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Stroke Research and Treatment
Volume 2011 (2011), Article ID 369836, 6 pages
doi:10.4061/2011/369836
Does Stroke Impair Learning in Children?
Department of Neurology, Medical Sciences Faculty, State University of Campinas (Unicamp), 13081-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil
Received 15 September 2010; Revised 4 April 2011; Accepted 14 April 2011
Academic Editor: Halvor Naess
Copyright © 2011 Sonia das Dores Rodrigues et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Objective. To assess cognitive development and learning in children who have had strokes. Method. Twenty-nine stroke patients and 18 children with no brain lesions and no learning impairments were evaluated. For the cognitive assessment, Piaget's clinical method was used. Writing, arithmetic, and reading abilities were assessed by the school performance test. Results. The mean age at evaluation was 9.6 years. Among the 29 children, 20 had early lesions (mean of 2.4 years old). The stroke was ischemic in 18 subjects; there were 7 cases of recurrence. Six children could not answer the tests. A high index of cognitive delay and low performance in writing, arithmetic, and reading were verified. Comparison with the control group revealed that the children who have had strokes had significantly lower performances. Conclusion. In this sample, strokes impaired cognitive development and learning. It is important that children have access to educational support and cognitive rehabilitation after injury. These approaches may minimise the effects of strokes on learning in children.