engleski

Cognitive outcome and MRI findings in cerebral palsy children in adolescence

Cognitive deficits due to a perinatal brain lesion are common in cerebral palsy, although there are also findings about normal cognitive outcome. Studies rarely followed these children until adolescence, so the purpose of this study is to relate cognitive outcome and MRI features of perinatal brain lesions in adolescence. The study is a part of long-term follow up of children with perinatal brain lesion (perinatal haemorrhagic and ischaemic lesion). Cognitive outcome and MRI parameters were assessed in 21 children, 13-16 years of age (mean 14 years, 11 months) with cerebral palsy (verified at the age of 2 years). Cognitive assessment in testable children included Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). Intellectual level in the sample ranged from above average intelligence to profound level of mental retardation (10 children were mentally retarded - four with mild retardation, two moderate and four children had severe or profound level of mental retardation). In children assessed with WISC significant difference between verbal and nonverbal aspects of cognitive functioning was found in favor of verbal subtests. Visuospatial deficits were observed in most children which coincide with reduction of posterior corpus callosum and pathological changes within the occipital lobe. It is proposed that general cognitive deficits are related to widely distributed reduction of the cerebral white matter, thinning of corpus callosum and enlargement of lateral ventricles found on MRI.

cognitive outcome; cerebral Palsy; magnetic resonance imaging

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