Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026

In Vitro Modeling of Down Syndrome Neurogenesis Using Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: March 7, 2025
Inhibitory mechanisms in Down syndrome: is there a specific or general deficit?
Erika Borella1, Barbara Carretti, Silvia Lanfranchi
1Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy. erika.borella@unipd.it
Abstract:
The cognitive profile of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) is known to be characterized by an impaired executive functioning, but inhibition-related processes have not been extensively examined in this setting. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether individuals with DS have any specific or general deficit in inhibitory processes. Tasks measuring prepotent response inhibition (the animal Stroop test), proactive interference (proactive interference task and intrusion errors), and response to distracters (directed forgetting task) were administered together with a working memory test to 19 individuals with DS and 19 typically developing (TD) children matched for mental age. Confirming previous findings, our results showed that the DS group performed less well in a verbal working memory task than the TD children. Analyzing our findings for the three inhibitory tasks yielded a picture of the DS children having a generalized difficulty in suppressing information that is irrelevant, or no longer relevant, to the goals of the task. These results suggest that DS is related not to specific, but rather to generalized inhibitory difficulties.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Intellectual Disability
Long-term Depression
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over time, all...
Long-term Depression
Meiosis I
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.

