Visual-spatial functioning as an early indicator of socioemotional difficulties

• Published in: Developmental neurorehabilitation Vol. 12; no. 5; pp. 313 - 319
• Main Authors: Tonks, James, Yates, Phil, Slater, Alan, Williams, W. Huw, Frampton, Ian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa UK Ltd 2009; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Factors; Behaviour; Brain Injuries - physiopathology; Brain Injuries - psychology; Brain injury; Child; Cognition - physiology; Discrimination (Psychology) - physiology; Emotions - physiology; Executive function; Executive Function - physiology; Female; Humans; Male; Neuropsychological Tests; Paediatrics; Social Behavior; Socioemotional difficulties; Space Perception - physiology; Spatial Behavior - physiology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Visual Perception - physiology; Visual-Spatial performance
• ISSN: 1751-8423; 1751-8431; 1751-8431
• DOI: 10.3109/17518420903087913

Primary objective: As children with acquired brain injuries (ABI) mature to become adolescents they develop a range of previously undetected social and emotional difficulties, which are commonly associated with executive dysfunctions. The authors wanted to determine whether visual-spatial performance is subject to age-related improvement, whether such skills can differentiate between children with ABI and healthy children and whether visual-spatial performance is a correlate of socioemotional functioning. Research design: The 'Cube analysis' and 'Dot discrimination' tests from the 'Visual Object Space Perception (VOSP)' battery and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were administered for 18 children, 9-15 years, with ABI and compared against 67 'healthy' children. Results: Cube analysis scores improved significantly at ∼10 years old in the control group. The ABI group performed the task significantly poorer than controls. Analysis indicated that visual discrimination skill did not account for performance difficulties. Visual-spatial performance was correlated with greater impact of reported difficulties on the SDQ. Conclusions: Visual-spatial tests are sensitive in differentiating between healthy children and children with ABI. Impairment of visuo-spatial skills may provide an index of psychosocial risk during later teenage years and adulthood.