Learning disabilities in Darier's disease patients. (15th February 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dodiuk‐Gad, R.; Lerner, M.; Breznitz, Z.; Cohen‐Barak, E.; Ziv, M.; Shani‐Adir, A.; Amichai, B.; Zlotogorski, A.; Shalev, S.; Rozenman, D.
• Is Part Of: Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. Volume 28:Number 3(2014:Mar.)
• Page Start: 314
• Page End: 319
• Publication Date: 2013-02-15
• Subjects: Dermatology -- Periodicals; Sexually transmitted diseases -- Periodicals; 616.5
• DOI: 10.1111/jdv.12103
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0926-9959

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="jdv12103-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="jdv12103-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Neuropsychiatric features and intellectual difficulties have been reported in studies of Darier's disease. Learning disabilities have never been reported or evaluated systematically in these patients.</p> </sec> <sec id="jdv12103-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>To assess the prevalence of learning disabilities in 76 patients with Darier's disease, and cognitive functioning in 19 of them.</p> </sec> <sec id="jdv12103-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>The data were collected by two methods: a questionnaire, as part of a larger study on the clinical characteristics of 76 patients; and neuropsychological measures for the assessment of learning disabilities in 19 of them.</p> </sec> <sec id="jdv12103-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Thirty‐one of the 76 patients reported learning disabilities (41%) and 56 (74%) reported a family history of learning disabilities. Significant differences were found between the 19 patients evaluated on cognitive tasks and a control group of 42 skilled learners on subtraction and multiplication tasks. Six (32%) of the 19 were identified as having reading difficulties and five (26%) exhibited low performance on the Concentration Performance Test. All patients had general cognitive ability in the average range.</p> </sec> <sec id="jdv12103-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Findings suggest an association between Darier's disease and learning disabilities, a heretofore unreported association, pointing to the need to obtain personal and family history of such disabilities in order to refer cases of clinical concern for further study.</p> </sec> </abstract>