Contribution of Executive Functions to Visuospatial Difficulties in Prepubertal Girls With Turner Syndrome

Abstract

Turner syndrome (TS) is a genetic disorder caused by the absence of one X-chromosome in females. Individuals with TS often demonstrate a cognitive profile characterized by poor visuospatial abilities, which may in part be due to executive function impairments. Here, we assessed the neuropsychological profile of 36 prepubertal girls with TS and 20 typically developing children to examine the relationship between executive function and visuospatial abilities. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that executive functions were closely associated with visuospatial abilities in TS but not in controls. These results suggest that executive dysfunctions observed in TS contribute to their visuospatial impairments.