Working memory and language development have a bi-directional longitudinal relationship in autistic preschoolers.

IF 3.6 2区医学 Q1 CLINICAL NEUROLOGY

Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Pub Date : 2026-07-22 DOI:10.1186/s11689-026-09712-1

Aanya Sehgal, Gina Schnur, Viviane Valdes, Susan Faja

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Abstract

Background: Among neurotypical children working memory and language development are closely related, but the longitudinal relationship between these factors is unknown in autism. This study had the goal of evaluating potential bidirectional relationships between these domains.

Methods: A longitudinal design included language and visuospatial working memory assessments across three time points with 160 autistic preschoolers. Time points were one year apart. A cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) using Full-Information Maximum Likelihood (FIML) was used to evaluate longitudinal associations between performance on a working memory task (i.e., the Hide and Seek Task) and language scores (i.e., verbal development quotient).

Results: Cross-lagged associations were significant for paths from working memory at the first time point to language at the second time point (β = .31, p = .01) and from language at first time point to working memory at the second time point (β = .40, p < .001). Cross-lagged paths from the second to third time point were not statistically significant in either direction.

Conclusions: This study provides evidence of a bidirectional relationship between working memory and language in autistic toddlers and preschoolers among younger autistic preschoolers. These results highlight working memory as a potential early assessment and intervention domain for improving language outcomes in autism as well as the role of language delays as a factor related to reduced working memory skills later in development.

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孤独症学龄前儿童的工作记忆与语言发展具有双向纵向关系。

背景：在神经正常儿童中，工作记忆与语言发展密切相关，但在自闭症儿童中，这些因素之间的纵向关系尚不清楚。这项研究的目的是评估这些领域之间潜在的双向关系。方法：采用纵向设计，在三个时间点对160名自闭症学龄前儿童进行语言和视觉空间工作记忆评估。时间点相差一年。使用全信息最大似然（FIML）的交叉滞后面板模型（CLPM）来评估工作记忆任务（即捉迷藏任务）的表现与语言分数（即语言发展商数）之间的纵向关联。结果：从第一个时间点的工作记忆到第二个时间点的语言的路径存在显著的交叉滞后关联(β =。31、p =。从第一个时间点的语言到第二个时间点的工作记忆(β =。结论：本研究为自闭症幼儿和学龄前儿童的工作记忆和语言之间的双向关系提供了证据。这些结果强调了工作记忆作为一个潜在的早期评估和干预领域，可以改善自闭症患者的语言结果，以及语言延迟作为一个与发展后期工作记忆技能降低相关的因素的作用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders 医学-临床神经学

CiteScore

7.60

自引率

4.10%

发文量

审稿时长

>12 weeks

期刊介绍： Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders is an open access journal that integrates current, cutting-edge research across a number of disciplines, including neurobiology, genetics, cognitive neuroscience, psychiatry and psychology. The journal’s primary focus is on the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism, fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, Turner Syndrome, 22q Deletion Syndrome, Prader-Willi and Angelman Syndrome, Williams syndrome, lysosomal storage diseases, dyslexia, specific language impairment and fetal alcohol syndrome. With the discovery of specific genes underlying neurodevelopmental syndromes, the emergence of powerful tools for studying neural circuitry, and the development of new approaches for exploring molecular mechanisms, interdisciplinary research on the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders is now increasingly common. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders provides a unique venue for researchers interested in comparing and contrasting mechanisms and characteristics related to the pathogenesis of the full range of neurodevelopmental disorders, sharpening our understanding of the etiology and relevant phenotypes of each condition.