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ADHD severity as a predictor of cognitive task performance in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Rosleen Mansour1, Anthony R Ward1, David M Lane2
1McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, United States.
Research in Developmental Disabilities
|February 6, 2021
Summary
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and more severe Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms show impairments in attention, memory, and inhibition. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive cognitive assessments in pediatric patients with ASD for effective planning.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Pediatric Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Growing research explores co-occurring Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
- This study investigates the impact of ADHD and ASD symptom severity on cognitive performance in higher-functioning children and adolescents with ASD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between ADHD symptom severity and cognitive task performance in children with ASD.
- To assess the association between ASD symptom severity and cognitive performance in the same population.
- To test the hypothesis that higher ADHD symptom severity predicts poorer attention, inhibition, and memory in children with ASD.
Main Methods:
- 92 children diagnosed with ASD (73 males, Mean Age = 9.41 years, Mean IQ = 84.2) participated.
- Participants completed cognitive tasks assessing attention, impulsivity/inhibition, and immediate memory.
- Regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between symptom severity and cognitive performance.
Main Results:
- Increased ADHD symptom severity significantly correlated with poorer performance in attention, immediate memory, and response inhibition.
- Conversely, increased ASD symptom severity was not associated with poorer performance on the cognitive tasks evaluated.
- ADHD symptoms, not ASD symptoms, were linked to cognitive deficits in this sample.
Conclusions:
- Children with ASD and more severe ADHD symptoms exhibit cognitive impairments similar to those seen in the general pediatric population with ADHD.
- These findings underscore the importance of assessing cognitive functions like attention, memory, and inhibition in children with ASD.
- Comprehensive cognitive evaluations are crucial for tailoring interventions and educational strategies for pediatric patients with ASD.
Keywords:
AttentionAttention-Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderAutism Spectrum DisorderCognitive taskImpulsivityMemoryMore Related Videos
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