Assessment of Executive Function Skills in Children with Isolated Growth Hormone Deficiency: A Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to evaluate executive functions such as inhibition and working memory in children with isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) using performance-based tests and parent-report scales.
METHODS: A total of seventy children between the ages of 7 and 12 were included in the study. To evaluate the executive functioning (EF) performances of the participants, the Visual Aural Digit Span Test-B Form (VADS-B) and Stroop task were applied. Executive functioning was also evaluated using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF).
RESULTS: Children with IGHD received lower scores on the VADS-B administered to assess short-term memory (p<0.05). And, the completion time for the Stroop-color/word test was significantly longer in children with IGHD (p<0.05). Children with IGHD were determined to receive higher scores on all sub-scales of the BRIEF scale completed by the parents of the participants, with statistically significant differences for all sub-scales except for “organization of materials” (p<0.05).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: We determined poorer executive function skills in children with IGHD. Executive function skills may influence academic success by affecting children’s language skills, mathematical comprehension, cognitive flexibility, and hypothetical thinking. Therefore, we think that psychiatric evaluation of children with IGHD before and during treatment will positively contribute to both their academic performance and social relationships.