Executive functioning in children with Asperger syndrome, ADHD-combined type, ADHD-predominately inattentive type, and controls.
The purpose of the study was to evaluate neuropsychological and behavioral rating measures of executive functions (EF) in children with two subtypes of ADHD, Asperger syndrome (AS), and controls. Relative to the control group, the clinical groups experienced more difficulty in EF. The AS group showed the most difficulty in emotional control, behavioral regulation, fluid reasoning, and planning compared to the ADHD groups. Number of symptoms of ADHD or AS was found to be significantly related to ratings of difficulty with behavior regulation, metacognition, and general behavioral regulation across the sample. These findings indicate that children with AS or ADHD may have a differing EF profile and thus, may respond differentially to interventions.
Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, Consortium for Neurodevelopmental Study, Michigan State University, 321 A West Fee Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. semrudcl@msu.edu
Margaret
M
Semrud-Clikeman
Jenifer
J
Walkowiak
Alison
A
Wilkinson
Brianne
B
Butcher
D000293:Adolescent; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D014888:Wechsler Scales