Joaquin RM*, Neves LT and Meri
Abstract
Aim and objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the executive performance in the decision making process of adolescents with cleft lip and palate and their relationship with stress and cortisol levels. Method: The data were obtained through the neuropsychological evaluation instruments of the Wisconsin Card Test, the Raven Progressive Matrix Test (General Scale), the Iowa Gambling Task, and the Elisa test, through the collection of saliva, to evaluate the levels Of cortisol in 50 male adolescents with cleft lip and palate, HRAC / USP patients (group 1) and another 46 without the fissure (control) male (Group 2), all aged 14 to 17 years. The analysis of the research data was performed using different non-parametric tests: Mann-Whitney Rank Sum Test; Chi-square, Spearman Rank Order Correlation; Kruskal-Wallis One Way Analysis of Variance on Ranks. Results: The results of the present study pointed to the executive functions preserved in the young people who composed the sample and suggest that the lack of engagement in the activities may be due to ineffective educational practices, rather than limitations in the cognitive resources of executive functions.