile variance within type of cleft and comparisons to controls.


METHODS
Children ages 7 to 17 years participated; 66 had a diagnosis of NSCL/P and 87 were healthy controls. Neuropsychological tests of language, visual-perceptual, executive functioning, and memory skills were administered. Between- and within-group differences were assessed.


RESULTS
Within cleft types, children with NSCLP had an even profile with equal Verbal and Performance IQ (VIQ and PIQ, respectively). Children with non-syndromic cleft palate only (NSCP) had significantly lower VIQ than PIQ, while children with non-syndromic cleft lip only (NSCL) showed a nonsignificant trend for higher VIQ than PIQ. Overall, subjects with NSCL/P performed lower on measures of expressive language and verbal memory than controls.


CONCLUSIONS
While deficits in verbal and memory skills for children with NSCL/P remain apparent, there is still uncertainty around the possible influence of cleft type on the pattern of deficits.
Conrad
Amy Lynn
AL
The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Psychiatry Research, and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Otolaryngology, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. Amy-L-Conrad@uiowa.edu
Richman
Lynn
L
Nopoulos
Peg
P
Dailey
Scott
S
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000523:psychology*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests