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[Neuropsychological consequences of craniosynostosis: Non-syndromic scaphocephaly]
I Verlut1, C Mottolese1, A Szathmari1
1Service de neurochirurgie, centre de référence des malformations craniofaciales, hôpital Femme-Mère-Enfant, université de Lyon 1, 59, boulevard Pinel, 69500 Bron, France.
Insights
Children with scaphocephaly often exhibit a distinct neuropsychological profile, including attention deficits and anxiety. This highlights the need for specialized developmental follow-up for these children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Surgery
Background:
- Scaphocephaly is associated with cognitive and mood profile alterations.
- The specific impact of scaphocephaly on neuropsychological development requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of scaphocephaly on the neuropsychological profile, particularly executive functions.
- To compare the cognitive and mood profiles of children with scaphocephaly to those with trigonocephaly.
Main Methods:
- Compared 19 children operated on for scaphocephaly (age >5 years) with 10 children operated on for trigonocephaly.
- Utilized IQ tests, attention tasks, and mood scales.
- Described younger children (2-4 years) with scaphocephaly and non-operated children with scaphocephaly.
Main Results:
- No significant IQ changes were observed in either group.
- Attention deficit and anxiety disorder were more prevalent in the scaphocephaly group.
- Scaphocephaly group showed impaired inhibitory visual control, while trigonocephaly group had impaired auditory verbal working memory.
Conclusions:
- Children with scaphocephaly present a specific neuropsychological profile during development.
- Early and ongoing specialized follow-up is recommended for children with scaphocephaly and their families.
- Findings emphasize the importance of tailored developmental support centers.
Background:
Scaphocephaly increases the rate of some modifications of cognitive and mood profile in a manner that remains to be elucidated.
Objective:
We aimed to describe the impact of scaphocephaly on neuropsychological profile and more particularly on the executive functions.
Patients And Methods:
An experimental group of 19 children older than 5 years, operated on for scaphocephaly, was compared with a control group of 10 children operated on for trigonocephaly, using IQ tasks, attention tasks and mood scales. A group of 6 children from 2 to 4 years old, operated on for scaphocephaly, and a group of 6 children with non-operated scaphocephaly are also described.
Results:
Both the experimental group and the control group showed unchanged IQ, whereas attention deficit and anxiety disorder were more frequent in the experimental group. Cognitive profiles differed between groups, with a higher rate of impaired inhibitory control of visual processing in the scaphocephaly group, contrasting with a higher rate of impaired auditory verbal working memory in the trigonocephaly group. Comparable profiles were also found in groups of younger or non-operated children with scaphocephaly.
Conclusions:
Many children with scaphocephaly must cope with a specific neuropsychological profile throughout development. This study suggests the interest for these children and their families of specific follow-up in reference centers.
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