Abstract
Psychiatric symptoms in childhood are closely related to neurocognitive deficits. However, it is unclear whether internalising and externalising symptoms are associated with general or distinct cognitive problems. We examined the relation between different types of psychiatric symptoms and neurocognitive functioning in a population-based sample of 1177 school-aged children. Internalising and externalising behaviour was studied both continuously and categorically. For continuous, variable-centred analyses, broadband scores of internalising and externalising symptoms were used. However, these measures are strongly correlated, which may prevent identification of distinct cognitive patterns. To distinguish groups of children with relatively homogeneous symptom patterns, a latent profile analysis of symptoms at age 6 yielded four exclusive groups of children: a class of children with predominantly internalising symptoms, a class with externalising symptoms, a class with co-occurring internalising and externalising symptoms, that resembles the CBCL dysregulation profile and a class with no problems. Five domains of neurocognitive ability were tested: attention/executive functioning, language, memory and learning, sensorimotor functioning, and visuospatial processing. Consistently, these two different modelling approaches demonstrated that children with internalising and externalising symptoms show distinct cognitive profiles. Children with more externalising symptoms performed lower in the attention/executive functioning domain, while children with more internalising symptoms showed impairment in verbal fluency and memory. In the most severely affected class of children with internalising and externalising symptoms, we found specific impairment in the sensorimotor domain. This study illustrates the specific interrelation of internalising and externalising symptoms and cognition in young children.
Highlights
IntroductionCognitive functioning and psychopathology are closely intertwined
In child development, cognitive functioning and psychopathology are closely intertwined
Such cognitive impairment can be shared across different disorders, but it may be distinct for different types of psychopathology
Summary
Cognitive functioning and psychopathology are closely intertwined. There is increasing attention to assess which specific aspects of cognition are impaired in child psychiatric disorders Such cognitive impairment can be shared across different disorders, but it may be distinct for different types of psychopathology. Internalising and externalising disorders are two presentations of psychopathology at a young age, that are thought to emerge from partly distinct pathways, both in terms of genetics [3] and underlying brain correlates [4] and predispose for different types of psychopathology later in life [5, 6]. It is less clear whether distinct cognitive patterns exist for internalising and externalising symptoms at a young age
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
