INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 10 Program Schedule 02/17/2024 09:00 am - 10:15 am Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120) Poster Session 10: Neurodevelopmental \| Congenital Conditions Final Abstract #80 The Contribution of Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome in Predicting Language Automaticity Shruti Rane, Kennedy Krieger Institute, BALTIMORE, United States Rachel Peterson, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, United States Lisa Jacobson, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltomore, United States Category: Executive Functions/Frontal Lobes Keyword 1: language: development Keyword 2: fluency Objective: Cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS; previously referred to as “sluggish cognitive tempo”) is characterized by excessive daydreaming, hypoactivity or slowness, reduced automaticity, and drowsiness/inconsistent alertness. Distinct subcomponents of CDS have been described (i.e., sleepy/sluggish, low initiation, and daydreamy) and caregiver reports of overall CDS symptoms have been shown to predict academic and psychosocial outcomes. Furthermore, two large surveys of parent-reported diagnoses among youth with elevated CDS indicated that language delay was one of the most common comorbid disorders (10-15%). With respect to neuropsychological functioning in individuals with CDS, while several studies have been conducted to examine graphomotor processing speed in CDS, no studies have focused on language-based processing speed or standardized language automaticity measures (i.e., naming and fluency) to examine the association between CDS and language automaticity directly. Participants and Methods: Retrospective data were gathered from outpatient clinical evaluations conducted at an academic medical center. Data were entered into an electronic database by department clinicians via the hospital electronic health record. The data included standardized measures of verbal ability (DAS-2: Verbal Cluster and the Verbal Comprehension Index from WISC-IV, WISC-V, or WAIS-IV), rapid naming (NEPSY-II Inhibition-Naming, DKEFS Color Word Interference Color Naming, CTOPP-2 Rapid Color Naming, Rapid Letter Naming, Rapid Digit Naming, RAN: Letters, Numbers, or Colors), semantic fluency (NEPSY-II Word Generation: Semantic Fluency or DKEFS Verbal Fluency: Category Fluency), and phonemic fluency (NEPSY-II Word Generation: Initial Letter or DKEFS Verbal Fluency: Letter Fluency). Verbal ability, rapid naming, semantic fluency, and phonemic fluency composite scores were calculated from these data. Parent-report scales of ADHD (ADHD Rating Scale, Fourth or Fifth Editions, 18-item scale of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms) and CDS (The Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale, a 14-item scale with three subscales: Sluggish, Low Initiation, and Daydreamy) were administered as a part of the evaluation as well. Associations between CDS and timed language automaticity measures were examined in 3066 clinically-referred youth (M age = 10.93, SD = 3.6 years; 60.9% male) for whom the identified measures were available. Results: Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to predict performance-based measures of language automaticity. After controlling for verbal ability, the low initiation subcomponent of CDS predicted speeded oral naming (β = −.61, p<.001, R²= .08), semantic fluency (β = -.24, p=.05, R²= .20), and phonemic fluency (β = −.36, p =.002, R²= .25). Although some evidence suggests CDS shows a positive correlation with age, there was not a significant interaction of age and CDS symptoms on these speeded language outcomes (p>.05). Conclusions: Results provide evidence for the unique contribution of subcomponents of CDS with language fluency measures. Specifically, the low initiation aspect (e.g., lacking initiative, low motivation) of CDS contributes towards rapid access and organization of language-based information that may be important for efficient use of language and may provide one of the explanations for caregiver report of language concerns in children who demonstrate CDS. The current findings imply that intervention focused on improving initiation and motivation may enhance language fluency in individuals who show CDS.

Poster

02/17/2024
09:00 am - 10:15 am
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)

Poster Session 10: Neurodevelopmental | Congenital Conditions

Final Abstract #80

The Contribution of Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome in Predicting Language Automaticity

Shruti Rane, Kennedy Krieger Institute, BALTIMORE, United States
Rachel Peterson, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, United States
Lisa Jacobson, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltomore, United States

Category: Executive Functions/Frontal Lobes

Keyword 1: language: development
Keyword 2: fluency

Objective:

Cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS; previously referred to as “sluggish cognitive tempo”) is characterized by excessive daydreaming, hypoactivity or slowness, reduced automaticity, and drowsiness/inconsistent alertness. Distinct subcomponents of CDS have been described (i.e., sleepy/sluggish, low initiation, and daydreamy) and caregiver reports of overall CDS symptoms have been shown to predict academic and psychosocial outcomes. Furthermore, two large surveys of parent-reported diagnoses among youth with elevated CDS indicated that language delay was one of the most common comorbid disorders (10-15%). With respect to neuropsychological functioning in individuals with CDS, while several studies have been conducted to examine graphomotor processing speed in CDS, no studies have focused on language-based processing speed or standardized language automaticity measures (i.e., naming and fluency) to examine the association between CDS and language automaticity directly.

Participants and Methods:

Retrospective data were gathered from outpatient clinical evaluations conducted at an academic medical center. Data were entered into an electronic database by department clinicians via the hospital electronic health record. The data included standardized measures of verbal ability (DAS-2: Verbal Cluster and the Verbal Comprehension Index from WISC-IV, WISC-V, or WAIS-IV), rapid naming (NEPSY-II Inhibition-Naming, DKEFS Color Word Interference Color Naming, CTOPP-2 Rapid Color Naming, Rapid Letter Naming, Rapid Digit Naming, RAN: Letters, Numbers, or Colors), semantic fluency (NEPSY-II Word Generation: Semantic Fluency or DKEFS Verbal Fluency: Category Fluency), and phonemic fluency (NEPSY-II Word Generation: Initial Letter or DKEFS Verbal Fluency: Letter Fluency). Verbal ability, rapid naming, semantic fluency, and phonemic fluency composite scores were calculated from these data. Parent-report scales of ADHD (ADHD Rating Scale, Fourth or Fifth Editions, 18-item scale of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms) and CDS (The Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale, a 14-item scale with three subscales: Sluggish, Low Initiation, and Daydreamy) were administered as a part of the evaluation as well. Associations between CDS and timed language automaticity measures were examined in 3066 clinically-referred youth (M age = 10.93, SD = 3.6 years; 60.9% male) for whom the identified measures were available.

Results:

Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to predict performance-based measures of language automaticity. After controlling for verbal ability, the low initiation subcomponent of CDS predicted speeded oral naming (β = −.61, p<.001, R²= .08), semantic fluency (β = -.24, p=.05, R²= .20), and phonemic fluency (β = −.36, p =.002, R²= .25). Although some evidence suggests CDS shows a positive correlation with age, there was not a significant interaction of age and CDS symptoms on these speeded language outcomes (p>.05).

Conclusions:

Results provide evidence for the unique contribution of subcomponents of CDS with language fluency measures. Specifically, the low initiation aspect (e.g., lacking initiative, low motivation) of CDS contributes towards rapid access and organization of language-based information that may be important for efficient use of language and may provide one of the explanations for caregiver report of language concerns in children who demonstrate CDS. The current findings imply that intervention focused on improving initiation and motivation may enhance language fluency in individuals who show CDS.