Brief Report: Associations Between Cognitive Control Processes and Traits of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Anxiety in Children at Elevated and Typical Familial Likelihood for ASD

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 51; no. 8; pp. 3001 - 3013
• Main Authors: Godoy, Priscilla B. G., Shephard, Elizabeth, Milosavljevic, Bosiljka, Johnson, Mark H., Charman, Tony
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.08.2021; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anxiety; Anxiety - complications; Anxiety - psychology; Anxiety Disorders - complications; Anxiety Disorders - psychology; At Risk Persons; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - complications; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder - complications; Autism Spectrum Disorder - psychology; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Autistic children; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Brief Report; Child; Child and School Psychology; Children; Cognition; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Development; Cognitive flexibility; Cognitive Processes; Comorbidity; Conflict Resolution; Departments; Developmental Delays; Executive Function - physiology; Family Characteristics; Female; Health problems; Humans; Hyperactivity; Inhibition; Male; Mental disorders; Mental health; Neurosciences; Parents; Pediatrics; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Psychiatry; Psychology; Public Health; Questionnaires; Response inhibition; Risk Factors; Young Children; Inhibitory control; Anxiety; Cognitive flexibility; Autism spectrum disorder (ASD); Conflict resolution; Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04732-9

Shared difficulties with cognitive control may play a role in co-occurring mental health problems frequently observed in autistic children. We investigated how different cognitive control processes (inhibitory control, conflict resolution, cognitive flexibility) associated with traits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety in 7-year-old children at elevated (n = 44) and typical (n = 37) familial likelihood for ASD. Poor inhibitory control was associated with higher ADHD traits. Better inhibitory control and poorer cognitive flexibility predicted higher anxiety traits. Cognitive control processes were not associated dimensionally with autistic traits, though better conflict resolution predicted greater likelihood of meeting diagnostic criteria for ASD in categorical analysis. These findings suggest that different cognitive control alterations are associated with ASD, ADHD and anxiety.