TEMPERAMENT PROFILES OF CHILDREN WITH VEIN OF GALEN MALFORMATIONS

Unlike many brain injured children who are often rather difficult, tod dlers and school-aged children with congenital vein of Galen malformat ions (n = 20; age range, 4 months to 12 years with a mean of 4 years) evidence a relatively positive temperament profile (based on the Tempe rament Scales of Carey, McDevitt, Fullard, Hegvik, Medoff-Cooper). The y do not, however, differ from normal children with regard to the freq uency of easy, difficult, slow to warm up, and intermediate temperamen t clusters. The temperament profile of children with vein of Galen mal formations appears unaffected by additional neurologic abnormalities ( hydrocephalus, abnormal developmental quotient, seizure disorder, foca l cortical lesions) or other factors including age at testing, sex, or socioeconomic status. Contrary to the findings in adults of right hem isphere dominance for attention, presence of additional right-sided fo cal cortical pathology was not associated with greater activity level, distractibility, or impersistence. In contrast to the findings in adu lts and children of right hemisphere dominance for emotions in general , children with vein of Galen malformations and additional right hemis phere cortical damage are not more difficult than those with additiona l left cortical pathology or no additional focal cortical pathology. T he fact that the pathology in vein of Galen malformations is subcortic al may explain their relatively easier temperament and the absence of lateralization effects.