title: Executive function is affected in autism spectrum disorder, but does not correlate with intelligence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies of executive function in autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability (ASD-WID) patients are contradictory. We assessed a wide range of executive functioning cognitive domains in a sample of children and adolescents with ASD-WID and compared them with age-, sex-, and intelligence quotient (IQ)-matched healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four ASD-WID patients (mean age 12.8±2.5 years; 23 males; mean IQ 99.20±18.81) and 32 healthy controls (mean age 12.9±2.7 years; 30 males; mean IQ 106.81±11.02) were recruited.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant differences were found in all cognitive domains assessed, with better performance by the healthy control group: attention (U=185.0; P=.0005; D=0.90), working memory (T51.48=2.597; P=.006; D=0.72), mental flexibility (U=236.0; P=.007; D=0.67), inhibitory control (U=210.0; P=.002; D=0.71), and problem solving (U=261.0; P=0.021; D=0.62). These statistically significant differences were also found after controlling for IQ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children and adolescents with ASD-WID have difficulties transforming and mentally manipulating verbal information, longer response latency, attention problems (difficulty set shifting), trouble with automatic response inhibition and problem solving, despite having normal IQ. Considering the low executive functioning profile found in those patients, we recommend a comprehensive intervention including work on non-social problems related to executive cognitive difficulties.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Psiquiatría del Niño y del Adolescente, Departamento de Psiquiatría, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, España. Electronic address: jmerchan@iisgm.com.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Merchán-Naranjo
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Psiquiatría del Niño y del Adolescente, Departamento de Psiquiatría, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boada
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Psiquiatría del Niño y del Adolescente, Departamento de Psiquiatría, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, España; Departamento de Metodología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Ángel
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: del Rey-Mejías
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Psiquiatría del Niño y del Adolescente, Departamento de Psiquiatría, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, España.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mayoral
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Psiquiatría del Niño y del Adolescente, Departamento de Psiquiatría, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Cloe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Llorente
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Psiquiatría del Niño y del Adolescente, Departamento de Psiquiatría, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Celso
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arango
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Psiquiatría del Niño y del Adolescente, Departamento de Psiquiatría, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parellada
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
keywords: Asperger syndrome; Autismo de alto funcionamiento; Evaluación neuropsicológica; Executive function; Funcionamiento ejecutivo; High functioning autism; Inteligencia; Intelligence; Neuropsychological assessment; Síndrome de Asperger