Quantitative art techniques to evaluate child trauma: a case review

Use of drawings in children with pervasive developmental disorder during hospitalization: a developmental perspective

The level and nature of emotional upheaval and relationship to developmental stage was studied in children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) hospitalized for head injury. The sample consisted of 25 hospitalized children aged 5-12 years. Children were asked to make the drawing of a ;person in hospital'. The drawings were evaluated by Koppitz's emotional indicators. Punishment and persecution were the main cognitive constructs of children in order to explain hospitalization.

Seizure drawings: insight into the self-image of children with epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic disorder that is associated with numerous psychological challenges, especially in children. Drawings have been underutilized as a method to obtain insight into psychological issues in children with epilepsy. We asked 105 children with epilepsy, ages 5 to 18 years, to draw a picture of what it is like to have a seizure. Across ages and epilepsy syndromes, the drawings showed evidence of impaired self-concept, low self-esteem, and a sense of helplessness and vulnerability. Overall, the drawings of human figures were less developed than expected for chronological age. In some drawings, indicators of underlying depression were found. When considered by epilepsy syndrome or seizure type, some specific artistic features were noted. Children with simple partial (motor) seizures drew distorted body parts, especially limbs. Those with complex partial seizures depicted sensory symptoms and mental status changes such as confusion. Children with generalized tonic-clonic seizures showed shaking extremities. Drawings by children with absence seizures illustrated mainly staring. In conclusion, drawings are a powerful method to examine the self-concept of children with epilepsy and gain insight into their feelings about themselves and their world.

The usefulness of children's drawings in the diagnosis of headache

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether drawings can aid in the differential diagnosis of headaches in children.

METHODS

Before taking any history, 226 children who were seen consecutively for the evaluation of headache were asked to draw a picture to show how their headache felt. The pictures were then scored as migraine or nonmigraine by pediatric neurologists who were blinded to the clinical history. A clinical diagnosis of headache type was determined independently by another pediatric neurologist using the usual history and examination. The diagnoses of headache type based on the pictures drawn and the clinical findings obtained were then compared to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the drawings for the diagnosis of migraine.

RESULTS

Children produced dramatic and insightful headache drawings. Compared with the clinical diagnosis (gold standard), headache drawings had a sensitivity of 93.1%, a specificity of 82.7%, and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 87.1% for migraine. That is, drawings that contained an artistic feature consistent with migraine (eg, pounding pain, nausea/vomiting, desire to lie down, periorbital pain, photophobia, visual scotoma) predicted the clinical diagnosis of migraine in 87.1% of cases. Predictive values were also calculated for specific migraine-associated features on drawings: artistic depiction of focal neurologic signs, periorbital pain, recumbency, visual symptoms (photophobia, scotomata), or nausea/vomiting had a PPV of >90% for migraine; severe or pounding pain had a PPV of >80% for migraine. Band-like pain was not predictive of migraine (PPV of 11.1%). Features on drawings such as sadness or crying did not differentiate migraine from nonmigraine headaches.

CONCLUSIONS

Children's headache drawings are a simple, inexpensive aid in the diagnosis of headache type, with a very high sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value for migraine versus nonmigraine headaches. We encourage the use of drawings in the evaluation of any child with a headache, as an adjunct to the clinical history and physical examination.