title: Cognitive control and associated neural correlates in adults with spina bifida myelomeningocele.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Accelerated aging can occur in adult survivors of neurodevelopmental disorders, but has been narrowly studied in spina bifida myelomeningocele (SBM). Since discrete aspects of cognitive control and related neural network macrostructure deteriorate in normal aging, the specificity and trajectory of cognition and neuropathology incurred across adulthood in SBM were examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults (N = 120) with and without SBM completed working memory span and manipulation tasks, and an inhibitory control task. A subset (n = 53) underwent structural MRI. Effects of group, age, and their interaction on performance and select gray matter volumes were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adults with SBM had significantly poorer working memory accuracy and overall inhibitory control performance than typical peers. Age negatively predicted inhibitory control. Group × Age significantly interacted on span accuracy; advanced age related to diminished performance in typical adults, but not in adults with SBM. SBM related to disproportionately enlarged cortical and putamen and reduced hippocampus volumes. Group × Age significantly interacted on cortical, but not subcortical gray matter volumes. Dorsolateral prefrontal, hippocampus, and putamen volumes negatively correlated with cognitive performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supporting previous literature, current findings elucidated a profile of executive impairment in SBM that was maintained in a parallel maturational trajectory to typical aging. Accelerated aging in cognitive control or subcortical gray matter was not supported in SBM. However, reductions in anterior and posterior cortical regions were exacerbated in older adults with SBM compared with typical peers. Overall results supported persistent anomalous neurodevelopmental maturation across the life span in SBM that related to diminished cognitive control. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Houston.
authors.forename: Ashley L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ware
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Houston.
authors.forename: Paulina A
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6372-794X
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Kulesz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Learning Institute BRAIN Lab, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
authors.forename: Jenifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Juranek
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Houston.
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Cirino
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Houston.
authors.forename: Jack M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011699:Putamen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011930:Reaction Time; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology*; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D055815:Young Adult