Pilot Study of Response Inhibition in Adolescents with Williams Syndrome using a Go/No-Go Task
Mentor 1
Bonita P. Klein-Tasman
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
24-4-2015 2:30 PM
End Date
24-4-2015 3:45 PM
Description
Introduction: Williams syndrome (WS) arises from a 7q11.23 deletion and is associated with well-established physical and psychosocial characteristics including aortic stenosis, facial dysmorphism, hypersociability, and poor spatial function with relatively spared verbal function. Individuals with WS have difficulty inhibiting responses and very often have comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Examples of everyday behavior that may arise from poor inhibition include repetitive question asking, failing to break prolonged eye contact, and the high social drive often noted in WS (Porter et. al, 2007). The current analysis seeks to describe correlations between performance on an inhibitory non-emotional Go/No-Go (GNG) task and intellectual functioning, gender, and severity of comorbid ADHD symptomatology in an adolescent WS sample. Method: Participants ages 12-17 and their families were recruited. To date, 11 participants were assessed (4 males, 7 females). The Kauffman Brief Intelligence Test II (KBIT-II) was administered to assess verbal, nonverbal, and overall intellectual functioning. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and Conners-3 Parent Report Short Form (Conners) were administered to assess attention problems. A computerized GNG task was administered online to individuals in their homes. This task measures response inhibition by prompting participants to respond to “go” stimuli by pressing the space bar and to withhold their response for a “no-go” stimulus. Comission errors, Omission errors, and Reaction Time will be examined.Results: Independent t-tests will be used to explore possible gender differences in CE, OE, and RT. Bivariate correlations will be used to evaluate whether CE, OE, or RT are significantly related to intellectual functioning, age, and severity of attention problems. Comission errors (CE; false positives) indicate a failed inhibitory response and were predicted to negatively correlate with intellectual functioning but positively correlate with attention problems. Amount of omission errors (OE; missed responses) were predicted to negatively correlate with intellectual functioning (Capitao et. al, 2011) and lower parent endorsement of ADHD symptomatology. Reaction time (RT) indicates the amount of time a participant waited to respond to a go stimulus. RT was predicted to be negatively correlated with intellectual functioning but positively correlated with attention problems.Discussion: The results of this analysis will be used to better describe multiple aspects of response inhibition in the rarely-studied demographic of adolescents with WS. Due to the limited sample size, results are intended to be interpreted as a pilot exploratory analysis; follow up with a larger sample will be needed.
Pilot Study of Response Inhibition in Adolescents with Williams Syndrome using a Go/No-Go Task
Union Wisconsin Room
Introduction: Williams syndrome (WS) arises from a 7q11.23 deletion and is associated with well-established physical and psychosocial characteristics including aortic stenosis, facial dysmorphism, hypersociability, and poor spatial function with relatively spared verbal function. Individuals with WS have difficulty inhibiting responses and very often have comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Examples of everyday behavior that may arise from poor inhibition include repetitive question asking, failing to break prolonged eye contact, and the high social drive often noted in WS (Porter et. al, 2007). The current analysis seeks to describe correlations between performance on an inhibitory non-emotional Go/No-Go (GNG) task and intellectual functioning, gender, and severity of comorbid ADHD symptomatology in an adolescent WS sample. Method: Participants ages 12-17 and their families were recruited. To date, 11 participants were assessed (4 males, 7 females). The Kauffman Brief Intelligence Test II (KBIT-II) was administered to assess verbal, nonverbal, and overall intellectual functioning. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and Conners-3 Parent Report Short Form (Conners) were administered to assess attention problems. A computerized GNG task was administered online to individuals in their homes. This task measures response inhibition by prompting participants to respond to “go” stimuli by pressing the space bar and to withhold their response for a “no-go” stimulus. Comission errors, Omission errors, and Reaction Time will be examined.Results: Independent t-tests will be used to explore possible gender differences in CE, OE, and RT. Bivariate correlations will be used to evaluate whether CE, OE, or RT are significantly related to intellectual functioning, age, and severity of attention problems. Comission errors (CE; false positives) indicate a failed inhibitory response and were predicted to negatively correlate with intellectual functioning but positively correlate with attention problems. Amount of omission errors (OE; missed responses) were predicted to negatively correlate with intellectual functioning (Capitao et. al, 2011) and lower parent endorsement of ADHD symptomatology. Reaction time (RT) indicates the amount of time a participant waited to respond to a go stimulus. RT was predicted to be negatively correlated with intellectual functioning but positively correlated with attention problems.Discussion: The results of this analysis will be used to better describe multiple aspects of response inhibition in the rarely-studied demographic of adolescents with WS. Due to the limited sample size, results are intended to be interpreted as a pilot exploratory analysis; follow up with a larger sample will be needed.
