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Executive Function in ADHD and ASD: A Scoping Review

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Abstract

Executive functions are neurocognitive processes involved in regulating thought and action. It is unknown whether youth diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have similar executive functioning. This review aimed to synthesize the literature directly comparing executive functioning in youth with ASD, ADHD, and their comorbidity (ASD + ADHD). In the 58 included articles, ADHD and ASD exemplified impaired response inhibition, working memory, and attention compared to controls. There is little support that ASD + ADHD showed the combined deficits of the ASD and the ADHD groups, and these three groups cannot be easily identified based on EF executive function profiles alone. Further standardization of tasks and performance metrics are necessary to facilitate future evidence synthesis.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author under reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Nicole Dunnewold, University of Calgary Health Sciences Library. This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (R.J.S., MOP-93,696 and P.D.A., MOP‐106,573), the TD Bank Financial Group Chair in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (R.J.S.), and the Alberta Innovates Translational Health Chair in Child and Youth Mental Health (P.D.A.)

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  1. Chunlin Liu and Parker Townes contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Chunlin Liu, Prabdeep Panesar, Soo Youn Lee, Jennifer Crosbie & Russell Schachar

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

    Parker Townes & Paul Arnold

  3. Department of Psychology, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Canada

    Dan Devoe

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  1. Chunlin Liu
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Contributions

Chunlin Liu helped to complete article screening, data extraction, writing, and editing the manuscript. Parker Townes oversaw the project, helped create the search strategy, complete article screening and data extraction, performed the data analysis, and wrote the manuscript. Prabdeep Panesar helped to complete article screening and data extraction. Soo Youn Lee helped to complete article screening and data extraction. Dan Devoe oversaw the project, offered advice where needed, and proofread the final manuscript. Paul Arnold helped to formulate the initial idea for the project and proofread the final manuscript. Jennifer Crosbie offered advice where needed, and proofread the final manuscript. Russell Schachar was the primary supervisor of the project, came up with the original idea, oversaw all aspects, and helped write and edit the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Russell Schachar.

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Liu, C., Townes, P., Panesar, P. et al. Executive Function in ADHD and ASD: A Scoping Review. Rev J Autism Dev Disord (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-024-00444-3

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