Relations between Working Memory Index and Neighborhood Opportunity in Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1

College of Letters & Science, Klein-Tasman, Bonita, Mentor, Outstanding Presentation, Poster Presentation, Psychology, Richards, Nicholas, School and College, Student

Nicholas Richards, “Relations between Working Memory Index and Neighborhood Opportunity in Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1”
Mentor: Bonita Klein-Tasman, Psychology
Poster #158

Children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) are at increased risk for difficulties with executive functioning, which are cognitive processes necessary for behavioral control and self-regulation. Socioeconomic status has been found to be correlated with an individual’s likeliness of success and healthy development. The present study examines the relationship between parent-reported working memory in children with and without NF1 and neighborhood opportunity. Participants were 112 children (52 with NF1, 60 unaffected) ages 3-8, 70 males and 42 females. The Working Memory Index (WMI) of the Behavioral Rating of Executive Functioning 2nd edition (BRIEF-2) was examined as a parent-report measures of the child’s ability to attend to and integrate information. The Child Opportunity Index (COI) was examined to measures neighborhood factors that affect a child’s development, including the neighborhood’s overall COI, Educational, Health and Environment, and Social/Economic indices (SES). We examined effects of NF1 status and aspects of neighborhood opportunity on working memory in three separate analyses. In the model including COI Health status, there were significant main effects of NF1 status [F(1, 106) =11.27, p =.001, Patial Eta Squared =.09], and COI Health status [F(2, 106) =4.17, p =.018, Partial Eta Squared =.07], but no interaction effect (p =.315). In the model including COI Social/Economic status, there were significant main effects of NF 1 status [F(1, 106) =5.97, p =.016, Partial Eta Squared =0.53], and COI Social/Economic status [F(2, 106) =3.61, p =.031, Partial Eta Squared =0.64], but no interaction effect (p =.987). These findings suggest that children with NF1 have greater working memory difficulties than unaffected children, and for both children with NF1 and unaffected children neighborhood level health environment and social/economic quality are related to parent-reported working memory. Children with NF1 do not appear to display increased vulnerability, compared to unaffected peers, as a result of poor opportunity.