RESUMEN
The influence of neurological and demographic variables on neuropsychological test performance was examined in 100 9-to 16-year-old children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Regression analyses were conducted to determine the relative contributions of coma, neuroimaging findings, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender to variance in performance on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III), California Verbal Learning Test--Children's Version (CVLT-C), and the Children's Category Test. Both neurological and demographic variables contributed to performance on various WISC-III factor index scores as well as the CVLT-C. No evidence for a moderating effect of demographic variables was found, but speed of information processing mediated the effect of neurological and demographic variables on CLVT-C performance. It is concluded that demographic variables have an incremental effect on the neuropsychological test performance of children with TBI above and beyond the influence of injury severity.
Asunto(s)
Lesiones Encefálicas/diagnóstico , Pruebas Neuropsicológicas , Adolescente , Lesiones Encefálicas/fisiopatología , Niño , Femenino , Humanos , Pruebas de Inteligencia , Masculino , Medio Oeste de Estados Unidos , Psicometría , Análisis de Regresión , Factores SocioeconómicosRESUMEN
The performance of 100 9-16-year-old children with traumatic head injury (THI) on the Children's Category Test (CCT-2; Boll, 1993) was examined to determine the underlying factor structure. Exploratory principal factor analysis with oblique rotation identified a two-factor solution. Factor 1 was composed primarily of subtests IV, V, and VI, whereas Factor 2 was defined primarily by subtests III and VI. Age and Full Scale IQ, as measured by the Wechsler Intellectual Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III; Wechsler, 1991), were significantly related to both factors. Factor 1, but not Factor 2, demonstrated clear sensitivity to severity of THI. It is concluded that interpretation of the CCT-2 with children who have sustained a THI should consider the multifactorial nature of the instrument, and that exclusive reliance on the summary total error score may impede diagnostic accuracy.