COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND ACADEMIC-PERFORMANCE IN CHILDREN WITH NEUROFIBROMATOSIS TYPE-1

The authors evaluated 51 consecutive children with NF1 (aged eight to 16 years) to determine the frequency of intelectual impairment and lea rning disability due to NF1 alone, the profile of learning disabilitie s and the effect of clinical variables. 40 children completed the full assessment protocol. There was no support for a profile of predominan tly visuoperceptual deficits in the NF1 population. There was no discr epancy between verbal and performance IQ, and the deficits in function were wide ranging. Clinical variables such as age, sex, socio-economi c status, disease severity. macrocephaly and family history of NF1 wer e not associated with cognitive deficits. These results emphasise the need for developmental evaluation to br included in the routine assess ment of children with NF1.