VERBAL AND NON‐VERBAL FUNCTION OF CHILDREN WITH RIGHT‐ VERSUS LEFT‐HEMIPLEGIC CEREBRAL PALSY OF PRE‐ AND PERINATAL ORIGIN

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Abstract
Eighteen children with right- and 13 with left-sided congenital hemiplegia were compared with 19 normal age-matched controls for verbal and non-verbal function. CT scans were obtained from 27 of the 31 hemiplegic children. The two hemiplegic groups were impaired in non-verbal function compared with controls. The right-hemiplegic group was more impaired in verbal function than the left-hemiplegic group and controls; however, impairments were restricted to the girls in the right-hemiplegic group. The results are discussed in terms of cerebral plasticity and functional reorganisation of cognitive functions after an early unilateral injury. It is argued that girls with left-hemisphere lesions may be more limited in cerebral plasticity than boys.