Cognitive profiles of children with autism spectrum disorder with parent-reported extraordinary talents and personal strengths

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110206
Author(s):  
Vanessa H Bal ◽  
Ellen Wilkinson ◽  
Megan Fok
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
General Population ◽  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Cognitive Profiles ◽  
Personal Strengths ◽  
Simons Simplex Collection ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship

It is essential to recognize the strengths and talents of autistic individuals. Previous studies of extraordinary talents (i.e. skills that stand out relative to the general population) have combined individuals with different skills (e.g. calendrical calculation, drawing) into one group. There has been limited investigation of talents in specific areas and even less consideration of personal strengths (i.e. skills that stand out relative to that person’s other abilities, but not the general population). We extend this literature by examining the relationship between parent-reported talents and strengths and performance on standardized cognitive tests in 1470 children (4–18 years) from the Simons Simplex Collection with autism and IQ above 70. Almost half (46%) had at least one parent-reported talent and an additional 23% without extraordinary talents had at least one personal strength. Children with parent-reported talents and strengths had different cognitive profiles than children with no reported skill in visuospatial, drawing, computation, or music. Those highlighted for their memory abilities had somewhat more even verbal and nonverbal abilities, relative to children whose memory was not emphasized as a special skill. These results emphasize the importance of exploring strengths separately by domain and a need for more research in this area. Lay abstract Previous research has suggested that focusing on impairments can be detrimental to the well-being of autistic individuals, yet little research has focused on strengths and positive qualities in autism. Some studies explored “savant skills” (herein referred to as “extraordinary talents”), that is, skills that stand out compared to the general population. These often group everyone who has a specific talent, rather than exploring subgroups with strengths in specific areas. There has been even less research focused on personal strengths (i.e. skills that stand out relative to the individual’s other abilities, but not the general population). To expand this research, we use a sample of 1470 children (ages 4–18 years) from the Simons Simplex Collection without cognitive impairment to examine the relationship between having a parent-reported skill in a specific area and performance on a standardized cognitive test. Almost half (46%) had at least one parent-reported talent and an additional 23% without extraordinary talents had at least one personal strength. Children with these parent-reported skills had different patterns of performance on these standardized tests than children without skills in that area (i.e. visuospatial, drawing, computation, reading, and memory). Specific skills in computation or reading were associated with higher overall performance on the standardized tests. These results emphasize the importance of considering strengths separately by area, rather than combining individuals with different types of strengths. The high number of children with skills in this study underscores the need for more research in this area, particularly using instruments focused on understanding the nuances of these strengths. It is important for future studies to consider these skills in children with cognitive impairment.

scholarly journals Admission Heart Rate Variability is Associated with Depression and Cognition in Patients with Acute Mild-Moderate Ischemic Stroke

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lanying he ◽  
Ronghua Xu ◽  
Jian Wang ◽  
Lili Zhang ◽  
Weiwei Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mood State ◽  
Geriatric Depression Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Cardiac Autonomic Dysfunction ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background Stroke has been shown to cause cardiac autonomic dysfunction. Depression and cognitive impairment are common complications after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The relationship between poststroke depression (PSD) and cognitive impairment (PCI) and heart rate variability(HRV) was unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the decreased HRV was related to PSD and PCI in patients with mild-moderate AIS. Methods Changes in HRV after AIS were assessed using the nonlinear fractal dimension (FD) method, and patients within 72 hours of AIS were included in the study. 476 patients were included in this study. All patients underwent mood tests, cognitive test at 3 months. Cognitive and mood state were assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the 15-item Stroke Specific Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), respectively. PSD was defined if GDS ≥5 and PSCI was defined if MoCA<26. We assessed the relationship between FD and PSD and PSCI at 3 months. Results 50.84% (242/476) of patients had PSD, and 33.19% (158/476) of patients had PSCI. Compared with no PSD group, the lower NIHSS and FD value,and higher prevalence of FD≤1.05 were more likely in patients with PSD (P<0.05). Compared with no PSCI group, the higher prevalence of FD≤1.05 were more likely in patients with PSCI (P<0.05).In fully adjusted models, the FD ≤1.05 was significantly associated with PSD (adjusted OR, 3.31; 95%CI, 1.81–5.43; P=0.000),and PSCI (adjusted OR,1.88; 95%CI, 1.11–3.16; P=0.018). Conclusions These results suggested that FD≤1.05 after AIS could be used as an objective tool for early prediction of PSD and PSCI, providing guidance for the treatment of PSD and PCI, and improving the prognosis of patients.

The Measurement of Intelligence in the XXI Century using Video Games

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Quiroga ◽  
F. J. Román ◽  
J. De La Fuente ◽  
J. Privado ◽  
R. Colom
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Measurement Devices ◽  
Key Features ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Time Required ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThis paper reviews the use of video games for measuring intelligence differences and reports two studies analyzing the relationship between intelligence and performance on a leisure video game. In the first study, the main focus was to design an Intelligence Test using puzzles from the video game. Forty-seven young participants played “Professor Layton and the curious village”® for a maximum of 15 hours and completed a set of intelligence standardized tests. Results show that the time required for completing the game interacts with intelligence differences: the higher the intelligence, the lower the time (d = .91). Furthermore, a set of 41 puzzles showed excellent psychometric properties. The second study, done seven years later, confirmed the previous findings. We finally discuss the pros and cons of video games as tools for measuring cognitive abilities with commercial video games, underscoring that psychologists must develop their own intelligence video games and delineate their key features for the measurement devices of next generation.

Perceived Cognitive Difficulties and Cognitive Test Performance as Predictors of Employment Outcomes in People with Multiple Sclerosis

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia A. Honan ◽  
Rhonda F. Brown ◽  
Jennifer Batchelor
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Prospective Memory ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Work Hours ◽  
Work Outcomes ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Cognitive Difficulties ◽  
Cognitive Test Performance ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractPerceived cognitive difficulties and cognitive impairment are important determinants of employment in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). However, it is not clear how they are related to adverse work outcomes and whether the relationship is influenced by depressive symptoms. Thus, this study examined perceived and actual general cognitive and prospective memory function, and cognitive appraisal accuracy, in relation to adverse work outcomes. The possible mediating and/or moderating role of depression was also examined. A cross-sectional community-based sample of 111 participants (33 males, 78 females) completed the Multiple Sclerosis Work Difficulties Questionnaire (MSWDQ), Beck Depression Inventory – Fast Screen (BDI-FS), and questions related to their current or past employment. They then underwent cognitive testing using the Screening Examination for Cognitive Impairment, Auditory Consonant Trigrams test, Zoo Map Test, and Cambridge Prospective Memory Test. Perceived general cognitive and prospective memory difficulties in the workplace and performance on the respective cognitive tests were found to predict unemployment and reduced work hours since MS diagnosis due to MS. Depression was also related to reduced work hours, but it did not explain the relationship between perceived cognitive difficulties and the work outcomes. Nor was it related to cognitive test performance. The results highlight a need to address the perceptions of cognitive difficulties together with cognitive impairment and levels of depression in vocational rehabilitation programs in pwMS. (JINS, 2015,21, 156–168)

scholarly journals Research on relationship between cognitive impairment and driving behavior of starting/stopping for elderly driver

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuta Arakawa ◽  
Kota Miyauchi ◽  
Kazuyuki Takada ◽  
Moeko Shinohara ◽  
Makoto Fujiu
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Driving Behavior ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Driving Ability ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Elderly Drivers ◽  
Elderly Driver ◽  
Driver's License ◽  
The Relationship

Recently in Japan, traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers have attracted public attention. Elderly drivers are judged whether they can continue driving based on the cognitive test results at the renewal of their driver's license. However, it has not been to lead to the reduction of accidents. Therefore, it is important to understand the relationship between cognitive impairment and driving behavior for elderly drivers. In this study, we analysis on the relationship between cognitive impairment and driving behavior for elderly drivers. The driving ability is evaluated using the data of driving behavior during starting/stopping. Regression models that explain the relations between cognitive impairment of an elderly driver and driving ability were estimated.

scholarly journals Autism-spectrum traits predict humor styles in the general population

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimmo Eriksson
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Broader Autism Phenotype ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Humor Styles ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Autism Phenotype ◽  
Attention To Detail

AbstractPrevious research shows that individuals with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism tend to have impaired processing of humor and laugh at things that are not commonly found funny. Here the relationship between humor styles and the broader autism phenotype was investigated in a sample of the general population. The autism-spectrum quotient (AQ) and the humor styles questionnaire (HSQ) were administered to six hundred US participants recruited through an Internet-based service. On the whole, high scores on AQ were negatively related to positive humor styles and unrelated to negative humor styles. However, AQ subscales representing different autism-spectrum traits exhibited different patterns. In particular, the factor “poor mind-reading” was associated with higher scores on negative humor styles and the factor “attention to detail” was associated with higher scores on all humor styles, suggesting a more nuanced picture of the relationship between autism-spectrum traits and humor.

scholarly journals Cognitive impairment and C-reactive protein in clinically stable schizophrenia outpatients: a focus on sex differences

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Dal Santo ◽  
Leticia González-Blanco ◽  
Leticia García-Álvarez ◽  
Lorena de la Fuente-Tomás ◽  
Ángela Velasco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Visual Learning ◽  
Inverse Association ◽  
C Reactive Protein ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Negative Syndrome ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Although previous findings identified an association between C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and impaired cognitive functions in patients with schizophrenia (SZ), little is currently known about the relationship between inflammation, cognition, and sex in SZ. The current study aimed to explore the association between peripheral inflammation and cognitive impairment in SZ as a function of sex. The sample included 132 clinically stable patients with SZ, of whom 82 were males (62.1%) and 50 females (37.9%). Sociodemographic data were collected, an accurate assessment was performed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome (PANSS), Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS), and Calgary Depression (CDS) scales, and the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), and CRP levels were tested. A Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses, including potential confounding factors, were performed. We found an inverse association between CRP levels and performance on visual learning (r = − 0.386, p = 0.006) domain in female patients only, whereas no correlations were found in males. The regression model for women retained age (β = − 0.319, p = 0.017), the CAINS-MAP score (β = − 0.247, p = 0.070), and the CRP (β = − 0.321, p = 0.013) as predictors of visual learning. Our results suggest the possible existence of sex-specific modulation of the association between systemic inflammation and the cognitive features of the illness.

scholarly journals The Relationship of Urbanization and Performance of Activity and Participation Functioning among Adults with Developmental Disabilities in Taiwan

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (20) ◽  
pp. 7553
Author(s):  
Shyang-Woei Lin ◽  
Tzu-Ying Chiu ◽  
Tsan-Hon Liou ◽  
Chia-Feng Yen ◽  
Hui-Guan Chen
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
World Health ◽  
Score Distribution ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Domain 3 ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship

Developmental disability is likely to be lifelong in nature and to result in substantial activity and societal participation limitations. The performance of individuals is related to the environment, supports, and urbanization of living cities. Most of the surveys for people with disabilities have not discussed the relationship between the cognitive impairment properties and performance of participation and activities functioning, and most cognitive impairments are regarded as having similar performance. The location of residence in childhood is mainly influenced by parents and main caregivers, but the factors related to the preferences of adults with cognitive impairment in the location of residence are more complicated. Objective(s): The aim was to explore and compare the relationships of the urbanization degree of their living cities and the functioning performance of daily living in various domains among adults with intellectual disability (ID), autism, and concomitant communicative impairment (CCI). Method: The cross-sectional study was applied, and the data was collected face-to-face by professionals in all authorized hospitals in Taiwan. The participants were 5374 adults with ID (n = 4455), autism (n = 670), CCI (n = 110) and combination disabilities (n = 139) which were according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases 9th Revision (ICD-9) from a total of 167,069 adults with disabilities from the Disability Eligibility System (DES) in Taiwan between July 2012 and October 2013. The authors used the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0–36 item version of WHO (WHODAS 2.0-36 items) to measure performance and capability of daily living. Results and Conclusions: There were significant differences in age, gender, disabled severity, and the urbanization between all subgroups (p < 0.05). After adjusting the age of all participators, the degree of urbanization just significantly affected the functioning score distribution in domain 1: cognition for an adult with ID, autism, and CCI; in domain 2, mobility for an adult with CCI and combination disability; in domain 3, self-care; domain 4, independent domains for ID (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between urbanization degree and functioning scores in all domains for adults with autism. All in all, only in groups with combination disability did we find that the worse the degree of impairment was, the lower the degree of urbanization of their place of residence was, and there was no such phenomenon in adults with autism and ID in our study.

Individual Differences in Autism Traits, Personality, and Emotional Responsiveness to Music in the General Population

2021 ◽  
pp. 102986492098816
Author(s):  
Shalini Sivathasan ◽  
Gwenaëlle Philibert-Lignières ◽  
Eve-Marie Quintin
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Broader Autism Phenotype ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Emotional Responsiveness ◽  
The Relationship

Little is known about the relationship between the personality and the emotional experiences of people with broader autism phenotype (BAP) or autistic traits. Given that music is a powerful vehicle for conveying emotions and that several studies show that people with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) typically respond to music in similar ways, the present study examines the relationship between personality, autistic traits, and emotional experiences evoked by music. A total of 110 participants ( n = 74 females) aged 18 to 35 years ( M = 21.25, SD = 3.36) completed the NEO-Five Factor Inventory-3-S, Social Responsiveness Scale-2, Autism-Spectrum Quotient, and Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index self-report questionnaires. Path analyses revealed that the relationship between autistic traits and emotional responsiveness to music was fully mediated by extraversion, and to a lesser extent openness to experience. These results suggest that people in the general population who have fewer autistic traits and who tend to be extraverted and open to experience report greater emotional responsiveness to music than those who are less extraverted and less open to experience. These findings suggest that it is important to consider personality characteristics when considering the relationship between autistic traits and emotional experiences.

Standardized Tests for Visually Handicapped Children: A Review of Research

1976 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 232-236
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Coveny
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Recent Work ◽  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Performance Tests ◽  
Handicapped Children ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Visually Handicapped ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Early Developmental

Research concerning the adaptation and development of tests for visually handicapped children is reviewed. Early developmental work with verbal tests is examined as well as the more recent work undertaken to develop performance type tests. Finally, work on the validation of both verbal and performance tests, as well as the relationship of such tests to academic performance, is described.

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