COGNITIVE-DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS FOLLOWING REPAIR OF TRANSPOSITION OF THE GREAT-ARTERIES

Background To study the effect of transposition of the great arteries on later cognitive functioning. Patients Twentyeight children and adolescents underwent psychometric testing 3.5 to 13.7 years following operation. Methods A battery of intelligence, attention and visual memory tasks as well as the Draw-a-Man-Test were administered. Parents completed standardized questionnaires on developmental milestones. Results Both, mean verbal (93 +/- 15) and performance IQs (97+/-21) were normal. The length of interval between operation and psychologic test but not age at repair was a significant predictor of intelligence quotient. Half of the children (9/18) showed attention deficits, 7/11 (64%) were identified as suspect of brain dysfunction. Performance on the Draw-a-Man-Test disclosed 12 (43%) as slightly mentally retarded. Conclusions (1) Cognitive functions in children with TGA are more impaired than suggested by the results of intelligence tests. (2) Psychological and neurologic follow-up should be mandatory from early on. (3) Previous studies have overestimated children's intelligence due to unrecognized changes of test norms.