Cognitive Functioning and Spatial Abilities in Adolescent Turner's Syndrome Patients.

The association of spatial deficits and lower Performance IQ (PIQ) scores in Turner Syndrome Patients (TSP) has been observed since 1962. However, conflicting results have been reported regarding the nature of their spatial deficits. This study was undertaken to examine the nature of cognitive and spatial abilities in TSP of normal intelligence. A Neuropsychological Battery of st and ardized tests was administered to 14 TSP, ages 13-19. These patients comprised 86% of patients from the Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, who met the study's criteria. Patient scores were compared to the Test Battery's st and ardized norms by Univariate t-tests. No differences were found in Wechsler subtest scores used in previous studies to measure spatial abilities (Block Design, Object Assembly, WISC-R). Additionally, patients excelled in verbal abstract reasoning and verbal comprehension (p < .01) and demonstrated superior social judgment (p < .05). Pairwise t-test did not reveal differences in these spatial measures when the sample was divided into Bright (110+) and Average (109-80) Verbal IQ (VIQ) groups. Although their PIQ's were within the average range, patient's VIQ's were significantly higher (p < .01). Verbal-Performance (V-P) differences are discussed within the context of the normal V-P discrepancies in Wechsler's original st and ardized sample. Patients did have a significant (p < .01) impairment on measures involving the cognitive process of visual memory. Findings suggest that a specific spatial deficit is not present in TSP of average or above intelligence. Patients in this sample did, however, demonstrate an impairment in visual memory.PhDDevelopmental psychologyUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/158480/1/8125150.pd