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 #106 Cognitive Mechanisms of Social Impairments in Youth with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and Autism Spectrum Disorder Manali Zope, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, United States Lisa Blaskey, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States May Albee, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, United States Mina Kim, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, United States Jeffrey Berman, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States Michael Fisher, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States Timothy Roberts, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States Matthew Hocking, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States Category: Autism Spectrum Disorders/Developmental Disorders/Intellectual Disability Keyword 1: neurofibromatosis Keyword 2: social processes Keyword 3: cognitive functioning Objective: Youth with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) exhibit high rates of impairments in social and cognitive domains, including executive function, attention, processing speed and language. Such issues are also prominent in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research comparing NF1 and ASD groups has predominantly focused on comparing social and cognitive profiles individually, however, investigations of group specific relationships between cognitive domains and social functioning are needed to inform multi-domain intervention efforts. The present study evaluated whether diagnostic group moderated associations between cognitive domains and social functioning. Participants and Methods: Youth ages 8-12 (M = 10.3) with NF1 (n = 29), ASD (n = 35), and typically developing controls (TDC) (n = 27) who were age-, gender-, and race-matched across groups completed the study. Children with NF1+ASD were removed from the sample to assess NF1 specific mechanisms. Neuropsychological evaluations, including WISC-V and CELF-5, were conducted and caregivers completed the SRS-2, BRIEF, and CBCL. IQ was included as a covariate in all analyses. ANCOVAs evaluated group differences on SRS-2 outcomes, and the PROCESS macro assessed whether group moderated the associations between cognitive predictors of interest and social outcomes. Results: The NF1 and ASD groups scored significantly higher on all SRS-2 scales compared to the TDC. Associations between total SRS-2 scores and the BRIEF metacognitive index, CBCL attention, CELF core language and WISC processing speed scores were moderated by group in separate moderation analyses (p’s < .05). The BRIEF metacognitive index was more predictive of total SRS-2 scores for the TDC and ASD groups than the NF1 group (interaction: b = 0.39, SE = 0.14, p < .01), while the BRIEF behavioral regulation index was equally predictive of CBCL social problem scores across all groups (interaction: b = -0.05, SE = 0.08, p > .05). CBCL attention scores were predictive of total SRS-2 scores only for the TDC and ASD groups (interaction term: b = 0.85, SE = 0.21, p < .01). WISC processing speed was also predictive of total SRS-2 scores only for the TDC and ASD groups (interaction: b = -0.33, SE = 0.16, p < .05). SRS-2 outcomes were predicted by CELF-5 scores only for the TDC group (interaction: b = -0.33, SE = 0.15, p < .05). Conclusions: Findings inform NF1 and ASD literature by identifying significant inter-group cognitive-social mechanisms in executive functioning, attention, processing speed and language. Behavioral regulation, including inhibition, shifting, and emotional control, was significantly associated with CBCL social problem scores with no group differences, indicating behavioral interventions may be equally beneficial to social functioning in children with NF1 and ASD. However, cognitive interventions targeting metacognition may have a greater benefit for social functioning in children with ASD than those with NF1, due to significant associations moderated by group. There may be a distinct mechanism between social functioning and attention and processing speed in children with ASD and TDC, not found in children with NF1. Language functioning, as measured by the CELF-5, may not capture the impact that language impairments can have on social functioning in NF1 and ASD groups.

Poster

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

Poster Session 10: Neurodevelopmental | Congenital Conditions

Final Abstract #106

Cognitive Mechanisms of Social Impairments in Youth with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Manali Zope, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, United States
Lisa Blaskey, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
May Albee, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, United States
Mina Kim, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, United States
Jeffrey Berman, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
Michael Fisher, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States
Timothy Roberts, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States
Matthew Hocking, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States

Category: Autism Spectrum Disorders/Developmental Disorders/Intellectual Disability

Keyword 1: neurofibromatosis
Keyword 2: social processes
Keyword 3: cognitive functioning

Objective:

Youth with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) exhibit high rates of impairments in social and cognitive domains, including executive function, attention, processing speed and language. Such issues are also prominent in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research comparing NF1 and ASD groups has predominantly focused on comparing social and cognitive profiles individually, however, investigations of group specific relationships between cognitive domains and social functioning are needed to inform multi-domain intervention efforts. The present study evaluated whether diagnostic group moderated associations between cognitive domains and social functioning.

Participants and Methods:

Youth ages 8-12 (M = 10.3) with NF1 (n = 29), ASD (n = 35), and typically developing controls (TDC) (n = 27) who were age-, gender-, and race-matched across groups completed the study. Children with NF1+ASD were removed from the sample to assess NF1 specific mechanisms. Neuropsychological evaluations, including WISC-V and CELF-5, were conducted and caregivers completed the SRS-2, BRIEF, and CBCL. IQ was included as a covariate in all analyses. ANCOVAs evaluated group differences on SRS-2 outcomes, and the PROCESS macro assessed whether group moderated the associations between cognitive predictors of interest and social outcomes.

Results:

The NF1 and ASD groups scored significantly higher on all SRS-2 scales compared to the TDC. Associations between total SRS-2 scores and the BRIEF metacognitive index, CBCL attention, CELF core language and WISC processing speed scores were moderated by group in separate moderation analyses (p’s < .05). The BRIEF metacognitive index was more predictive of total SRS-2 scores for the TDC and ASD groups than the NF1 group (interaction: b = 0.39, SE = 0.14, p < .01), while the BRIEF behavioral regulation index was equally predictive of CBCL social problem scores across all groups (interaction: b = -0.05, SE = 0.08, p > .05). CBCL attention scores were predictive of total SRS-2 scores only for the TDC and ASD groups (interaction term: b = 0.85, SE = 0.21, p < .01). WISC processing speed was also predictive of total SRS-2 scores only for the TDC and ASD groups (interaction: b = -0.33, SE = 0.16, p < .05). SRS-2 outcomes were predicted by CELF-5 scores only for the TDC group (interaction: b = -0.33, SE = 0.15, p < .05).

Conclusions:

Findings inform NF1 and ASD literature by identifying significant inter-group cognitive-social mechanisms in executive functioning, attention, processing speed and language. Behavioral regulation, including inhibition, shifting, and emotional control, was significantly associated with CBCL social problem scores with no group differences, indicating behavioral interventions may be equally beneficial to social functioning in children with NF1 and ASD. However, cognitive interventions targeting metacognition may have a greater benefit for social functioning in children with ASD than those with NF1, due to significant associations moderated by group. There may be a distinct mechanism between social functioning and attention and processing speed in children with ASD and TDC, not found in children with NF1. Language functioning, as measured by the CELF-5, may not capture the impact that language impairments can have on social functioning in NF1 and ASD groups.