Saudi normative data for the Wisconsin Card Sorting test, Stroop test, Test of Non-verbal Intelligence-3, Picture Completion and Vocabulary (subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised).

OBJECTIVE: There are 2 aims for this study: first, to collect normative data for the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Stroop test, Test of Non-verbal Intelligence (TONI-3), Picture Completion (PC) and Vocabulary (VOC) sub-test of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised for use in a Saudi Arabian culture, and second, to use the normative data provided to generate the regression equations. METHODS: To collect the normative data and generate the regression equations, 198 healthy individuals were selected to provide a representative distribution for age, gender, years of education, and socioeconomic class. The WCST, Stroop test, TONI-3, PC, and VOC were administrated to the healthy individuals. This study was carried out at the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Riyadh Military Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from January 2000 to July 2002. RESULTS: Normative data were obtained for all tests, and tables were constructed to interpret scores for different age groups. Regression equations to predict performance on the 3 tests of frontal function from scores on tests of fluid (TONI-3) and premorbid intelligence were generated from the data from the healthy individuals. CONCLUSION: The data collected in this study provide normative tables for 3 tests of frontal lobe function and for tests of general intellectual ability for use in Saudi Arabia. The data also provide a method to estimate pre-injury ability without the use of verbally based tests.

Quality of life in males with spinal cord injury in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the interests and post-hospitalization of quality of life (QOL) and career of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: This study took a period that extended for 20 years (1982-2003). Fifty-seven male patients in the Riyadh, Armed Forces Hospital and Al-Kharj Hospital Program (RKH), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) with SCI responded to a questionnaire, which was distributed manually to 120 contributors. The questionnaire items include health status, occupation and educational level. RESULTS: The majority of the SCI patients belonged to the age group of 21-30 years (40.4%) and 31-40 years (33.3%). The injury levels were cervical (43.9%), thoracic (40.35%) and lumbar (23.5%). The urinary incontinence was managed by intermittent catheter (28%), indwelling catheter (17.5%), suprapubic cystostomy (15.8%), condom (12.3%) and continent (14.1%). Pressure sores were common and complication led urinary tract infections in 80.7% of patients. Spinal cord injury was a major cause and has a significant influence on patients' employment and career. Rehabilitation equipments and supplies support were provided by the RKH (45.6%), Ministry of Health (19.3%), self-purchasing (12.3%) and other source (22.8%). The important factors affecting the patient's QOL were financial status, employment, equipment supply and social isolation. CONCLUSION: Spinal cord injury is practically affecting the young adult population of KSA. The patient's QOL is significantly affected and hampered by factors such as accessibility, financial status and employment. Effective measures for the management and social awareness may improve the patient's style and QOL.

Treatment of thoracolumbar fractures.

OBJECTIVE: To study the outcome of patients with thoracolumbar fracture treated surgically or conservatively at the Armed Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, between the year 1989 through to 1999. METHODS: The medical and surgical record of all patients diagnosed as having thoracolumbar fracture (thoracic 10-lumbar 12) between the years 1989 to 1999 were reviewed. The parameter studies included the personal patient data, type of fracture, mechanism and cause of injury and neurological affection. For the outcome, the method of treatment and recovery from neurological deficit, return to pre-injury activity and work as well as complications were noted. RESULTS: One hundred patients were treated for thoracolumbar fracture. Seventy two percent were related to motor vehicle accident, 37% had neurological deficit, 19 of them had complete lesion. Thoracic 12 Lumbar 1 constituted 63% of injury level. Forty-four patients were treated surgically whereas 56 had conservative treatment. At follow up, 17 patients had complete recovery from neurological deficit while 6 had partial recovery and 14 had no recovery at all. No major complication has occurred due to method of treatment in both groups. CONCLUSION: Treatment of thoracolumbar fracture was carried out using both surgical and conservative methods. In our view, surgical treatment is indicated in cases of instability or removal of retropulsive fragment if there is neurological deficit or to correct deformity. For other cases conservative treatment was selected and gave satisfactory results.