Forty-one boys diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
(DMD) were each compared to an unaffected sibling on a battery
of neuropsychological tests. Verbal, visuospatial, attention/memory,
abstract thinking, and academic achievement skills were tested.
Results indicated the boys with DMD performed similarly to their
siblings on the majority of measures, indicating intact verbal,
visuospatial, long-term memory, and abstract skills. However, the
DMD group did significantly more poorly than their siblings on specific
measures of story recall, digit span, and auditory comprehension,
as well as in all areas of academic achievement (reading, writing,
and math). This profile indicates that verbal working memory skills
are selectively impaired in DMD, and that that likely contributes to
limited academic achievement. The association between the known impact
of the genetic mutation on the development of the central nervous system
and boys' cognitive profile is discussed. (JINS, 2001,
7, 45–54.)
