Can IQ predict parent-reported behavioral and emotional problems in children with neurological deficiencies?
Janneke C A W Peijnenborgh1, Sandra A M van Abeelen1, Petra P M Hurks2
1Kempenhaeghe, Department of Neurological Learning Disabilities, P.O. Box 61, 5590 AB Heeze, The Netherlands.
Insights
Total intelligence scores (FSIQ) predict fewer behavioral issues in children with neurological deficiencies, while verbal-performance IQ discrepancies do not. Boys and younger children reported more problems.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Neurological deficiencies can impact cognitive and emotional development in children.
- Understanding predictors of behavioral and emotional problems is crucial for early intervention.
- Intelligence assessment, including full-scale IQ (FSIQ) and specific cognitive discrepancies, is often part of the diagnostic process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if full-scale intelligence scores (FSIQ) predict behavioral or emotional problems in children with neurological deficiencies.
- To investigate if a discrepancy between verbal and performance intelligence scores (VIQ-PIQ) predicts behavioral or emotional problems.
- To analyze the influence of demographic variables (age, sex) alongside intelligence metrics on child behavior and emotions.
Main Methods:
- Study population: 610 children (6-17 years) with neurological deficiencies referred to a tertiary outpatient clinic.
- Intelligence assessment: Dutch Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - third edition (WISC-III-NL) to calculate FSIQ and VIQ-PIQ discrepancy.
- Statistical analysis: Linear and logistic regression models used to analyze the predictive effects of FSIQ, VIQ-PIQ discrepancy, age, and sex on parent-rated behavioral and emotional questionnaires.
Main Results:
- The VIQ-PIQ discrepancy was not found to be a significant predictor of behavioral or emotional problems.
- Higher FSIQ scores were associated with a decrease in reported behavioral and emotional problems.
- Increasing age correlated with fewer reported problems, and boys exhibited more problems than girls.
Conclusions:
- While VIQ-PIQ discrepancies do not predict behavioral or emotional issues, FSIQ, age, and sex are significant factors.
- Higher overall intelligence (FSIQ) and older age are linked to fewer behavioral and emotional problems in this population.
- Boys with neurological deficiencies tend to show more behavioral and emotional problems compared to girls, aligning with neuropsychological principles of brain damage impact.
Objective:
The aim of the current study was to investigate whether total intelligence scores (FSIQ) and/or a discrepancy in intelligence can predict behavioral or emotional problems in children with neurological deficiencies.
Method:
The population consists of children with neurological deficiencies (N = 610, ranging from 6 to 17 years), referred due to concerns on the (educational) development of the child to a tertiary outpatient clinic. All children were tested with the Dutch Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - third edition (WISC-III-NL). A VIQ-PIQ discrepancy score was calculated by subtracting the performance capacities of the verbal capacities. The effects of demographic variables, FSIQ, and the VIQ-PIQ discrepancy on two parent-rated questionnaires measuring behavior and emotions in children were analyzed with linear and logistic regression models.
Results And Conclusion:
The VIQ-PIQ discrepancy was not predictive of behavioral or emotional problems recorded on the above-mentioned parent-rated questionnaires. The FSIQ score, age, and sex were predictive to some extent: increases in age and FSIQ led to a decrease of reported problems, and boys showed more problems than girls. Children with neurological deficiencies had on average significantly higher verbal capacities than performance capacities, in line with the neuropsychological principle that language survives brain damage whereas performance capacities are more affected.
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