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Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
Published on: June 20, 2020
Cognitive status of young adults with spina bifida
H A Barf1, M Verhoef, A Jennekens-Schinkel
1Rehabilitation Centre De Hoogstraat, Division Research and Development, Rembrandtkade 10, 3583 TM, Utrecht, the Netherlands. h.barf@wanadoo.nl
Abstract:
The cognitive status of 168 Dutch young adults (103 females, 65 males; mean age 20 years 9 months, age range 16 to 25 years) with spina bifida (SB) was examined. The main purpose was to establish the effect of the type of SB (occulta or aperta) and the effect of hydrocephalus (HC) within the group with SB aperta (AHC+). Results indicated, on average, a lower cognitive status of persons with AHC+ (n=111) than of persons with SB occulta (n=37) and of persons with SB aperta without HC (AHC-; n=20). Almost half the young adults with AHC+ had cognitive impairments of some sort. These included more domain specific impairments (70%) as well as a more general cognitive deficit (30%). Cognitive status of persons with SB occulta and of those with AHC- was similar to that in the healthy population. The presence of associated pathology, rather than SB per se, has a negative effect on cognitive status.
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