Executive functioning and verbal fluency performance in youth with Down syndrome.

BACKGROUND

Executive functioning (EF) is an area of challenge for individuals with Down syndrome (DS) associated with a variety of downstream difficulties. Verbal fluency performance is one potential downstream effect that is commonly assessed in individuals with DS due to the measure's utility as a predictor of dementia. Verbal fluency requires individuals to inhibit irrelevant responses, shift between groupings of related words, and monitor to prevent repetition, all skills related to EF.

AIMS: This study aimed to determine the association between semantic verbal fluency performance and three EF subdomains (inhibition, shifting, and working memory) in youth with DS after taking into account vocabulary and cognitive ability.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Neuropsychological assessments (verbal and visuospatial), and parent reports of EF, were completed at one time point by 69 youth with DS 6-17 years old and their caregivers. Expressive and receptive vocabulary skills and cognitive ability were also assessed.

OUTCOMES AND

RESULTS

The results revealed that verbal fluency performance was significantly associated with neuropsychological assessments of EF and parent report of inhibition even after controlling for the effects of vocabulary and cognitive ability.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The findings highlight the underlying importance of EF in verbal fluency tasks in youth with DS.