Article

The aim of this study was to describe speech, expressive language, and
verbal cognition of children with cerebral palsy (CP). METHOD: A population study
included 152 Icelandic children with congenital CP (74 males, 78 females; mean
age 5y 5mo, range 4y-6y 6mo). Children who spoke in sentences, phrases, or
one-word utterances were categorized as verbal. Speech was classified as normal,
mild dysarthria, or severe dysarthria. Cognition was reported as IQ (Wechsler
Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Revised) or developmental quotient
(DQ). RESULTS: Most children (81%) had spastic CP and bilateral symptoms (76%);
74 (49%) were at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level I, 27%
at levels II and III, and 24% at levels IV and V (p<0.001). One hundred and
twenty-eight children (84%) communicated verbally whereas 24 were nonverbal.
Nonverbal status and severe dysarthria were associated with greater motor
impairment (GMFCS; p<0.001). Twenty-five children (16%) had severe dysarthria.
Most (88%) of the nonverbal children had multiple disabilities compared with 18%
of the verbal group (p<0.001). Median (interquartile range) verbal IQ was 93
(73-104) and performance IQ 77 (61-94; p<0.001). Sixty-eight children (45%) had
normal verbal cognition and almost a quarter of the children with severe
dysarthria had a full-scale IQ/DQ of 70. INTERPRETATION: Most children with CP
express sentences and almost half of them have normal verbal IQ. Nonverbal status
frequently indicates multiple impairments whereas severe dysarthria may be
associated with normal cognition.
CI - (c) The Authors. Journal compilation (c) Mac Keith Press 2010.

Langue : ANGLAIS