Executive functions and adaptive behaviour in individuals with Down syndrome

Abstract

Background Previous research has explored executive functions (EFs) and adaptive behaviour in children and adolescents with Down syndrome (DS), but there is a paucity of research on the relationship between the two in this population. This study aims to shed light on the profile of EFs and adaptive behaviour in DS, exploring the differences by age and investigating the relationship between these two domains. Method Parents/caregivers of 100 individuals with DS from 3 to 16 years old participated in the study. The sample was divided into preschoolers (3-6.11 years old) and school-age children (7-16 years old). Parents/caregivers completed either the Preschool Version of the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function (for children 2-6.11 years old) or the Second Edition of the same Inventory (for individuals 7 + years old). Adaptive behaviour was assessed with the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale -Interview, Second Edition.

Executive function and intellectual disability: innovations, methods and treatment

“…Preschool and school‐age children varied somewhat in their EF profiles in the Onnivello et al . (2022) study, and greater EF challenges were reported by teachers relative to parents in the Csumitta et al . (2022) study.…”

“…Moreover, the group-level profile seems to partially vary by factors like age and environmental context. Preschool and school-age children varied somewhat in their EF profiles in the Onnivello et al (2022) study, and greater EF challenges were reported by teachers relative to parents in the Csumitta et al (2022) study. These and other similar dimensions are important to consider when describing syndrome-related performances on the group level.…”

“…Two manuscripts in this special issue examine EF in Down syndrome through proxy-report measures. Onnivello et al (2022) characterise caregiver-reported data from the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool (BRIEF-P, Gioia et al 2003) and the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Second Edition (BRIEF 2; Gioia et al 2015) in children with Down syndrome and examine the relationship between caregiver-reported EF and adaptive behaviour. Csumitta et al (2022) compare EF proxy-report data from parents and teachers of children with Down syndrome using the BRIEF-2 (Gioia et al 2015).…”

“…One advantage of this approach is that proxy-report measures that were developed for the general population have been demonstrated to be appropriate for use in individuals with ID and retain their psychometric properties. Also, several papers in this special issue reach the conclusion that proxy-report measures used to assess EF in the general population, such as the BRIEF and its different forms, might are sensitive tools for identifying difficulties and profiles at least for some specific ID aetiologies such as Down and Williams syndrome (Csumitta et al 2022;Greiner de Magalhaes et al, 2022;Onnivello et al 2022). Using proxy-report measures has the advantage of eliminating the confounding factors of laboratory test and they increase ecological validity, but important issues arise when interpreting parent-report or teacher-report data.…”

“…In addition, the Onnivello et al . (2022) study described earlier focuses on the early phases of the lifespan in DS and examines the connection between EF and adaptive behaviour in preschool vs. school age children with DS. Although few connections were observed between these two domains in the preschoolers, a significant association between working memory and adaptive communication skills was reported.…”