Individual differences in cognitive performance and brain structure in typically developing children

Susumu Yokota,Hikaru Takeuchi,Teruo Hashimoto,Hiroshi Hashizume,Kohei Asano,Michiko Asano,Yuko Sassa,Yasuyuki Taki,Ryuta Kawashima

doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2015.05.003

Susumu Yokota, Hikaru Takeuchi + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2015.05.003

Copy DOI

Abstract

Individual differences in cognitive patterning is informative in understanding one's cognitive strengths and weaknesses. However, little is known about the difference in brain structures relating to individual differences in cognitive patterning. In this study, we classified typically developing children (n=277; age range, 5–16 years) into subtypes with k-means cluster analysis along with factor index scores using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Third Edition). We then applied voxel-based morphometry to investigate whether significant gray-matter-volume differences existed among subtypes of cognitive patterns. Depending on the level of performance and cognitive patterning, we obtained six subtypes. One subtype that generally scored below average showed larger volume in the right middle temporal gyrus than the other five. On the other hand, two subtypes that achieved average levels of performance showed reverse-patterned factor index scores (one scored higher in Verbal Comprehension and Freedom from Distractibility, and the other scored lower in these two factor index scores) and had smaller volume in the right middle temporal gyrus than the other subtypes. From these results, we concluded that cognitive discrepancy was also obvious in typically developing children and that differences in cognitive patterning are represented in brain structure.

Highlights

The intelligence quotient (IQ) has played a significant role in clinical psychology
Four factor index scores of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)-III were used as the input for discriminant function analysis to establish their classification rate for predicting clusters
From the results of cluster analysis, we found six subtypes from the cognitive patterns of the scores of factor indexes based on the WISC-III

Summary

Introduction

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) is one of the most widely used measures of psychometric intelligence in children. It is used in various contexts such as clinical, academic, and school settings. This instrument has excellent psychometric properties, especially in terms of its standardization and the reliability of the full-scale IQ (FSIQ), two composed scores that are verbal IQ (VIQ), performance IQ (PIQ), and four factor index scores (VC: verbal comprehension, PO: perceptual organization, FD: freedom from distractibility, and PS: processing speed) (Kaufman, 1993). The discrepancy pattern of cognitive functions measured by WISC is useful for better understanding the cognitive strengths and weaknesses of children

Methods

Results

Conclusion