Abstract
Introduction: executive function disturbances, especially in cognitive flexibility planning, inhibitory control and
working memory constitute a cardinal element within the manifestations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Objective: the aim of this research was to evaluate the performance of executive function tests in children
with ASD.
Materials and methods: an observational study was conducted in children attending a rehabilitation institution.
An analysis between the performance of the Childhood Neuropsychological assessment subtests, scores
of CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) and other variables was performed by a Spearman correlation test.
The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee and parental consent was obtained.
Results: we evaluated eight children with a mean age of 8.9 years (min: 6.1, max: 13.7) and CARS score
between 32 and 46. Better performance was found in graphical abilities, less in graphical and verbal fluency
and in cognitive flexibility. Age was directly correlated with scores on working memory and planning. A high
CARS score was correlated with poor performance on cognitive flexibility, working memory and non-semantic
graphic fluency.
working memory constitute a cardinal element within the manifestations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Objective: the aim of this research was to evaluate the performance of executive function tests in children
with ASD.
Materials and methods: an observational study was conducted in children attending a rehabilitation institution.
An analysis between the performance of the Childhood Neuropsychological assessment subtests, scores
of CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) and other variables was performed by a Spearman correlation test.
The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee and parental consent was obtained.
Results: we evaluated eight children with a mean age of 8.9 years (min: 6.1, max: 13.7) and CARS score
between 32 and 46. Better performance was found in graphical abilities, less in graphical and verbal fluency
and in cognitive flexibility. Age was directly correlated with scores on working memory and planning. A high
CARS score was correlated with poor performance on cognitive flexibility, working memory and non-semantic
graphic fluency.
| Translated title of the contribution | Autism spectrum disorder and executive functions |
|---|---|
| Original language | Spanish |
| Article number | 3 |
| Pages (from-to) | 246 |
| Number of pages | 252 |
| Journal | Acta Neurológica Colombiana |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 31 |
| State | Published - Jul 28 2015 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Cognitive Neuroscience