Parent Ratings of Executive Functioning in Children with Shunted Hydrocephalus

Abstract

Objectives: The present study examined the executive functioning of a group of children with a history of communicating hydrocephalus and how their level of functioning was correlated with parent ratings of executive functioning. Methods: The study examined the executive functioning of 39 shunted children with a history of hydrocephalus and 20 healthy peers. Additionally, parents of both groups of children completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) to assess the parents’ perceptions of their children’s executive functioning. Finally, the study investigated the relationship between the shunted hydrocephalus children’s executive functioning and the parent ratings of their executive functioning. Results: Overall, the children with a history of shunted hydrocephalus displayed more executive dysfunction than their healthy peers. These children were rated by their parents as having more executive dysfunction than their healthy peers and displaying working memory, initiation, mental flexibility and self-monitoring difficulties, which appear to increase with age among the shunted hydrocephalus group. While parent ratings as measured by the BRIEF indices did not correlate with all executive tasks within the shunted hydrocephalus group, the cognitive tests assessing mental flexibility may be sensitive to the problems noted by parents at home. Conclusions: The children with a history of shunted hydrocephalus displayed executive functioning deficits on formal examination. The parents of children with a history of shunted hydrocephalus report ongoing executive difficulties which may increase with age.

Will electronic integrated text, visual and audio questionnaire be a better tool to evaluate the health status of paediatric hydrocephalus patients?

“…Also with 50% having difficulty following instruction and 1/3 having trouble counting with some having short and long-term memory problems emphasized the fact that children with hydrocephalus are likely to have executive function deficit. Such results are in keeping with study published by Lacy M et al [16,18].…”

“…In many children, cognitive dysfunction can be subtle and difficult to pick up. This includes impairment in overall intelligence, verbal intelligent quotient (IQ), spatial navigation, executive functioning, learning, memory and/or processing information [1,[16][17][18][19][20].…”

“…A paper written by Tarazi RA et al in 2008 described a strong correlation between executive function skills deficit in patients with myelomeningocele and hydrocephalus [57]. In 2012, a study by Lacy M et al stated that there is a strong relationship between hydrocephalus and executive function deficit [18].…”

“…Furthermore, parents of children with hydrocephalus noted that executive function deficit among their child were more obvious as age increases [18]. Another study published by Persson EK et al in 2006 also noted that 47% of children with infantile hydrocephalus had various learning disabilities [22].…”

“…In many children, cognitive dysfunction can be subtle and difficult to pick up. This includes impairment in overall intelligence, verbal intelligent quotient (IQ), spatial navigation, executive functioning, learning, memory and/or processing information [1,[16][17][18][19][20].A review by Kulkarni in 2010 stated that only 20% of children with hydrocephalus would lead a near-normal quality of life [21]. Otherwise, majority of children with hydrocephalus often suffered from various symptoms and signs affecting their quality of life.…”