[Psychological functions in children treated for acute lymphatic leukemia. A 5-year follow-up of three different age groups of children]

Abstract

All the children, five girls and ten boys aged 8-16 years, mean 11 years, with acute lymphoblastic leukemia which had been diagnosed in 1980, 1981 or 1983 and was still in remission in 1990, were examined. The treatment included intratecal methotrexate, but no irradiation. Mean age at the time of diagnosis was 4.5 years. All the WISC-R IQ-scores were within the normal range (mean Full Scale IQ 109, range 93-142). Six children had a high negative Verbal/Performance split score (mean +/- 23, range -15 to -33). This indicated dysfunction in verbal compared with nonverbal problem solving ability. Only one child had a high positive WISC-R split score (+23). Except for one child, all the scores on the Visual-Motor Integration Test were within the normal range. The Achenbach checklists were completed by parents and teachers. A small increase was found in the total problem scores, but most of the children were evaluated as well adapted.