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Abstract: Children with hemophilia have been found to score lower in academic achievement tests, specifically in reading, spelling and math. The Hemophilia Growth and Development Study (HGDS) attributed these lower test scores to hemophilia-related morbidity. Children within the HGDS were found to differ markedly from one another based on the severity of their hemophilia. Children with coordination and gait abnormalities were found to consistently achieve lower test scores in reading, spelling and math than did those with less pronounced physical characteristics of severe hemophilia. It is the this study’s suggestion that lower academic achievement is associated with the child’s functional severity. |
Key words: Neurological, Neuropsychiatric, Gait, (WRAT-R) Wide range achievement test-revised, (HGDS) Hemophilia Growth and Development Study |
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Discussion: This study, like the Shapiro et al research, set out to assess the HGDS study results and to explore the effects of hemophilia-related morbidity on the participants’ cognitive functioning and academic achievement. The HGDS was a longitudinal, multicenter investigation of 307 male children and adolescents with moderate or severe hemophilia. These children were treated primarily with on-demand care for bleeding episodes. All children received an extensive medical investigation as a part of the study. Additionally, participants were asked to complete the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children and the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised in order to evaluate their academic achievement. Physical functionality, namely gait abnormalities and coordination, were examined as they related to academic achievement.
Results: The authors assert that the severity of hemophilia-related morbidity, such as coordination and gait abnormalities, has a measurable effect on test results of general intelligence and academic achievement. The authors stratified their findings into three groups as follows: Those children with normal functionality (coordination and gait) achieved the highest Wechsler and WRAT-R scores, those children with transient abnormal coordination and gait scored in the middleground, and those children with permanent abnormal coordination and gait scored lowest. Summary of Study 4
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Click on the link at left to go to your desired page: Intro Objectives Study 1 Study 2 Study 3 Study 4 Study 5 Post-Test