Stephen R Hooper1, Deborah Hatton2, John Sideris3, Kelly Sullivan4, Peter A Ornstein5, Donald B Bailey6. 1. Department of Allied Health Sciences, 1028 Bondurant Hall, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-4120, USA. Electronic address: Stephen_hooper@med.unc.edu. 2. Department of Special Education, Box 228, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, 37203, USA. Electronic address: Deborah.Hatton@Vanderbilt.Edu. 3. Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-4120, USA. Electronic address: sideris@chan.usc.edu. 4. Center for Child and Family Health, 1121 West Chapel Hill St., Suite 100, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27701, USA. Electronic address: kelly.sullivan@duke.edu. 5. Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, 222 Davie Hall, Campus Box #3270, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA. Electronic address: pao@unc.edu. 6. RTI International, USA. Electronic address: dbailey@rti.org.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Executive functions (EF) have been identified as impaired in FXS, but few studies have examined their developmental trajectories. AIMS: The primary aim of this longitudinal study was to examine the development of EF in young males with FXS compared to Mental Age (MA)-matched controls. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The sample comprised 56 boys with FXS (ages 7-13 years), and 48 MA-matched typical boys (ages 4-8 years). EF tasks included measures of inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility/set-shifting, problem solving/planning, and processing speed. Tasks were administered at three time points over five-years. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: The MA-Matched Typical boys significantly outperformed the FXS boys on all EF tasks, with the FXS Group showing a pattern of slow, but positive growth on most EF tasks. For working memory tasks, significant interactions were noted between MA and autism symptom severity, and MA and medication status. The probability of task completion increased with higher MA. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: These findings contribute to our understanding of the development of EF in this population. They also lay the foundation for use of EF tasks in treatment efforts, particularly with respect to documenting improvements and practice effects, and in understanding associations with targeted developmental outcomes.
BACKGROUND: Executive functions (EF) have been identified as impaired in FXS, but few studies have examined their developmental trajectories. AIMS: The primary aim of this longitudinal study was to examine the development of EF in young males with FXS compared to Mental Age (MA)-matched controls. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The sample comprised 56 boys with FXS (ages 7-13 years), and 48 MA-matched typical boys (ages 4-8 years). EF tasks included measures of inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility/set-shifting, problem solving/planning, and processing speed. Tasks were administered at three time points over five-years. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: The MA-Matched Typical boys significantly outperformed the FXS boys on all EF tasks, with the FXS Group showing a pattern of slow, but positive growth on most EF tasks. For working memory tasks, significant interactions were noted between MA and autism symptom severity, and MA and medication status. The probability of task completion increased with higher MA. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: These findings contribute to our understanding of the development of EF in this population. They also lay the foundation for use of EF tasks in treatment efforts, particularly with respect to documenting improvements and practice effects, and in understanding associations with targeted developmental outcomes.
Authors: Jennifer L Bruno; Sm Hadi Hosseini; Amy A Lightbody; Mai K Manchanda; Allan L Reiss Journal: J Psychopharmacol Date: 2019-07-02 Impact factor: 4.153
Authors: Antonis Asiminas; Adam D Jackson; Susana R Louros; Sally M Till; Teresa Spano; Owen Dando; Mark F Bear; Sumantra Chattarji; Giles E Hardingham; Emily K Osterweil; David J A Wyllie; Emma R Wood; Peter C Kind Journal: Sci Transl Med Date: 2019-05-29 Impact factor: 17.956
Authors: Marco Carotenuto; Michele Roccella; Francesco Pisani; Sara Matricardi; Alberto Verrotti; Giovanni Farello; Francesca Felicia Operto; Ilaria Bitetti; Francesco Precenzano; Giovanni Messina; Maria Ruberto; Cristiana Ciunfrini; Mariagrazia Riccardi; Eugenio Merolla; Grazia Maria Giovanna Pastorino; Anna Nunzia Polito; Rosa Marotta Journal: Behav Neurol Date: 2019-12-03 Impact factor: 3.342