title: Assessment of cognitive function in children with beta-thalassemia major: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: Multiple risk factors contribute to cognitive impairment in children with β-thalassemia major. For a more refined understanding of this issue, we attempted to evaluate cognitive function in β-thalassemia major patients and identify the relationship between possible cognitive dysfunction and the following: demography, transfusion and chelation characteristics, iron overload, and disease complications. We studied 100 β-thalassemia major children and 100 healthy controls who matched well in terms of age, sex, and socioeconomic status. All participants underwent psychometric assessment using Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition, Arabic version. The mean Full-Scale IQ and Performance IQ of patients were significantly lower than those of controls, whereas no significant difference was found for Verbal IQ. No significant relationship existed between IQ and any of the assessed parameters. We concluded that Performance IQ, not Verbal IQ, was significantly affected in β-thalassemia major patients, but there was no clear association between IQ and any of the parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
authors.forename: Nelly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Raafat
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
authors.forename: Usama
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: El Safy
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
authors.forename: Nahed
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khater
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt dr.tamerhassan@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
authors.forename: Basheir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siam
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
authors.forename: Amira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Youssef
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
authors.forename: Amany
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Shabrawy
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: IQ; cognitive; thalassemia