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Neuropsychological Profile of Intellectually Gifted Children: A Systematic Review
Aurélie Bucaille1,2, Christophe Jarry2, Justine Allard3
1Learning Disabilities Reference Center, Brest University Hospital, Brest, France.
Summary
Intellectually gifted (IG) children show advanced skills in areas like attention and language compared to typically developing (TD) peers. However, many cognitive functions are similar, and IG children can experience learning disabilities.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Intellectually gifted (IG) children are defined by high intelligence quotient (IQ).
- A key assumption is that IG children possess unique cognitive profiles with both strengths and weaknesses compared to typically developing (TD) peers.
- Understanding these cognitive differences is crucial for targeted educational and developmental support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review empirical studies on the cognitive functions and academic performances of intellectually gifted children.
- To verify the assumption of cognitive strengths and weaknesses in IG children relative to TD peers.
- To identify discrepancies and similarities in cognitive profiles between IG and TD children.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a systematic literature search, identifying 15 relevant studies from 658 initial articles.
- Utilized the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) model for study selection.
- Performed a qualitative summary to analyze and compare cognitive function data.
Main Results:
- Intellectually gifted children demonstrated superior abilities in attention, language, mathematics, verbal working memory, shifting, and social problem-solving.
- Comparable skill levels were observed between IG and TD children in visuospatial processing, general memory, planning, inhibition, and visual working memory.
- Facial recognition skills were also found to be similar between the two groups.
Conclusions:
- While IG children exhibit specific cognitive strengths, many studies do not reveal significant differences across a broad range of cognitive measures compared to TD peers.
- Learning disabilities can affect academic achievement in IG children, highlighting the heterogeneity within this population.
- Further research is essential to address methodological challenges and explore the complexities of giftedness.
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