Development of Cognitive Functions in Children With Craniosynostosis With and Without Surgical Treatment.

Objective: Craniosynostosis is a congenital malformation caused by premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures, leading to an abnormal skull shape. Children with craniosynostosis may experience various neurodevelopmental and cognitive disorders. The study's first aim was to examine intelligence quotient and the level of cognitive functioning such as working memory, fluid reasoning, visual-spatial functions, counting, and the scope of knowledge in children with craniosynostosis. The second goal was to compare the level of cognitive abilities of the group of children who were surgically treated with the group of children who did not undergo surgery. Another purpose was to compare cognitive disorders depending on the type of craniosynostosis.

Patients and method: A group of 365 patients (255 boys and 110 girls) aged between 4 and 15 years old (M=7.5; SD=2.2), including 275 treated for single-suture (133 metopic, 116 sagittal, 26 unicoronal) and 90 for complex craniosynostosis, were examined for cognitive disorders. A total of 240 children in the group had skull surgery, while 125 had not been surgically treated. Intellectual and cognitive abilities were assessed with the standardized Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition (SB-5). The test was performed using both nonverbal and verbal scales.

Results: In all, 27.40% (n=100) of patients covered by the study showed significantly lower scores than normative population averages on Full Scale IQ, including 15.06% (n=55) of children with mild to moderate impaired or delayed. Complex and surgically untreated craniosynostosis is associated with an increased occurrence of cognitive disorders.