Cerebral palsy and executive functions: Inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility skills

Abstract

Executive functions (EFs) are an umbrella term that includes various cognitive abilities (such as inhibition, planning, goal‐setting, monitoring, and shifting). There is common agreement that there are three main EFs: inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. Further studies have reported that compared to typically developing peers, children with cerebral palsy (CP) show deficits in EF skills. This study aims to evaluate children with CP's inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility skills. Forty children with CP between the ages of 7–13 were included in the present study. EF scores of the CP group were compared with scores of typically developing peers matched one‐to‐one by age and sex. The EF skills were evaluated with Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST), Stroop color–word test (SCWT) TBAG Form, and executive function behavior rating scale parent form (BRIEF‐P). It was determined that there was a significant difference in the WCST total trials, total errors, categories completed, and percent conceptual level responses scores (p < .05); SCWT‐TBAG scores (p < .05), and BRIEF‐P all scores (p ≤ .01) of children with CP. The results of this study suggest that children with CP are disadvantaged with EF skills in terms of inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility.