title: Explorative function in Prader-Willi syndrome analyzed through an ecological spatial task.
abstract: This study was aimed at evaluating the spatial abilities in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) by using an ecological large-scale task with multiple rewards. To evaluate the extent of spatial deficit in PWS individuals, we compare their performances with those of individuals with Williams Syndrome (WS) in which the spatial deficits have been widely described. Participants had to explore an open space to search nine rewards placed in buckets arranged according to three spatial configurations: a Cross, a 3×3 Matrix and a Cluster composed by three groups of three buckets each. PWS individuals exhibited an explorative deficit in Cluster and Cross configurations, while WS participants in Matrix and Cross configurations. The findings indicate that the structural affordances of the environment influence the explorative strategies and can be related to how spatial information is processed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University "Sapienza", Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation (CERC), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Foti
authors.affiliation: Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, "Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù", Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Menghini
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University "Sapienza", Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation (CERC), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Petrosini
authors.affiliation: Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, "Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù", Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vicari
authors.affiliation: Department of Motor Science and Wellness, University "Parthenope", Via Medina 40, 80133 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valerio
authors.affiliation: Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, "Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù", Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orlandi
authors.affiliation: Pediatric and Autoimmune Endocrine Disease Unit, "Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù", Via Torre di Palidoro, 00050 Fiumicino (Rome), Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crinò
authors.affiliation: Pediatric and Autoimmune Endocrine Disease Unit, "Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù", Via Torre di Palidoro, 00050 Fiumicino (Rome), Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spera
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation (CERC), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143 Rome, Italy; Faculty of Formation Science, University "Guglielmo Marconi", Via Plinio 44, 00193 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Bartolo
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation (CERC), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143 Rome, Italy; Department of Motor Science and Wellness, University "Parthenope", Via Medina 40, 80133 Naples, Italy. Electronic address: laura.mandolesi@uniparthenope.it.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mandolesi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011218:Prader-Willi Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D065852:Spatial Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D018980:Williams Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Explorative strategies; Genetic syndromes; Spatial ability; Spatial memory; Spatial task