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The Neuropsychology of Down Syndrome: Evidence for Hippocampal Dysfunction
- Source :
- Child Development. 74:75-93
- Publication Year :
- 2003
- Publisher :
- Wiley, 2003.
-
Abstract
- This study tested prefrontal and hippocampal functions in a sample of 28 school-aged (M = 14.7 years, SD = 2.7) individuals with Down syndrome (DS) compared with 28 (M = 4.9 years, SD = .75) typically developing children individually matched on mental age (MA). Both neuropsychological domains were tested with multiple behavioral measures. Benchmark measures of verbal and spatial function demonstrated that this DS sample was similar to others in the literature. The main finding was a significant Group x Domain interaction effect indicating differential hippocampal dysfunction in the group with DS. However, there was a moderate partial correlation (r = .54, controlling for chronological age) between hippocampal and prefrontal composite scores in the DS group, and both composites contributed unique variance to the prediction of MA and adaptive behavior in that group. In sum, these results indicate a particular weakness in hippocampal functions in DS in the context of overall cognitive dysfunction. It is interesting that these results are similar to what has been found in a mouse model of DS. Such a model will make it easier to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that lead to the development of hippocampal dysfunction in DS.
- Subjects :
- Male
Down syndrome
Adolescent
Cognitive disorder
Neuropsychology
Prefrontal Cortex
Cognition
Context (language use)
Neuropsychological Tests
Hippocampal formation
medicine.disease
Hippocampus
Severity of Illness Index
Education
Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
Developmental and Educational Psychology
medicine
Humans
Female
Down Syndrome
Cognition Disorders
Prefrontal cortex
Psychology
Neuroscience
Mental age
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14678624 and 00093920
- Volume :
- 74
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Child Development
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....0ec0eca8416d344d5bcf6dccb176e410