A - 23 Interpretation Consideration: Serial Baseline Performances on Core Executive Function Measures in Healthy Youth Athletes

Sports participation in youth has demonstrated better core executive function (EF) abilities compared to those who do not participate (Contreras-Osorio et al., 2021). However, previous research has not observed a pattern of improvement across all EF abilities (M√∂hring et al., 2022), indicating EF development in childhood is not linear (Anderson, 2002). The present study compared baseline scores of cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibition at two timepoints among youth athletes. Data from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Trail Making Letter-Number Sequencing (cognitive flexibility), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fourth Edition Working Memory Index, and Golden Stroop Color-Word Inhibition test were analyzed in a sample of youth athletes (n = 32), aged 8–16 years. Mean age difference between time 1 and 2 was 1.86 years. Paired-samples t-test examined the difference in core EF scores at two timepoints. Performance on a measure of inhibition significantly improved over time (p = 0.02; effect size [d] = 0.43). Performances on measures of working memory and cognitive flexibility did not significantly differ over time (p = 0.16 and p = 0.61, respectively). Healthy youth athletes performed significantly better only on a measure of inhibition at baseline two than baseline one, suggesting clinicians should anticipate variation in scores when re-examining core EF abilities after two years. Further, clinicians should exercise caution when interpreting variation in baseline scores because it could be due to sports participation. Future research should investigate whether inhibition continues to improve overtime and whether significant changes are observed in other core EFs.