Impaired tactual perception in children with Down's syndrome

Using standardized neuropsychological tests, tactual finger discrimination, graphaesthesia and stereognosis were studied in a group of 11 children aged 7-11 years with Down's syndrome (DS). All tasks were solved without visual control. The performance was subnormal in each test and the results of the stereognosis test were particularly poor. It was ascertained that the DS children could understand test instructions. Moreover, under visual control all objects used in the stereognosis test were handled correctly. The results suggest that tactual perception is subnormal in children with DS. The pathogenesis of the somatosensory abnormalities should be explored.