SEX DIFFERENCES IN MEMORY IN CHILDREN WITH INTRACTABLE EPILEPSY
Abstract number :
1.198
Submission category :
Year :
2002
Submission ID :
3436
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/7/2002 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Dec 1, 2002, 06:00 AM
Authors :
Mary Lou Smith, Abigail Naguiat, Irene M. Elliott, Lucyna Lach. Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON, Canada; Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; School of Social Work, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
RATIONALE: Of the many potential risk factors for memory impairment in children with epilepsy, one that has not received much attention is that of sex, despite the fact that sex differences in memory have been reported in the general population. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the child[ssquote]s sex has a differential impact on performance on verbal and visual memory tasks.
METHODS: The participants included 51 children and adolescents (26 boys, 25 girls) with intractable epilepsy, ranging in age from 7 to 18 years (Mean=13.1). Four standardized tests of memory were administered. The verbal memory measures included a task requiring the learning and recall of a list of words presented over five trials, and a task requiring the recall of the content of a short story. Visual memory was assessed by asking the children to recognize, from among distracters, photographs of faces they had briefly viewed, and through the recall of a complex geometric design.
RESULTS: Analyses were conducted using age and IQ as covariates to control for within-group variability. Girls obtained higher scores on all verbal memory tasks, with the differences reaching significance on the measures of word list learning, and immediate and delayed recall of the story. No sex differences were found on the visual memory tasks.
CONCLUSIONS: As is true in the general population, children with intractable epilepsy show sex differences in verbal memory, with girls having an advantage over boys. These differences appeared to be more pronounced in this group than in children without epilepsy. These results suggest that in understanding the impact of epilepsy on memory, the child[ssquote]s sex should be considered. Because of their more pronounced verbal learning and memory deficits, boys with intractable epilepsy may be at greater risk than girls for difficulty and failure in school.
At the end of this presentation, participants should be aware that girls with intractable epilepsy have better verbal learning and memory abilities than do boys.
[Supported by: The Ontario Mental Health Foundation]