[On the intellectual capacity of patients suffering from ulcerative colitis--a comparative study using the...

Differing reports in the literature on the intellectual capabilities of patients with unspecific ulcerative colitis caused us to undertake a controlled test-psychological study. 30 patients with ulcerative colitis and 30 "healthy" control persons were tested with the Hamburg-Wechsler-Intelligenztest für Erwachsene (HAWIE). The patients and the controls were matched as regards age, sex, family status, education, professional status and monthly income. A statistical comparison using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test showed that the two groups did not differ significantly in their intelligence quotients. Our results seem to indicate that the assumption of extraordinary intellectual capabilities of patients with ulcerative colitis is not tenable.