Cognitive function and performance of everyday activities in adults with spina bifida.
Dorothee Riedel, Göran Hagman, Dido Green and 1 others
PMID 34448489WHAT IT FOUND
Adults with spina bifida showed poor daily living skills and cognitive deficits, even without intellectual disability.
Psychomotor speed and executive function correlated with ADL performance. Clinicians should screen for these specific deficits to guide support, as standard cognitive tests may miss key functional issues.
Key findings
01All participants scored below the cut-off for independent motor ability in daily activities, and most scored below the cut-off for process ability.
02Even adults without intellectual disability who completed compulsory education performed below reference values on cognitive tests and had poor daily activity performance.
03Psychomotor speed (Coding) and visuospatial executive function (Block Design) correlated positively with both motor and process ability in daily activities.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Small sample size (n=35) limits generalizability. High prevalence of hydrocephalus (97%) in the study group compared to the general spina bifida population (63%) may mean cognitive abilities were lower than typical. Some participants were assessed to determine eligibility for support services, which may have influenced their performance or motivation. Data were collected over up to 5 years, introducing potential variability. Several cognitive tests used were non-standardized and lacked reliability or validity data.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board in Stockholm.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that adults with spina bifida who have completed compulsory education and have no intellectual disability have normal cognitive function or daily living skills. This study found that even this 'high-functioning' subgroup performed below reference values on cognitive tests and had poor AMPS scores, indicating significant functional limitations that require support.