The results of clustering the data of the neuropsychological study and comparing them with the data of electroencephalography in children and adolescents with mental disorders

Abstract

The results of clustering data from a neuropsychological analysis of a neurocognitive deficit in a group of mentally ill children and adolescents are presented. The profiles of neurocognitive deficiency are compared with the data of electroencephalography in the resulting clusters. The study involved 73 patients (50 boys and 23 girls). The average age of the examined was 11,3 ± 2,3 years. Diagnoses (according to ICD-10): F21, F20.8, F23, F20.x, F84.x, F4x, F9x, F3x, F06. Based on the data of neuropsychological qualitative and quantitative analysis by the clustering method (hierarchical cluster analysis), groups of mentally ill children and adolescents that are "homogeneous" in structure of neurocognitive deficit have been identified. The nosological (diagnostic) composition and profiles of the neurocognitive deficit of obtained clusters are described. The main parameters of the neurocognitive deficit that distinguish the obtained clusters are determined. The profiles of neurocognitive deficit are compared with the data of electroencephalography (EEG) in the obtained clusters. Partial correspondence of the selected clusters with a number of diagnostic clinical groups was obtained. A significant difference between the selected clusters was found in specific types of brain dysfunctions and their severity. The main structures of the brain, the functional state of which (the severity of dysfunction) influences the entry of a particular patient into a particular cluster (predictors of differences between clusters), are highlighted. These include: parietal-temporal-occipital zones of the right and left hemispheres, premotor and prefrontal frontal regions of the left hemisphere, occipital zones of the right hemisphere. Patterns of distribution of functional deficiency at the level of subcortical structures within and between clusters were found. Dysfunction of subcortical structures is characteristic of all groups, while in clusters different ratios of its severity are revealed.