scholarly journals Caregiver Report of Executive Functioning in a Population-Based Sample of Young Children With Down Syndrome

Author(s):  
Nancy Raitano Lee ◽  
Deborah J. Fidler ◽  
Audrey Blakeley-Smith ◽  
Lisa Daunhauer ◽  
Cordelia Robinson ◽  
...  

Abstract The current study describes everyday executive function (EF) profiles in young children with Down syndrome. Caregivers of children with Down syndrome (n  =  26; chronological ages  =  4–10 years; mental ages  =  2–4 years) completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function—Preschool (BRIEF-P; G. A. Gioia, K. A. Espy, & P. K. Isquith, 2003), a caregiver report measure of everyday/functional EF skills in multiple domains. On the BRIEF-P, elevations were noted on a global EF composite as well as the Working Memory and Plan/Organize scales in particular (relative to norms developed for typically developing children of a similar mental age). These results suggest a specific pattern of EF weaknesses in young children with Down syndrome, consistent with the extant literature that has focused primarily on older individuals who have been tested using laboratory EF tasks.

Author(s):  
Lisa A. Daunhauer ◽  
Deborah J. Fidler ◽  
Laura Hahn ◽  
Elizabeth Will ◽  
Nancy Raitano Lee ◽  
...  

Abstract We investigated executive functioning (EF) in children with Down syndrome (DS; n  =  25) and typically developing (TD) children matched for mental age (MA; n  =  23) using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool. We sought to (1) compare children with DS to a developmentally matched control group, and (2) to characterize the EF profile of children with DS. Across teacher and parent reports, significant deficits in working memory and planning were observed in the DS group. Parents, but not teachers, of children with DS also reported difficulties in inhibitory control relative to the comparison group. Results extend earlier findings regarding EF impairments in children with DS. The complementary role inhibitory control may play in this profile is discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 636
Author(s):  
Martina Fontana ◽  
Maria Carmen Usai ◽  
Sandra Pellizzoni ◽  
Maria Chiara Passolunghi

While previous research on inhibition in people with Down syndrome (DS) reported contradictory results, with no explicit theoretical model, on the other hand, a more homogeneous impaired profile on the delay of gratification skills emerged. The main goal of the present study was to investigate response inhibition, interference suppression, and delay of gratification in 51 individuals with DS matched for a measure of mental age (MA) with 71 typically developing (TD) children. Moreover, we cross-sectionally explored the strengths and weaknesses of these components in children and adolescents vs. adults with DS with the same MA. A battery of laboratory tasks tapping on inhibitory sub-components and delay of gratification was administrated. Results indicated that individuals with DS showed an overall worse performance compared to TD children on response inhibition and delay of gratification, while no differences emerged between the two samples on the interference suppression. Additionally, our results suggested that older individuals with DS outperformed the younger ones both in response inhibition and in the delay of gratification, whereas the interference suppression still remains impaired in adulthood. This study highlights the importance of evaluating inhibitory sub-components considering both MA and chronological age in order to promote more effective and evidence-based training for this population.


Author(s):  
Michelle Lee ◽  
Lauren Bush ◽  
Gary E. Martin ◽  
Jamie Barstein ◽  
Nell Maltman ◽  
...  

Abstract This longitudinal study examined pragmatic language in boys and girls with Down syndrome (DS) at up to three time points, using parent report, standardized and direct assessments. We also explored relationships among theory of mind, executive function, nonverbal mental age, receptive and expressive vocabulary, grammatical complexity, and pragmatic competence. Controlling for cognitive and language abilities, children with DS demonstrated greater difficulty than younger typically developing controls on parent report and standardized assessments, but only girls with DS differed on direct assessments. Further, pragmatic skills of individuals with DS developed at a delayed rate relative to controls. Some sex-specific patterns of pragmatic impairments emerged. Theory of mind and executive function both correlated with pragmatic competence. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed.


2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 4455-4465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura J. Hahn ◽  
Deborah J. Fidler ◽  
Susan L. Hepburn ◽  
Sally J. Rogers

1997 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 63-68
Author(s):  
Koichi HARA ◽  
Bensaku NISHIMURA ◽  
Toru WATAMAKI ◽  
Yoshishige KOIZUMI ◽  
Tsutomu YAMANAKA

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document