THE ORGANIZATION OF LATERALIZED CEREBRAL FUNCTIONS IN CONGENITAL HEMIPLEGIA: I. DESCRIPTIVE DATA, AND DEVELOPMENTAL AND BEHAVIOURAL PROFILES

Fifty-one children with congenital hemiplegia (6–16 years) were included in this study, 28 with right hemiplegia (14 male and 14 female) and 23 with left hemiplegia (15 male and 8 female) as well as a control group (15 male and 15 female) chosen to match the subjects on age at testing, full scale IQ and socioeconomic status. A neurological examination, parent questionnaires and an interview were used to assess neurological and socioeconomic status, development and current educational placement, behavioural profile and handedness of family members. Birth records and brain scans (CT) were examined. Strict inclusion criteria ensured the unilaterality of the lesion. There were more right than left hemiplegic children identified and relatively more males than females in the left hemiplegic group. The two hemiplegic groups were similar on all descriptive and developmental data. They differed significantly from the controls only in that the left hemiplegic group was more premature and smaller at birth; ...