Effectiveness of the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test in people with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Abstract

Evaluating intelligence using conventional tools is very complex in patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), as it is time consuming and requires levels of care that are difficult to sustain for this population. Therefore, we explore the ability of a brief test to assess intelligence in these patients. This study included individuals with a genetically confirmed diagnosis of PWS, with regular attendance at transdisciplinary treatment in an institution dedicated to the care of rare diseases in Argentina. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III) and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) were used. Correlation was obtained between the scales in paediatric and adult populations. Within the paediatric population, no significant differences were identified between the WISC-IV scale (Wechsler for paediatrics) and the K-BIT (56.4±8.6, vs. 53.4±10.1, P=0.28), with a good agreement between the methods {intraclass correlation 0.79 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.15-0.95]}. Regarding the adult population, the discrimination of the WAIS-III scale (Wechsler for adults) and the K-BIT of adults (16years and over) presented an acceptable concordance [0.77 (95% CI -0.09; 0.93)], although also underestimating the results (58.3±7.2 vs. 51.1±11.2, P<0.0001). We observed the feasibility and potential usefulness of a brief intelligence test (K-BIT) in patients with PWS with an acceptable agreement with conventional tools.