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The interplay between executive control and motor functioning in Williams syndrome.
Darren R Hocking1, Daniel Thomas, Jasmine C Menant
1Monash Child and Adult Development Lab, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Monash University, Australia. Darren.Hocking@monash.edu
Developmental Science
|April 17, 2013
Summary
Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) exhibit executive control deficits extending to visuomotor tasks, impacting attention and response inhibition. This research highlights challenges in attentional control for those with WS.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Genetics
Background:
- Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder associated with neurodevelopmental differences.
- Previous research indicates visuospatial attentional and response inhibition weaknesses in WS individuals.
- The extent of attentional control deficits into the visuomotor domain in WS remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate attentional control impairments in the visuomotor domain in individuals with Williams syndrome.
- To examine the interplay between executive control and visually guided stepping.
- To explore the relationship between dual-task and inhibitory stepping and behavioral inattention/hyperactivity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized choice stepping reaction time (CSRT) to measure visuomotor control.
- Employed a verbal fluency dual-task and a Go/NoGo paradigm during CSRT performance.
- Assessed correlations between dual-task/inhibitory stepping and ADHD-related symptoms.
Main Results:
- Individuals with WS demonstrated significant dual-task costs in stepping response times compared to controls.
- No group differences in stepping accuracy were found.
- The WS group exhibited progressive response time slowing and increased variability during the Go/NoGo task.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest dysfunction in top-down attentional control circuits in Williams syndrome.
- Core executive control deficits in WS extend to the visuomotor domain.
- These visuomotor challenges may contribute to ADHD-related inattentive symptoms in WS.
