Psychological and electroencephalographic study in school children with iron deficiency

Two groups were chosen from a randomly selected group of one hundred 6-12 years old primary school children. One group was formed by iron deficient (ID), not anemic children, and a control group (C) by iron replete children. Both groups, matched by age, sex, and sociocultural level, were studied using WISC-R, a computerized test of learning (DEL) and a qEEG. The WISC-R test showed that ID children had significantly lower values in WISC items of information, comprehension and verbal, performance and full scale IQ than C children. On the other hand, the EEG power spectrum showed more theta energy in all leads using Laplacian montage and more delta energy in frontal areas using referential montage in ID than in C children. It was found that beside the well known effect of iron deficiency upon intellectual performance during childhood, the EEG power spectrum of ID children had a slower activity than in iron replete children suggesting a developmental lag and/or a CNS dysfunction.