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Abstract:
Prior studies indicate that children with early-onset focal
brain damage, whether of the left hemisphere (LH) or right
hemisphere (RH), have a fairly good prognosis in terms of general
intellectual functioning. Full Scale IQ is typically in the low
average to average range, though still lower than would be
expected. There has been little research, however, on how these
children fare over time. As they get older (e.g., into the
elementary and high school years), does IQ remain stable, or does
it follow an upward or downward trajectory? The present study
examined the correlation of IQ with age in a cross-sectional sample
of 42 children with pre- or perinatal focal brain damage (22 LH and
20 RH) and 60 normal controls (CTLS), ages 6 to 20 years. Results
indicated that IQ (Full Scale, Verbal, and Performance) remained
stable over the school-years for all groups (LH, RH, CTLS). In the
LH and RH lesion groups, there was no evidence of "catching-up" or
"falling further behind" with age. These results have implications
for neural plasticity and intellectual prognosis, and serve as a
cognitive baseline against which to view other neuropsychological
functions in these children as they get older.
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