Stability and change of cognitive attributes in children with uneven/delayed cognitive development from preschool
Pinchen Yang1, For-Wey Lung, Yuh-Jyh Jong
1Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University and Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Insights
Cognitive scores in children with developmental delay are moderately stable, but results should be interpreted cautiously. Male gender and initial IQ predict later scores in this Taiwanese study.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Background:
- Developmental delay impacts cognitive function in children.
- Understanding cognitive score stability is crucial for intervention planning.
- Data on cognitive outcomes in developing countries are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the stability and predictors of cognitive scores in Taiwanese children with developmental delay.
- To analyze cognitive changes in subgroups: non-autistic mental retardation (MR), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and developmental language disorder (DLD).
- To contribute data on cognitive outcomes for preschool children with developmental delay in a developing country.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal analysis of cognitive scores in 362 Taiwanese children (age 48.5±12.9 months) over 39.7±22.6 months.
- Subgroup analysis for MR (n=181), ASD (n=95), and DLD (n=64).
- General linear model used to identify predictors of follow-up cognitive scores.
Main Results:
- Mean cognitive scores improved from initial (IQ1=64.9±16.9) to follow-up (IQ2=72.2±19.7).
- Moderate correlation (r=0.73) between IQ1 and IQ2 for the whole group.
- Male gender and initial IQ were significant predictors of follow-up IQ; significant differences existed among diagnostic subgroups.
Conclusions:
- Preschool cognitive assessments are valid for children with developmental delay in developing countries.
- While many children maintained cognitive ranges, a notable minority showed drastic changes, necessitating cautious interpretation of initial results.
- Cognitive development is variable, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and tailored interventions.
Abstract:
As part of an ongoing clinical service program for children with developmental delay in an Asian developing country, we analyzed the cognitive attributes of 362 Taiwanese children (average age 48.5+/-12.9 month-old) with uneven/delayed cognitive development as they were assessed repeatedly with average duration of 39.7+/-22.6 months from preschool through early childhood. The objectives were to determine the stability and related factors in cognitive scores of these 362 children belonging to three diagnostic subgroups: 181 children with non-autistic mental retardation (MR), 95 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 64 children with mixed type developmental language disorder (DLD); and to contribute to the accumulation of data on cognitive outcome in preschool children with developmental delay. Analysis revealed that mean initial cognitive score (IQ1) was 64.9+/-16.9 while mean cognitive measure at follow-up (IQ2) was 72.2+/-19.7. Whole group analysis showed the correlation between IQ1 and IQ2 was moderate (r=0.73, p<0.001). Analysis by a general linear model showed only male gender (beta=4.95, p=0.02, C.I.=0.8-9.1) and IQ1 (beta=0.79, p<0.001, C.I.=0.68-0.90) to be significant predictors of IQ2. There were differences among three groups in IQ1 (p<0.001), IQ2 (p<0.001) and IQ change (p<0.001). Correlation coefficients of IQ1 and IQ2 were 0.6 for ASD group, 0.7 for MR group and 0.4 for DLD group respectively. The greatest proportion of children remained within the same cognitive range for both assessment points, however, it is noted that a substantial minority of children changed IQ ranges drastically from preschool through early childhood. Our results suggest that measurements of cognitive function at preschool age for children with developmental delay were valid in the context of a developing country, and the observed change in cognitive scores during follow-up emphasized the need to interpret the initial results of cognitive tests with caution.
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