Intellectual Deficit in Chronic Renal Failure

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Abstract
Intellectual functioning of renal failure, neurological and medical-psychiatric patients was explored using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). The 3 groups of 24 patients each did not differ significantly in age or education. The medical-psychiatric group was significantly higher than the renal failure and neurological groups on the performance IQ and full scale IQ. A significant groups .times. subtests interaction in an analysis of variance with WAIS subtests as the repeated measures variable indicated that the groups differed significantly in pattern of intellectual deficit. Subsequent analysis of deviation scores, which controlled for overall level of performance, indicated significant differences among the groups in relative deficit on the information, comprehension, vocabulary, block design and object assembly subtests. The renal failure patients showed much less deficit on the information, comprehension and vocabulary subtests relative to their own mean than did the other 2 groups which were similar to each other. The renal failure patients showed considerably greater deficit on the block design and object assembly subtests relative to their own mean than did the neurological and medical-psychiatric patients who again were quite comparable to each other. The pattern of deficits for the renal failure group was different from neurological and medical-psychiatric patients and their level of deficit was greater than that of the medical-psychiatric patients. Renal failure patients showed quantitative and qualitative differences compared to medical-psychiatric subjects and qualitative differences compared to neurological subjects.