Association between type of cerebral palsy and the cognitive levels

Abstract

Background Cerebral palsy is the main cause of physical disability during childhood. Assessment is necessary to acknowledge the level of intelligence of the patients and to prevent impairments in order to plan the prompt intervention. Objectives To evaluate the cognitive levels of cerebral palsy and association between cognitive levels and its types. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study on subjects from Sekolah Luar Biasa Negeri 3 Yogyakarta. Intelligence was measured using the Stanford-Binet intelligence scales, whereas diagnosis of cerebral palsy was based on criteria of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy (AACP). Data were analyzed using chi-square test. Results There were 35 subjects, comprising of 21 boys and 14 girls aged 5-18 years. The results show that in general, children with cerebral palsy had mental retardation in several cognitive levels. Children with hemiplegia type (1 subject) had IQ level that equals to mental retardation. Children with spastic diplegia type (6 subjects) showed borderline IQ (1) and mental retardation (5). Children with quadriplegia type ( 15 subjects) had superior IQ (1), borderline (7) and mental retardation (7). Out of 13 subjects with athetoid type 2, had borderline IQ (2), and mental retardation (11). The statistical analysis with chi-square test resulted in P = 0.114 (P < 0.05). Conclusion Our data showed that most patients with cerebral palsy had mental retardation of several cognitive level but there was no significant association between each type of cerebral palsy with cognitive levels.

Keywords

• cerebral palsy
• children, cognitive level