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Intelligence Quotient (IQ) in Congenital Strabismus
Abbas Bagheri1, Mohammad Reza Fallahi, Shima Tamannaifard
1Ophthalmic Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
Patients with congenital strabismus demonstrate lower intelligence quotient (IQ) scores compared to the general population. This finding suggests potential genetic or strabismus-related factors influencing cognitive development in these individuals.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
Background:
- Congenital strabismus is a common ocular misalignment present from infancy.
- The impact of congenital strabismus on cognitive function, specifically intelligence quotient (IQ), remains an area requiring further investigation.
- Understanding potential cognitive deficits associated with strabismus is crucial for comprehensive patient care and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the intelligence quotient (IQ) in patients diagnosed with congenital strabismus.
- To compare the IQ scores of patients with congenital strabismus to the established normal population mean.
- To explore potential correlations between IQ and factors such as amblyopia, refractive error, and strabismus type.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study enrolled 109 consecutive patients with congenital strabismus scheduled for surgery over one year.
- Patients underwent evaluation for verbal, performance, and total IQ scores using standardized assessments.
- IQ scores were compared to the mean normal IQ of 100±15, with statistical analyses performed for various subgroups.
Main Results:
- The study included 109 patients (mean age 18.4±10.5 years), with 80% having less than high-school education.
- Mean verbal IQ was 87.2±19.6, performance IQ was 81±15.5, and total IQ was 83.5±18.3, all significantly lower than the normal population (P<0.01).
- Lower IQ levels were observed in patients with coexisting amblyopia and alternate deviations; urban residents had higher IQs than rural residents (P=0.02).
Conclusions:
- Patients with congenital strabismus exhibited significantly lower mean IQ scores compared to the normal population.
- The observed cognitive differences may be attributed to underlying genetic factors or acquired causes secondary to the strabismic condition.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the complex relationship between congenital strabismus and cognitive development.
Purpose:
To evaluate intelligence quotient (IQ) in patients with congenital strabismus.
Methods:
All patients with congenital strabismus scheduled for surgery were enrolled consecutively over a one year period in a cross-sectional study and were evaluated for verbal, performance and total IQ scores, and compared to the mean normal IQ of 100±15.
Results:
During the study period, 109 patients with mean age of 18.4±10.5 (range, 4-63) years were included. Educational status in most patients (80%) was less than high-school. Most patients (80%) lived in urban areas and 46 patients (42.2%) had some degrees of unilateral or bilateral amblyopia. Mean verbal IQ was 87.2±19.6 (range, 45-127), performance IQ was 81±15.5 (range, 44-111) and total IQ was 83.5±18.3 (range, 40-120). Total IQ was significantly lower in comparison to the normal population (P<0.01) and significantly higher in urban as compared to rural residents (85.1±19.5 versus 77.3±10.8 respectively, P=0.02). Patients with coexisting amblyopia and alternate deviation had lower IQ levels. Verbal IQ was insignificantly higher in myopes than emmetropes and hyperopes. IQ was better with vertical deviations and was higher in esotropes than exotropes; however, these differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05 for all comparisons).
Conclusion:
Patients with congenital strabismus in this study had lower mean IQ scores than the normal population which may be due to genetic background or acquired causes secondary to strabismus.
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