Language and executive functioning in young adults with Down syndrome

• Published in: Journal of intellectual disability research Vol. 66; no. 1-2; pp. 151 - 161
• Main Authors: Kristensen, K., Lorenz, K. M., Zhou, X., Piro‐Gambetti, B., Hartley, S. L., Godar, S. P., Diel, S., Neubauer, E., Litovsky, R. Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-01-2022
• Subjects: Attention; Cognition; Down Syndrome; Down syndrome, executive functioning, language, memory, vocabulary; Executive Function; Fluency; Humans; Inhibition; Language; Language Aptitude; Memory; Memory, Short-Term; Short Term Memory; Spatial memory; Statistical Analysis; Visual memory; Vocabulary; Vocabulary Skills; Young Adult; Young adults; Down syndrome, executive functioning, language, memory, vocabulary
• ISSN: 0964-2633; 1365-2788
• DOI: 10.1111/jir.12868

Background
This study examined the association between executive functioning and language in young adults with Down syndrome (DS).
Method
Nineteen young adults with DS (aged 19–24 years) completed standardised measures of overall cognition, vocabulary, verbal fluency and executive function skills.
Results
Friedman's analysis of variance (χ2(3) = 28.15, P < .001) and post hoc comparisons indicated that, on average, participants had a significantly lower overall non‐verbal than verbal cognitive age equivalent and lower expressive than receptive vocabulary skills. Using Spearman correlations, performance on a verbal measure of cognition inhibition was significantly negatively related to receptive vocabulary (ρ = −.529, adjusted P = .036) and verbal fluency (ρ = −.608, adjusted P = .022). Attention was significantly positively correlated with receptive (ρ = .698, adjusted‐p = .005) and expressive (ρ = .542, adjusted P = .027) vocabulary. Verbal working memory was significantly positively associated with receptive vocabulary (ρ = .585, adjusted P = .022) and verbal fluency (ρ = .737, adjusted P = .003). Finally, visuospatial working memory was significantly associated with receptive vocabulary (ρ = .562, adjusted P = .027).
Conclusions
Verbal and non‐verbal measures of executive functioning skills had important associations with language ability in young adults with DS. Future translational research is needed to investigate causal pathways underlying these relationships. Research should explore if interventions aimed at increasing executive functioning skills (e.g. attention, inhibition and working memory) have the potential to lead to increases in language for young adults with DS.