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Executive functioning and verbal fluency performance in youth with Down syndrome.
Amanallah Soltani1, Emily K Schworer2, Anna J Esbensen3
1Department of Educational Psychology, Kerman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran.
Research in Developmental Disabilities
|October 9, 2022
Summary
Executive functioning (EF) is crucial for verbal fluency in youth with Down syndrome (DS). This study found EF skills, particularly inhibition, significantly predict verbal fluency, even when accounting for cognitive ability and vocabulary.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Executive functioning (EF) presents challenges for individuals with Down syndrome (DS), impacting various downstream skills.
- Verbal fluency, a common assessment in DS, relies on EF components like inhibition and shifting, and predicts dementia risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between semantic verbal fluency and executive functioning subdomains (inhibition, shifting, working memory) in youth with DS.
- To determine if this association persists after controlling for vocabulary and general cognitive ability.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 69 youth with DS (ages 6-17) and their caregivers.
- Utilized neuropsychological tests for EF and verbal fluency, alongside parent-reported EF, vocabulary, and cognitive ability assessments.
Main Results:
- Verbal fluency performance showed significant associations with objective EF measures and parent-reported inhibition.
- These associations remained significant even after controlling for vocabulary and cognitive ability, underscoring the role of EF.
Conclusions:
- Executive functioning is fundamentally important for verbal fluency tasks in youth with Down syndrome.
- These findings emphasize the need to consider EF when assessing or supporting verbal fluency in this population.
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