OVERFLOW MOVEMENTS AND BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS: SCORING AND USING A MODIFICATION OF FOGS‘ TEST

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Abstract
This study attempted to produce a simple, scorable test of neurological function and to see whether, in the absence of obvious CNS disease, the neurological impairments so defined were related to psychiatric disorders. Children (138) aged between 7 and 11 yr from 4 schools undertook a standardized test based on the Fogs'' test. Those who performed poorly on the test had a higher frequency of behavior problems, motor incoordination and adverse perinatal events. Children with any kind of behavior problem had more difficulty with the test than those without, but hyperactive children did worse than antisocial children. The statistical association between behavior problems and functional neurological impairment varied with the social circumstances of the children. Neurological impairment was found more frequently among behavior-problem children from suburban schools than those from inner-city schools. It appears that a degree of dysfunction lying between brain damage and normal variation places children at higher risk for the development of behavior problems. Such dysfunction, together with psychosocial disadvantage, may be important aetiological factors in behavior disorders during childhood.

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