ABSTRACT

Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is of renewed interest. The relationship between SCT, IQ and achievement scores, and academic impairment ratings was investigated in 218 students with autism and 676 with ADHD (6–16 years) and 549 elementary school students (IQ ≥ 80). Mothers rated their children on the Pediatric Behavior Scale. Children in the autism/ADHD sample were also rated by teachers. Correlations between SCT and IQ and achievement scores (Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, Processing Speed, reading, math, and written expression) were all negative and were nonsignificant in the total autism/ADHD and elementary school samples, except for small correlations with Processing Speed and a timed math test. In contrast, mother and teacher SCT ratings were significantly related to mother and teacher academic and cognitive impairment ratings. SCT was not a significant predictor of achievement scores or academic impairment ratings in regression analysis. The strongest predictor of achievement test scores was IQ, and the strongest predictors of academic impairment were mother and teacher cognitive impairment ratings. Teacher inattention ratings predicted teacher academic impairment ratings in autism/ADHD and mother inattention ratings predicted mother academic impairment ratings in elementary school children. Therefore, inattention was more predictive of academic functioning than was SCT. Research shows a weak link between SCT and processing speed (contrary to what is implied by the term sluggish cognitive tempo), and other neuropsychological test scores are not consistently associated with SCT. It remains to be determined if neuropsychological tests can be developed to measure and further our understanding of SCT.

摘要

缓慢的认知节奏 (SCT) 重新引起人们的兴趣。在 218 名自闭症学生和 676 名多动症学生（6-16 岁）和 549 名小学生（IQ ≥ 80）中调查了 SCT、智商和成就分数以及学业障碍评分之间的关​​系。母亲根据儿科行为量表对孩子进行评分。自闭症/多动症样本中的儿童也由教师进行评分。SCT 和 IQ 与成就分数（语言理解、知觉推理、工作记忆、处理速度、阅读、数学和书面表达）之间的相关性均为负相关，在自闭症/多动症和小学样本中不显着，除了小的相关性具有处理速度和定时数学测试。相比之下，母亲和老师的 SCT 评分与母亲和老师的学业和认知障碍评分显着相关。在回归分析中，SCT 不是成绩分数或学业障碍评级的重要预测指标。成绩测试分数的最强预测因子是智商，而学业障碍的最强预测因子是母亲和老师的认知障碍评级。教师注意力不集中评级预测了自闭症/多动症的教师学业障碍评级，母亲注意力不集中评级预测了小学生的母亲学业障碍评级。因此，注意力不集中比 SCT 更能预测学业功能。研究表明 SCT 和处理速度之间存在薄弱的联系（与缓慢的认知节奏一词所暗示的相反），和其他神经心理学测试分数与 SCT 并不一致。是否可以开发神经心理学测试来衡量和进一步我们对 SCT 的理解还有待确定。