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A comprehensive assessment of neurocognitive and psychological functioning in adults with early-treated phenylketonuria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 September 2022

Hayley E. Clocksin ,
Emily E. Abbene  and
Shawn Christ Open the ORCID record for Shawn Christ [Opens in a new window]
Hayley E. Clocksin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
Emily E. Abbene
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
Shawn Christ*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
*
Corresponding author: Shawn Christ, email: christse@missouri.edu
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Abstract

Objective:

Relative to youth with early-treated phenylketonuria (ETPKU), much less is known regarding the cognitive profile of adults with ETPKU. The present study aimed to address this gap by providing a comprehensive assessment of neuropsychological functioning among adults with ETPKU.

Method:

A sample of 40 adults with ETPKU (ages 18 – 36) and a demographically matched group of 32 healthy individuals without PKU participated. Participants completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery including the NIH Toolbox, Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence – Second Edition (WASI-II), Conners’ Continuous Performance Test (CPT-3), select subtests from the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale – Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) as well as several self-report measures of cognitive and psychoemotional functioning. Scores from these tests were combined to create cognitive composites reflecting overall task performance in the areas of verbal ability, visuospatial skills, executive functioning, motor skills, and processing speed.

Results:

No group differences were observed for full scale IQ or verbal ability. However, individuals with ETPKU demonstrated poorer performance on measures of executive functioning, processing speed, motor skills, and visuospatial skills as compared to the non-PKU group. Within the ETPKU group, recent blood phenylalanine levels (an indicator of metabolic control) were significantly correlated with performance across most cognitive domains and aspects of psychological functioning.

Conclusions:

Present findings suggest that the neuropsychological profile of adult ETPKU is characterized by circumscribed impairments in select cognitive domains. In addition, the results underscore the importance of maintaining metabolic control across the lifespan in individuals with ETPKU.

Keywords

executive functionattentionmotor skillsvisual spatial processingphenylalaninecognition
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 29 , Issue 7 , August 2023 , pp. 641 - 650
Copyright
Copyright © INS. Published by Cambridge University Press, 2022

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