Abstract
Studies have shown that executive function abilities are related and have predictive power over adaptive behaviour in both typical and atypical populations. This study examined the relationship between executive functioning and adaptive behaviour in adolescents with Down syndrome, as it has not been studied before in this population. We propose and test a model of how each core EF (i.e., working memory, inhibition, and flexibility) contributes to each domain of AB (i.e., conceptual, social, and practical). We found that parent reported Conceptual skills were related to working memory, while teacher reported Conceptual and Practical skills were related to inhibition and flexibility. We hypothesise that these findings are related to the different requirements and expectations of the home and school environments: the more predictable home environment requires the adolescent to rely on working memory for his everyday activities, while the changing and challenging school environment requires the inhibition common behaviours and to flexibly change actions to be successful.
Highlights
Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal disorder, with a total mean prevalence of about 18.2 in 10,000 births[1]
The three core executive function (EF) include working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility
We hypothesised a relationship between EF and adaptive behaviour (AB) in adolescents with DS
Summary
Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal disorder, with a total mean prevalence (live, stillbirths and termination of pregnancies) of about 18.2 in 10,000 births[1]. The three core EFs include working memory (i.e., the ability to hold information in mind and mentally work with it9), inhibition (i.e., the capacity to override automatic or impulsive responses, thoughts, or emotions, in order to act according to one’s goals and/or what is appropriate for the situation7,10), and cognitive flexibility (i.e., the ability that allows for change in perspectives, means to reach a goal, or the goal itself, in order to optimize resources and/or more effective use of the feedback from the environment[7,10]) These abilities form the foundation from which higher order cognitive processes, such as reasoning, problem solving, and planning are built. Several other studies have reported difficulties in verbal response inhibition when compared to matched participants with Williams syndrome, idiopathic ID, or TD14,15,18,25,26
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