title: Comparing Executive Functioning in Children and Adolescents With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and ADHD: A Meta-Analysis.
abstract: Objective:Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are associated with a range of neurocognitive impairments. Executive functioning deficits are a hallmark feature of both disorders.Method:The present meta-analysis was undertaken to disentangle the behavioral phenotype of FASD and ADHD by quantitatively differentiating executive functioning differences between these two groups. The current meta-analysis reviews 15 studies comparing children and adolescents with FASD and ADHD to typically developing (TD) samples, on a variety of executive function measures.Results:Results indicate that when compared with TD samples, FASD and ADHD samples demonstrate significant executive function deficits (d= 0.82 andd= 0.55, respectively). In addition, FASD samples experience significantly greater deficits when compared with ADHD samples (d= 0.25). Results were moderated by IQ and socioeconomic status.Conclusion:These findings further our understanding of the cognitive differences between FASD and ADHD samples and have the potential to influence future basic research, assessment, and intervention.
authors.affiliation: Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Khoury
authors.affiliation: Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Milligan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D012923:Social Class
keywords: ADD/ADHD; FASD; executive function; meta-analysis