Development of language, memory, and visuospatial abilities in 5‐ to 12‐year‐old children using a neuropsychological battery

Abstract

A neuropsychological battery was given to 233 normal children ages 5 to 12 years. Participants were balanced according to (a) age (5 to 6, 7 to 8, 9 to 10, or 11 to 12 years old), (b) socioeconomic level (high or low), and (c) sex. A 4 × 2 × 2 design was thus obtained with an average of 15 subjects in each cell. For the neuropsychological battery, language was assessed via the Boston Naming Test (BNT; Kaplan, Goodglass, & Weintraub, 1983), Token Test‐shortened version (De Renzi & Faglioni, 1978), and verbal fluency, both semantic and phonologic. Memory was assessed via the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS; Wechsler, 1945) and a Sequential Verbal Memory Test Visuospatial abilities were assessed by Rey‐Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) copy and immediate reproduction and by recognition of superimposed Poppelreuter‐type figures. Sex of subject was a significant variable in three of the tests (BNT, ROCF‐copy, and ROCF‐memory), and socioeconomic level was significant in seven of them (BNT, Token Test, semantic verbal fluency, phonologic verbal fluency, WMS, Sequential Verbal Memory, and recognition of superimposed figures). Three factors were.found in a factor analysis of the WMS (a General Memory factor, an Attentional factor, and a Verbal Memory factor) in which delayed recall for Logical Memory, Visual Reproduction, and Associative Learning subtests was included. Some statistically significant correlations between performance in neuropsychological tests and academic performance were found. Normative results for the neuropsychological battery test are presented.