10 Performance between bilinguals and monolinguals: Anxiety as a moderating effect across executive functioning and processing speed in a multicultural cohort with ADHD symptoms

• Published in: Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 2023-11, Vol.29 (s1), p.425-426
• Main Authors: Gonzalez, Christopher, Alfonso, Demy, Cerny, Brian M, Basurto, Karen S, Finley, John-Christopher A, Ovsiew, Gabriel P, Yin Tse, Phoebe Ka, Resch, Zachary J, Jennette, Kyle J, Soble, Jason R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Anxiety; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Bilingualism; Cognitive ability; Cross Cultural Neuropsychology/Clinical Cultural Neuroscience; Executive function; Gender; Hispanic people; Hyperactivity; Information processing; Language; Life span; Memory; Neurodevelopmental disorders; Poster Session 05: Neuroimaging | Neurophysiology | Neurostimulation | Technology | Cross Cultural | Multiculturalism | Career Development; Regression analysis; Short term memory
• ISSN: 1355-6177; 1469-7661
• DOI: 10.1017/S1355617723005611

Objective:Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder commonly associated with relative impairments on processing speed, working memory, and/or executive functioning. Anxiety commonly co-occurs with ADHD and may also adversely affect these cognitive functions. Additionally, language status (i.e., monolingualism vs bilingualism) has been shown to affect select cognitive domains across an individual’s lifespan. Yet, few studies have examined the potential effects of the interaction between anxiety and language status on various cognitive domains among people with ADHD. Thus, the current study investigated the effects of the interaction of anxiety and language status on processing speed, working memory, and executive functioning among monolingual and bilingual individuals with ADHD.Participants and Methods:The sample comprised of 407 consecutive adult patients diagnosed with ADHD. When asked about their language status, 67% reported to be monolingual (English). The Mean age of individuals was 27.93 (SD = 6.83), mean education of 15.8 years (SD = 2.10), 60% female, racially diverse with 49% Non-Hispanic White, 22% Non-Hispanic Black, 13% Hispanic/Latinx, 9% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 6% other race/ethnicity. Processing speed, working memory, and executive function were measured via the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition Processing Speed Index, Working Memory Index, and Trail Making Test B, respectively. Anxiety was measured via the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Three separate linear regression models examined the interaction between anxiety (moderator) and cognition (processing speed, working memory, and executive function) on language. Models included sex/gender and education as covariates with Processing Speed Index and Working Memory Index as the outcomes. Age, sex/gender, and education were used as covariates when Trail Making Test B was the outcome.Results:Monolingual and bilingual patients differed in mean age (p < .05) but did not differ in level of anxiety, education, or sex/gender. Overall, anxiety was not associated with processing speed, working memory, and executive function. However, the interaction between anxiety and language status was significantly associated with processing speed (ß = -0.37, p < .05), and executive functioning (ß = 0.82, p < .05). No associations were found when anxiety was added as a moderator for the associations between language and working memory.Conclusions:This study f