Exploring the Neuropsychological Profile of a Clinically Referred Sample of Children in Mexico

Abstract

Abstract Objective The Wechsler Scale of Intelligence for Children (WISC-IV) is one of the most commonly used intelligence tests for children. A Spanish version of the WISC-IV exists, but a limited amount of published information is available on its utility when assessing pediatric clinical populations. Furthermore, little published research utilizes the WISC-IV in Spanish speaking populations residing outside the US. This study seeks to present the neuropsychological profile of a clinically referred sample of children residing in Mexico. Participants and Method The present study included 35 participants (15 females and 20 males, M age of 9.26 years, SD = 1.69). Participants were referred to clinic sites affiliated with the neuropsychology master’s program at Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP). Participants were referred for assessment due to persistent academic/behavior difficulties and were included in this study if they were between the ages of 7 and 12, with no history of a psychiatric disorder. All participants were administered the WISC-IV. Procedures were approved by the ethics committee at BUAP. Informed consent was obtained prior to evaluation. Results Descriptive statistics show a Full-Scale IQ average (FSIQ) mean of 75.40 (SD = 12.42). Highest index scores were on Perceptual Reasoning (PRI) (M = 84.94, SD = 16.22) and Processing Speed (PSI) (M = 81.34, SD = 12.96) and lowest index score were on working memory (WMI) (M = 76.97, SD = 14.64) and Verbal Comprehension (VCI) (M = 76.54, SD = 12.42). Independent T-Tests showed no significant differences between genders. Conclusions Our results show a low average IQ for the sample but also identifies strengths in certain indices and specific subtests within the WISC-IV that can add rich details in the comprehension of cognitive functioning in this sample. In the future, we plan to continue the growth of our study via the utilization of a control group to compare with the clinical sample.