title: Are the deficits in navigational abilities present in the Williams syndrome related to deficits in the backward inhibition?
abstract: Williams syndrome (WS) is associated with a distinct profile of relatively proficient skills within the verbal domain compared to the severe impairment of visuo-spatial processing. Abnormalities in executive functions and deficits in planning ability and spatial working memory have been described. However, to date little is known about the influence of executive function deficits on navigational abilities in WS. This study aimed at analyzing in WS individuals a specific executive function, the backward inhibition (BI) that allows individuals to flexibly adapt to continuously changing environments. A group of WS individuals and a mental age- and gender-matched group of typically developing children were subjected to three task-switching experiments requiring visuospatial or verbal material to be processed. Results showed that WS individuals exhibited clear BI deficits during visuospatial task-switching paradigms and normal BI effect during verbal task-switching paradigm. Overall, the present results suggest that the BI involvement in updating environment representations during navigation may influence WS navigational abilities.
authors: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy ; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia Rome, Italy.
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Foti
authors: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy.
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Sdoia
authors: Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital Rome Italy.
authors: Deny
authors: D
authors: Menghini
authors: IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia Rome, Italy ; Department of Motor Science and Wellness, University of Naples "Parthenope" Naples, Italy.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Mandolesi
authors: Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital Rome Italy.
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Vicari
authors: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy.
authors: Fabio
authors: F
authors: Ferlazzo
authors: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy ; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia Rome, Italy.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Petrosini
keywords: executive function; spatial ability; spatial navigation; verbal task-switching; visuospatial task-switching