A longitudinal study of cognitive abilities and achievement status of children with myelomeningocele and their relationship with clinical types.

Cognitive abilities and achievement status of 178 children with myelomeningocele (MMC) were examined with neuropsychological techniques. These children as a whole scored below the population average. Children with MMC and shunted hydrocephalus performed worse than the arrested (unshunted) and non-hydrocephalic children. The greater deficit occurred on the Performance IQ. 80.7% of the subjects attended normal school while, 19.3% received remedial instruction. The results of our study are consistent with a large body of literature indicating that children with shunted hydrocephalus demonstrate poorer development of non-verbal relative to verbal cognitive abilities.