Simple Executive Function as an endophenotype of autism-ADHD, and differing associations between simple versus complex Executive Functions and autism/ADHD traits

Alexandra Hendry; Rachael Bedford; Mary Agyapong; Jannath Begum Ali; Tessel Bazelmans; Mutluhan Ersoy; Amy Goodwin; Luke Mason; Nisha Narvekar; Greg Pasco; Mark H. Johnson; Emily J.H. Jones; Tony Charman; The STAARS Team

doi:10.1038/s41598-025-87863-2

Simple Executive Function as an endophenotype of autism-ADHD, and differing associations between simple versus complex Executive Functions and autism/ADHD traits

Alexandra Hendry^*
, Rachael Bedford
, Mary Agyapong
, Jannath Begum Ali
, Tessel Bazelmans
, Mutluhan Ersoy
, Amy Goodwin
, Luke Mason
, Nisha Narvekar
, Greg Pasco
, Mark H. Johnson
, Emily J.H. Jones
, Tony Charman
, The STAARS Team

^*Corresponding author for this work

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

17 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Autism and ADHD are associated with difficulties with Executive Functions (EFs), but the prevalence and nature of these difficulties in early development is not well understood. In this longitudinal study, 107 children with a family history of autism and/or ADHD (FH-autism/ADHD), and 24 children with No-FH-autism/ADHD completed multiple EF tasks (5 at age 2 years, 7 at age 3 years). Parents reported on their child’s autism- (Q-CHAT at age 2, SRS-2 at age 3), and ADHD-related traits (CBCL DSM-ADHD scale, both ages). Compared to the No-FH-autism/ADHD group, the FH-autism/ADHD group showed lower scores on simple EFs (involving response inhibition, and holding in mind) at ages 2 and 3. Exploratory analysis linked FH-autism specifically with lower Executive Attention (top-down attentional control) at age 2, and the combination of FH-autism and FH-ADHD with lower Complex EF (involving selectively deploying responses, or updating information) at age 3. Three-year-olds’ Simple EF scores were negatively associated with ADHD-related traits. Complex EF scores were negatively associated with autism traits (before correcting for multiple comparisons). Toddlers with a family history of autism and/or ADHD may benefit from interventions to support simple EF development, whilst those already showing autistic traits may benefit from support with more-complex EF skills.

Original language	English
Article number	4925
Number of pages	12
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	15
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87863-2
Publication status	Published - 10 Feb 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.

Keywords

ADHD
Autism
Endophenotype
Executive Function
Preschool
Toddler

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

Access to Document

10.1038/s41598-025-87863-2Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

HendryA2025SimpleFinal published version, 1.61 MBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

Cite this

Hendry, A., Bedford, R., Agyapong, M., Begum Ali, J., Bazelmans, T., Ersoy, M., Goodwin, A., Mason, L., Narvekar, N., Pasco, G., Johnson, M. H., Jones, E. J. H., Charman, T., & The STAARS Team (2025). Simple Executive Function as an endophenotype of autism-ADHD, and differing associations between simple versus complex Executive Functions and autism/ADHD traits. Scientific Reports, 15, Article 4925. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87863-2

@article{9b705be1d5184e31b12222ad606d9a5f,

title = "Simple Executive Function as an endophenotype of autism-ADHD, and differing associations between simple versus complex Executive Functions and autism/ADHD traits",

abstract = "Autism and ADHD are associated with difficulties with Executive Functions (EFs), but the prevalence and nature of these difficulties in early development is not well understood. In this longitudinal study, 107 children with a family history of autism and/or ADHD (FH-autism/ADHD), and 24 children with No-FH-autism/ADHD completed multiple EF tasks (5 at age 2 years, 7 at age 3 years). Parents reported on their child{\textquoteright}s autism- (Q-CHAT at age 2, SRS-2 at age 3), and ADHD-related traits (CBCL DSM-ADHD scale, both ages). Compared to the No-FH-autism/ADHD group, the FH-autism/ADHD group showed lower scores on simple EFs (involving response inhibition, and holding in mind) at ages 2 and 3. Exploratory analysis linked FH-autism specifically with lower Executive Attention (top-down attentional control) at age 2, and the combination of FH-autism and FH-ADHD with lower Complex EF (involving selectively deploying responses, or updating information) at age 3. Three-year-olds{\textquoteright} Simple EF scores were negatively associated with ADHD-related traits. Complex EF scores were negatively associated with autism traits (before correcting for multiple comparisons). Toddlers with a family history of autism and/or ADHD may benefit from interventions to support simple EF development, whilst those already showing autistic traits may benefit from support with more-complex EF skills.",

keywords = "ADHD, Autism, Endophenotype, Executive Function, Preschool, Toddler",

author = "Alexandra Hendry and Rachael Bedford and Mary Agyapong and \{Begum Ali\}, Jannath and Tessel Bazelmans and Mutluhan Ersoy and Amy Goodwin and Luke Mason and Nisha Narvekar and Greg Pasco and Johnson, \{Mark H.\} and Jones, \{Emily J.H.\} and Tony Charman and \{The STAARS Team\} and Chlo{\"e} Taylor and Anna Kolesnik and Sarah Kalwarowsky and Rebecca Holman and Hanna Halkola and Rianne Haartsen and Teodora Gliga and Laurel Fish and Leila Dafner",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = feb,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1038/s41598-025-87863-2",

language = "English",

volume = "15",

journal = "Scientific Reports",

issn = "2045-2322",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

}

Hendry, A, Bedford, R, Agyapong, M, Begum Ali, J, Bazelmans, T, Ersoy, M, Goodwin, A, Mason, L, Narvekar, N, Pasco, G, Johnson, MH, Jones, EJH, Charman, T & The STAARS Team 2025, 'Simple Executive Function as an endophenotype of autism-ADHD, and differing associations between simple versus complex Executive Functions and autism/ADHD traits', Scientific Reports, vol. 15, 4925. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87863-2

TY - JOUR

T1 - Simple Executive Function as an endophenotype of autism-ADHD, and differing associations between simple versus complex Executive Functions and autism/ADHD traits

AU - Hendry, Alexandra

AU - Bedford, Rachael

AU - Agyapong, Mary

AU - Begum Ali, Jannath

AU - Bazelmans, Tessel

AU - Ersoy, Mutluhan

AU - Goodwin, Amy

AU - Mason, Luke

AU - Narvekar, Nisha

AU - Pasco, Greg

AU - Johnson, Mark H.

AU - Jones, Emily J.H.

AU - Charman, Tony

AU - The STAARS Team

AU - Taylor, Chloë

AU - Kolesnik, Anna

AU - Kalwarowsky, Sarah

AU - Holman, Rebecca

AU - Halkola, Hanna

AU - Haartsen, Rianne

AU - Gliga, Teodora

AU - Fish, Laurel

AU - Dafner, Leila

PY - 2025/2/10

Y1 - 2025/2/10

N2 - Autism and ADHD are associated with difficulties with Executive Functions (EFs), but the prevalence and nature of these difficulties in early development is not well understood. In this longitudinal study, 107 children with a family history of autism and/or ADHD (FH-autism/ADHD), and 24 children with No-FH-autism/ADHD completed multiple EF tasks (5 at age 2 years, 7 at age 3 years). Parents reported on their child’s autism- (Q-CHAT at age 2, SRS-2 at age 3), and ADHD-related traits (CBCL DSM-ADHD scale, both ages). Compared to the No-FH-autism/ADHD group, the FH-autism/ADHD group showed lower scores on simple EFs (involving response inhibition, and holding in mind) at ages 2 and 3. Exploratory analysis linked FH-autism specifically with lower Executive Attention (top-down attentional control) at age 2, and the combination of FH-autism and FH-ADHD with lower Complex EF (involving selectively deploying responses, or updating information) at age 3. Three-year-olds’ Simple EF scores were negatively associated with ADHD-related traits. Complex EF scores were negatively associated with autism traits (before correcting for multiple comparisons). Toddlers with a family history of autism and/or ADHD may benefit from interventions to support simple EF development, whilst those already showing autistic traits may benefit from support with more-complex EF skills.

AB - Autism and ADHD are associated with difficulties with Executive Functions (EFs), but the prevalence and nature of these difficulties in early development is not well understood. In this longitudinal study, 107 children with a family history of autism and/or ADHD (FH-autism/ADHD), and 24 children with No-FH-autism/ADHD completed multiple EF tasks (5 at age 2 years, 7 at age 3 years). Parents reported on their child’s autism- (Q-CHAT at age 2, SRS-2 at age 3), and ADHD-related traits (CBCL DSM-ADHD scale, both ages). Compared to the No-FH-autism/ADHD group, the FH-autism/ADHD group showed lower scores on simple EFs (involving response inhibition, and holding in mind) at ages 2 and 3. Exploratory analysis linked FH-autism specifically with lower Executive Attention (top-down attentional control) at age 2, and the combination of FH-autism and FH-ADHD with lower Complex EF (involving selectively deploying responses, or updating information) at age 3. Three-year-olds’ Simple EF scores were negatively associated with ADHD-related traits. Complex EF scores were negatively associated with autism traits (before correcting for multiple comparisons). Toddlers with a family history of autism and/or ADHD may benefit from interventions to support simple EF development, whilst those already showing autistic traits may benefit from support with more-complex EF skills.

KW - ADHD

KW - Autism

KW - Endophenotype

KW - Executive Function

KW - Preschool

KW - Toddler

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85218434190

U2 - 10.1038/s41598-025-87863-2

DO - 10.1038/s41598-025-87863-2

M3 - Article

C2 - 39929907

AN - SCOPUS:85218434190

SN - 2045-2322

VL - 15

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

M1 - 4925

ER -

Simple Executive Function as an endophenotype of autism-ADHD, and differing associations between simple versus complex Executive Functions and autism/ADHD traits

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this