Estimating premorbid intellectual functioning in children
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Estimating premorbid intellectual functioning in the paediatric population and developing a reliable means for quantifying abnormal change in cognitive functions as children develop.
IRAS ID
211474
Contact name
Bruce Downey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Aberdeen/NHS Grampian
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 0 days
Research summary
Brain-injury and neurological disease can seriously impair a child's cognitive functioning (i.e. skills such as memory) and intellectual development. This can have a devastating effect upon the child’s ability to successfully complete everyday tasks and thrive in their academic studies at school. Ultimately, this can severely affect future life outcomes.
Helpfully, specific treatments can be introduced to reduce the negative cognitive effects of neurological impairment; with implications for potentially improving outcomes. Consequently, it is vital that we have reliable ways of recording the presence and progression of impaired cognitive functioning in children. Unfortunately however, the traditionally used method for detecting cognitive impairment and documenting abnormal cognitive change in children over time is seriously flawed.
To explain, current convention to assessing for cognitive impairment in children involves comparing a child’s obtained test score against a group average. However, due to varying levels of ability across the population, this comparative method is not fit for purpose; as it can potentially mask true effects of disrupted brain functioning on cognition – particularly in the case of a child of above average previous ability that scores average on current assessment. The implications of this for poorly informing crucial treatment decisions and inadequately monitoring disease effects are worrying; with a significantly elevated risk that inaccurate conclusions are made about the presence or absence of disease or injury-related cognitive deterioration. This study aims to considerably reduce risk by providing clinicians with a more reliable means of documenting the cognitive effects of disease or injury; an issue critical to medical management.
To realise this aim, a group of schoolchildren (aged 6 to 17 years) from the general population will be recruited; with their cognitive functioning assessed on specific tests of interest. Participants will be assessed twice (12 months apart). Testing will last approximately 55 minutes on each occasion.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
19/WS/0150
Date of REC Opinion
22 Oct 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion