Neuropsychological correlates of learning disability subtypes in children with Tourette's syndrome.

Neuropsychological deficits in Tourette's syndrome (TS) may be associated with learning disabilities. We examined the neuropsychological performance of 70 children with TS between the ages 6 and 18 years who were classified into four groups based on their pattern of performance on the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised. The groups included three learning disability subtypes and a nonlearning disabled comparison group. The groups differed significantly on several measures in a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. The pattern of differences was not entirely consistent with previous research, however, suggesting that neuropsychological correlates of learning disabilities may be influenced by the specific pathophysiology associated with TS. Thus, previous research on the neuropsychology of learning disability subtypes might not be generalizable to children with discrete neuropsychiatric disorders such as TS.