Correlates of early cognition in infants with Down syndrome

Fidler, Deborah J.; Schworer, Emily K.; Will, Elizabeth; Patel, Lina; Daunhauer, Lisa A.

doi:10.1111/jir.12566

Cited by 10 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Although this is the first study to report longitudinal connections between infant attention shifting and early EF in DS, it is not the first to identify attention regulation as an essential developmental skill in this population. A previous study composed of a subsample of participants in the present study reported a significant concurrent relationship between attention shifting and overall cognitive skill acquisition in infants with DS (Fidler et al 2019b). The current study extends these findings and reports longitudinal associations between early attention shifting skills and later cognitive flexibility, inhibition and working memory skills.…”

Section: Attention Regulation Replicationsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…In a separate study, faster mean attention shifting latencies were correlated with overall cognitive skill acquisition (Fidler et al . 2019b). Visual engagement and attention shifting difficulties during this early developmental period in DS may have critical downstream implications for EF skill development, but there is no existing longitudinal work to support this link in infants with DS.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…overall cognitive skill acquisition are correlated in infants with DS, but a greater examination of the predictive power of this dimension has not yet been examined longitudinally (Fidler, Schworer, Will, Patel, & Daunhauer, 2019).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Infant precursors of executive function in Down syndrome

Schworer

Fidler

Kaur

et al. 2021

J intellect Disabil Res

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Background. Though early features of infant cognition are predictive of executive function (EF) in typically developing (TD) children, there is little information regarding the developmental origins of EF in neurogenetic conditions, such as Down syndrome (DS). Methods. The current study compared the performance of infants with and without DS on four dimensions that are hypothesized EF precursors: attention shifting, sustained attention, processing speed, and action planning. The relationship between these EF precursors at Time 1 and EF performance at Time 2 (6 months later) was also examined in the DS group. Participants were 58 infants with DS, M chronological age = 11.32 months, SD = 3.50; M developmental age = 7.93 months, SD = 2.79, and 40 TD infants, M chronological age = 8.14, SD = 3.25; M developmental age = 8.18 months, SD = 3.51. Results. Results showed that infants with DS shifted their attention more slowly, looked at objects for longer durations, and demonstrated a longer latency to contact objects when compared to TD infants at Time 1. Attention shifting at Time 1 significantly predicted EF performance at Time 2 in the DS group. Conclusions. This study provides evidence that an early atypical presentation of EF precursors is detectable during infancy in DS and is predictive of subsequent EF performance. These findings contribute to the identification of areas of early cognitive risk in DS and can inform future interventions in this population. Infant Precursors of Executive Function in Down Syndrome Background Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal cause of intellectual disability and affects approximately 1 in every 691 live births in the United States per year (Parker et al., 2010). Individuals with DS are predisposed to a specific phenotypic profile that includes relative competencies in visual processing, receptive language, and nonverbal social functioning, and relative challenges in motor skills, expressive language, and auditory processing (Daunhauer & Fidler, 2011). In addition to general cognitive delays present throughout the lifespan in DS, there is growing evidence of specific challenges in the 'executive functions' (EFs) required for goal

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Section: Attention Regulation Replicationsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Infant precursors of executive function in Down syndrome

Schworer

Fidler

Kaur

et al. 2021

J intellect Disabil Res

Self Cite

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“…The examination of this association should also incorporate additional factors such as prematurity, congenital heart disease (CHD), and parent education level, each of which may impact social communication. Prematurity and CHD are common in DS [35,36] and parent education level has been connected to language outcomes in typically developing children [37].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early Regulatory Skills and Social Communication Development in Infants with Down Syndrome

2021

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Children with Down syndrome (DS) demonstrate substantial variability in communication and language outcomes. One potential source of variability in this skill area may be early regulatory function. Characterizing the early link between regulatory function and early social communication may benefit infants with DS at risk of difficulties with social communication and language skill acquisition. Forty-three infants with DS were assessed at two time points, six months apart. At Time 1, the average chronological age was 9.0 months (SD = 3.9) and caregivers completed the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) to assess regulatory function. Six months later, caregivers rated infant communication at the second visit using the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Infant Toddler Checklist (CSBS-ITC). Infant developmental level was assessed at both visits using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition and caregivers reported on developmental history and biomedical comorbidities. Infant regulatory function at Time 1 predicted social communication outcomes at Time 2, six months later. Findings from this study suggest that elevated risk for pronounced communication challenges may be detectable as early as infancy in DS.

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“…Another issue concerns when individuals with DS reach certain developmental milestones, and their developmental trajectories can be charted vis-à-vis their acquisition of earlier stages of development. It has been demonstrated that the delay with which individuals with DS reach these milestones is linked to their subsequent cognitive and language development e.g., 34 – 37 . Motor milestones have been found related to subsequent cognitive and language development 37 , and communication milestones to language development 36 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive profiles in children and adolescents with Down syndrome

Onnivello

Pulina

Locatelli

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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The Down syndrome (DS) phenotype is usually characterized by relative strengths in non-verbal skills and deficits in verbal processing, but high interindividual variability has been registered in the syndrome. The goal of this study was to explore the cognitive profile, considering verbal and non-verbal intelligence, of children and adolescents with DS, also taking into account interindividual variability. We particularly aimed to investigate whether this variability means that we should envisage more than one cognitive profile in this population. The correlation between cognitive profile and medical conditions, parents’ education levels and developmental milestones was also explored. Seventy-two children/adolescents with DS, aged 7–16 years, were assessed with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-III. Age-equivalent scores were adopted, and Verbal and Non-Verbal indices were obtained for each individual. The cognitive profile of the group as a whole was characterized by similar scores in the verbal and non-verbal domain. Cluster analysis revealed three different profiles, however: one group, with the lowest scores, had the typical profile associated with DS (with higher non-verbal than verbal intelligence); one, with intermediate scores, had greater verbal than non-verbal intelligence; and one, with the highest scores, fared equally well in the verbal and non-verbal domain. Three cognitive profiles emerged, suggesting that educational support for children and adolescents with DS may need to be more specific.

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Correlates of early cognition in infants with Down syndrome

Cited by 10 publications

References 46 publications

Infant precursors of executive function in Down syndrome

Infant precursors of executive function in Down syndrome

Early Regulatory Skills and Social Communication Development in Infants with Down Syndrome

Cognitive profiles in children and adolescents with Down syndrome

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