Executive Functions and Attention Processes in Adolescents and Young Adults with Intellectual Disability

Zagaria, Tommasa; Antonucci, Gabriella; Buono, Serafino; Recupero, Marilena; Zoccolotti, Pierluigi · 2021 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11010042

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Summary

This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of executive functions (EFs) and attention processes in adolescents and young adults with mild intellectual disability (ID). The research was motivated by the observation that previous studies typically examined EFs and attention in isolation, often focusing on specific syndromes or limited measures. Furthermore, there was a need to distinguish between global cognitive slowing and specific attentional deficits in this population. The authors aimed to determine whether individuals with ID exhibit broad impairments across these domains or if deficits are selective, using ecologically valid tests for EFs and a battery covering both the selectivity and intensity dimensions of attention. The study involved 27 participants with mild ID (aged 15.1–23 years) and an age- and gender-matched control group of 27 typically developing individuals. Intellectual functioning was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale. Executive functions were evaluated using the Behavioral Assessment of Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS), an ecological battery comprising six subtests measuring cognitive flexibility, problem-solving, planning, temporal judgment, and organization. Attention processes were assessed using the Attention and Concentration Battery, which included computerized tests for simple and choice reaction times, continuous performance (auditory, visual, spatial), divided attention, color-word interference (Stroop), and shifting of attention. The experimental design allowed for the analysis of both global cognitive speed and task-specific performance. Results indicated that individuals with ID were severely impaired on all subtests of the BADS battery, confirming significant deficits in executive functioning. However, notable individual differences existed, with approximately 30% of the ID group scoring within normal limits. In contrast, attentional deficits were more specific. Individuals with ID were not generally slower than controls; instead, they exhibited deficits primarily in tasks taxing the selective dimension of attention, such as Choice Reaction Times, Color Naming, Color-Word Interference, and Shifting of Attention for verbal and visual targets. Performance on intensive attention tasks was largely spared. Statistical analysis revealed that a global factor of cognitive speed played only a modest role in group differences, suggesting that observed deficits were linked to specific task manipulations rather than a general slowing of information processing. The findings suggest that while executive dysfunction is a pervasive characteristic of mild ID, attentional impairments are selective rather than global. The study challenges the notion that ID is characterized by a uniform slowing of all cognitive processes, highlighting instead specific vulnerabilities in selective attention and executive control. These results have implications for rehabilitation and support strategies, indicating that interventions should target specific executive and attentional skills rather than assuming broad cognitive deficits. The use of ecologically valid measures further underscores the real-world relevance of these findings for daily functioning and adaptation in individuals with ID.

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• cognitive capacity variation