Comparing Intelligence Quotient (IQ)among 3 to 7-year-old strabismic and nonstrabismic children in an Iranian population

Abstract

This study was designed to compare the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) among 3 to 7-year-old strabismic and nonstrabismic children in an Iranian population.In this cross-sectional study, 108 preschool children with equal numbers of strabismic/non-strabismic disorder (age 3–7 years) were randomly selected from exceptional strabismus clinics of Ahvaz and were evaluated with the preschool and primary scale of intelligence versions of Wechsler (WPPSI).In the current study, 108 children were evaluated. In strabismic patients the mean performance, verbal and total IQ were 89.46±19.79, 89.57±21.57 and 91.54±22.08 respectively. These mean scores in normal children were 91.89±47.53, 87.56±15.6 and 89.96±17.62consecuently. The results showed that these three different IQ subscales were not significantly different among 3 to 7 years old strabismic and nonstrabismic children ((P>0.05 for all comparisons). There was no significant difference in IQ between two sexes (P>0.05) while Persian tribe children had greater IQ score compared to other tribes (P<0.05). Also, higher paternal educational status of children related to higher IQ score. IQ score was better in combined deviations and was higher in exotropes than esotropes; however, these differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05).In this evaluation, we did not found a significant negative interference of strabismus on IQ score of preschool children. It can be concluded that paternal educational level and tribe have a significant effect on intelligent quotient, while this is not the case on sex and ocular deviation.

Characterization of Intelligence in Children with Exotropia

“…In this study, XT patients had higher IQ scores than X(T) patients, which is consistent with previous studies [17,18]. It has been shown that most XT patients are deteriorated from X(T) [36], and XT may present decompensated X(T) [37], indicating that XT and X(T) have the same etiological basis.…”

“…In a study of the Iranian population, Bagheri et al have reported that patients with congenital strabismus (mean age = 18.4 ± 10.5 years, range: 4–63) had a lower mean intelligence quotient (IQ) score than the normal population [17]. By contrast, Ghaderpanah et al adopted WPPSI (the preschool and primary scale of intelligence versions of Wechsler) test to evaluate 3 to 7-year-old strabismus Iranian children, and found that there was no difference in the verbal intelligence quotient, operational intelligence quotient, and total intelligence quotient between strabismus children and normal children, and no negative effect of strabismus on preschool children’s intelligence quotient was found [18]. Thus, the effect of strabismus on intelligence remains controversial.…”

“…However, there is no study focusing on the intelligence of exotropia children thus far. Both Bagheri and Mahboubeh found that exotropia patients have higher IQ scores than patients with other types of strabismus [17,18]. Nevertheless, they did not compare the difference between patients with exotropia and the normal population.…”

A study comparing intelligence scores of patients of hypermetropia and myopia in children

“…While the mechanism of the link between these two phenomena is not clearly understood and is confounded by a number of factors, there is evidence to suggest that both environmental and genetic factors may contribute to this relationship (26). In a study which done with 3 to 7-year-old Strabismic and Nonstrabismic Children in an Iranian Population, did not found a significant negative interference of strabismus on IQ score of preschool children (27). Considering all these studies, there seems to be a common genetic basis of between intelligence and myopia, in this respect, further studies on genetic regions are needed.…”