MRI FEATURES OF CEREBRAL-LESIONS AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN PRETERM SPASTIC DIPLEGIC CHILDREN

The aim of this study is to further clarify the relation between the p attern of cognitive impairment in spastic diplegic children born prete rm and MRI features of cerebral lesions, The cognitive profile by Wech sler Scale of a sample of 30 children aged 6 years, 8 months to 14 yea rs, 7 months was assessed, and the correlations between the Full Scale , Verbal, and Performance IQ and periventricular leukomalacia features on MRI were investigated, A significant difference was observed betwe en the mean Verbal and Performance IQ, indicating a specific failure i n the visuoperceptual functions of spastic diplegic children born pret erm, Periventricular leukomalacia was detected in all children, The se verity of ventricular dilatation, the degree and extent of white matte r reduction, optic radiation involvement, and the thinning of the post erior corpus callosum correlated significantly with the Full Scale and Performance IQ; no correlation was observed between the Verbal IQ and any of the MRI features analyzed, In spastic diplegic children, an MR I examination between the ages of 1 and 2 years may be helpful in pred icting a specific neuropsychological pattern of dysfunction and in def ining an early intervention program. (C) 1996 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.