Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate neurologic development in children with albinism. Design: Observational cohort series. Participants and/or Controls: Seventy-eight children with albinism, ages 4 to 18 years. Methods: Parents completed a developmental questionnaire and were interviewed to evaluate their child for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) utilizing Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV criteria. Sixty-five children underwent neurologic evaluation of balance and fine and gross motor movements. Results were compared with age-appropriate norms. Standardized reading tests were administered to 44 children. Each of 7 neurodevelopmental parameters were compared in terms of binocular best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) using the nonparametric Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Main Outcome Measures: Seven neurodevelopmental parameters were measured, including onset of walking, tandem gait, repetitive finger movements, sequential finger movements, standing on one foot, hopping on one foot, and throwing a ball overhand. School performance, reading performance, and presence of ADHD were also measured. Results: The BCVA ranged from 20/20 to 20/800, with median of 20/150. A diagnosis of ADHD was present in 21.8% and pervasive developmental disorder was noted in three children (3.8%). No significant developmental delays were noted in the majority of children. Motor development was generally within the normal range and unaffected by severity of visual impairment. Parents reported that 82% performed at grade level in math and 74% at grade level in reading. Only 18% scored below average on standardized reading tests. Conclusions: Most children with albinism have normal neurologic development despite visual impairment and increased prevalence of ADHD. Financial Disclosure(s): The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1805-1808.e2 |
Journal | Ophthalmology |
Volume | 115 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2008 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Supported, in part, by an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., New York, New York. The organization had no role in the design or conduct of this research.
Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.