Executive Function Predicts Adaptive Behavior in Children with Histories of Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Ware, Ashley L.; Crocker, Nicole; O’Brien, Jessica W.; Deweese, Benjamin N.; Roesch, Scott C.; Coles, Claire D.; Kable, Julie A.; May, Philip A.; Kalberg, Wendy O.; Sowell, Elizabeth R.; Jones, Kenneth Lyons; Riley, Edward P.; Mattson, Sarah N.

doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01718.x

Cited by 75 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…We also observed a strong association between parent reported executive dysfunction and lower adaptive skills. While these associations have been observed in other clinical populations using traditional, comprehensive batteries [24,25], our study was able to highlight this relationship in cancer survivors using only parent report measures.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

Adaptive functioning of childhood brain tumor survivors following conformal radiation therapy

et al. 2014

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Background Adaptive functioning is not often examined in childhood brain tumor (BT) survivors, with the few existing investigations relying on examiner interviews. Parent questionnaires may provide similar information with decreased burden. The purpose of this study was: (1) to examine adaptive behaviors in BT survivors relative to healthy peer and cancer survivor groups, and (2) to explore the validity of a parent questionnaire in relation to an examiner administered interview. Procedure Participants (age 13.11±2.98 years) were BT survivors treated with conformal radiation therapy (n=50), healthy siblings of BT survivors (n=39) and solid tumor (ST) survivors who did not receive CNS-directed therapy (n=40). Parents completed the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System–2nd Edition (ABAS-II). For a subset of the BT cohort (n=32), examiners interviewed the parents using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) within 12 months. Results Groups differed significantly on each of the ABAS-II indices and the general adaptive composite, with the BT group scoring lower than the sibling and ST groups across indices. Executive functioning, but not IQ, was associated with adaptive skills; no clear pattern of clinical and demographic predictors was established. VABS scores were correlated with ABAS-II scores on nearly all indices. Conclusions BT survivors showed significantly lower adaptive functioning when compared to healthy and cancer controls. The ABAS-II proved sensitive to these behavioral limitations and was consistent with scores on the VABS. The use of a parent questionnaire to assess adaptive functioning enhances survivorship investigations by increasing flexibility of assessment and decreasing examiner burden.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

Adaptive functioning of childhood brain tumor survivors following conformal radiation therapy

et al. 2014

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“…EF predicts academic ability (Biederman et al, 2004; Bierman, et al, 2008; Neuenschwander, Röthlisberger, Cimeli, & Roebers, 2012) and social functioning (Bierman, et al, 2008; Schonfeld, Paley, Frankel, & O’Connor, 2006) in high risk and clinical groups (e.g., children with ADHD; children enrolled in Head Start—a program that provides child development and education services to low-income or at-risk children and families), and EF predicts academic and social competence, wealth, health, and even adult criminal behavior in the general population (Mischel, et al, 1988; Moffitt et al, 2011). In individuals with FASD, EF deficits are associated with maladaptive outcomes, including behavioral problems (Kodituwakku, Kalberg, & May, 2001), hindrance of daily activities (Mattson, et al, 1999), adaptive behavior problems (Ware et al, 2012), and poor reasoning and social functioning, which may contribute to increases in inappropriate sexual behavior and legal problems (Fast & Conry, 2009). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Executive functioning deficits in preschool children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Fuglestad

Whitley

Carlson

et al. 2014

Child Neuropsychology

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Executive function (EF) deficit is a hallmark of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), but the vast majority of available evidence comes from school-age children and adolescents. Very little is known about EF during the critical developmental period prior to 6 years of age in FASD. We evaluated EF in 39 children with FASD (3.0 – 5.5 years) and a comparison group of 50 age-matched, non-exposed controls. Measures included the EF Scale for Early Childhood and a Delay of Gratification task. Compared to age-matched controls, pre-school children with FASD had impairments on the EF Scale and showed more impulsivity on the Delay of Gratification task. To confirm the EF Scale finding, FASD group performance was compared to a separate normative dataset (N=1,400). Those with FASD performed below normal (M= −0.57, SD=0.92). Within the FASD group, IQ was correlated with the EF Scale (partial r=.60, p=.001) and Delay of Gratification (partial r=.58, p=.005). EF Scale performance did not differ significantly across levels of FASD severity [fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), partial FAS, or alcohol-related neurobehavioral disorder (ARND)]. However, compared to normative data, those with FAS had the largest deficits (M= −0.91 SD, SE=0.23), followed by partial FAS (M= −0.66 SD, SE=0.26), then ARND (M= −0.36 SD, SE=0.20). These novel data show that EF deficits manifest well before the age of 6 years in children with FASD, that they occur across the spectrum, and that EF may be most impaired in children with more severe forms of FASD and/or lower IQs.

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“…Since executive control, which includes RI, relates to behavioral dysfunction in alcohol-affected children [41,62,75], understanding the neuropathology underlying RI deficits in this population will increase specificity of known deficits and promote effective interventions. The current study examined RI using the stop-signal task (SST), which may measure different components of RI than GNG.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An fMRI study of behavioral response inhibition in adolescents with and without histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure

Ware

Infante

O’Brien

et al. 2015

Behavioural Brain Research

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Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure results in a range of deficits, including both volumetric and functional changes in brain regions involved in response inhibition such as the prefrontal cortex and striatum. The current study examined blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response during a stop signal task in adolescents (ages 13–16 y) with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (AE, n = 21) and controls (CON, n = 21). Task performance was measured using percent correct inhibits during three difficulty conditions: easy, medium, and hard. Group differences in BOLD response relative to baseline motor responding were examined across all inhibition trials and for each difficulty condition separately. The contrast between hard and easy trials was analyzed to determine whether increasing task difficulty affected BOLD response. Groups had similar task performance and demographic characteristics, except for full scale IQ scores (AE < CON). The AE group demonstrated greater BOLD response in frontal, sensorimotor, striatal, and cingulate regions relative to controls, especially as task difficulty increased. When contrasting hard vs. easy inhibition trials, the AE group showed greater medial/superior frontal and cuneus BOLD response than controls. Results were unchanged after demographics and FAS diagnosis were statistically controlled. This was the first fMRI study to utilize a stop signal task, isolating fronto-striatal functioning, to assess response inhibition and the effects task difficulty in adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure. Results suggest that heavy prenatal alcohol exposure disrupts neural function of this circuitry, resulting in immature cognitive processing and motor-association learning and neural compensation during response inhibition.

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Executive Function Predicts Adaptive Behavior in Children with Histories of Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Cited by 75 publications

References 78 publications

Adaptive functioning of childhood brain tumor survivors following conformal radiation therapy

Adaptive functioning of childhood brain tumor survivors following conformal radiation therapy

Executive functioning deficits in preschool children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

An fMRI study of behavioral response inhibition in adolescents with and without histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure

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