caa a22 4500 605477787 CHVBK 20210128100402.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20151101xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s00787-015-0689-1 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s00787-015-0689-1 Executive functioning in autism spectrum disorders: influence of task and sample characteristics and relation to symptom severity [Elektronische Daten] [Lien Van Eylen, Bart Boets, Jean Steyaert, Johan Wagemans, Ilse Noens] Impaired executive functioning (EF) has been proposed to underlie symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, insight in the EF profile of ASD individuals is hampered due to task impurity and inconsistent findings. To elucidate these inconsistencies, we investigated the influence of task and sample characteristics on EF in ASD, with an extended test battery designed to reduce task impurity. Additionally, we studied the relation between EF and ASD symptoms. EF (inhibition, cognitive flexibility, generativity, working memory and planning) was measured in open-ended versus structured assessment situations, while controlling for possible confounding EF and non-EF variables. The performance of 50 individuals with ASD was compared with that of 50 age, gender and IQ matched typically developing (TD) individuals. The effects of group (ASD versus TD), age (children versus adolescents) and gender were examined, as well as the correlation between age, IQ, ASD symptoms and EF. Individuals with ASD showed impairments in all EF domains, but deficits were more pronounced in open-ended compared to structured settings. Group differences did not depend on gender and only occasionally on participants' age. This suggests that inconsistencies between studies largely result from differences in task characteristics and less from differences in the investigated sample features. However, age and IQ strongly correlated with EF, indicating that group differences in these factors should be controlled for when studying EF. Finally, EF correlated with both social and non-social ASD symptoms, but further research is needed to clarify the nature of this relationship. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2015 Autism spectrum disorders nationallicence Executive functioning nationallicence Age nationallicence IQ nationallicence Gender nationallicence Symptom severity nationallicence Van Eylen Lien Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32, Box 3765, 3000, Leuven, Belgium aut Boets Bart Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium aut Steyaert Jean Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium aut Wagemans Johan Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium aut Noens Ilse Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32, Box 3765, 3000, Leuven, Belgium aut European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Springer Berlin Heidelberg 24/11(2015-11-01), 1399-1417 1018-8827 24:11<1399 2015 24 787 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-015-0689-1 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-015-0689-1 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Van Eylen Lien Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32, Box 3765, 3000, Leuven, Belgium aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Boets Bart Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Steyaert Jean Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Wagemans Johan Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Noens Ilse Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32, Box 3765, 3000, Leuven, Belgium aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Springer Berlin Heidelberg 24/11(2015-11-01), 1399-1417 1018-8827 24:11<1399 2015 24 787