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Volume 4
Clinical Neuropsychology: Open Access
Neuropsychiatry 2018
August 27-28, 2018
Page 29
Notes:
conference
series
.com
August 27-28, 2018 Tokyo, Japan
8
th
Global Experts Meeting on
Advances in Neurology and Neuropsychiatry
Executive function deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders
N
eurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD) including autism/Asperger’s (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) has deficits described either in social communication/interaction/imagination or in attention/concentration/
hyperactivity/impulsivity. There is significant co morbidity, from 30% to 50%. These are often associated with Executive Function
Deficits (EFD). EFD is a term used to describe cognitive processes that help individual regulate, control and manage out-
thoughts and actions. It includes planning, working memory, attention, problem solving, verbal reasoning, inhibition, cognitive
flexibility, initiation of actions and monitoring of actions. Though the EFD are not a part of diagnostic criteria, it is these deficits
that cause the most morbidity in day-to-day living. The lack of behavior flexibility, emotional control and self-monitoring is
the basis of presentation in people seen with the diagnosis of autism/asperger. Environment adaptations advised for ASD of
routine, structure and predictability are not focused on supporting the EFDs that a person is struggling with. They do not reduce
the morbidity caused in able children/adults with diagnosis of ASD. ADHD presents with difficulties in prioritizing, impulse
control, being emotional with mood swings, poor time keeping, poor ability for task initialization, ability to shift attention and
organization. Treatment modalities (medications like stimulants and CBT) used in ADHD does not improve EFDs and they
require specific adaptations in the environment. Just focusing on core deficits in ASD or ADHD does not enhance the quality
of life or the outcomes. Identifying the exact set of EFDs will allow for developing specific adaptations to enhance the quality of
life for children, students and adults.
Biography
Pawan Rajpal has completed his bachelor’s in medicine from Mumbai, India followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Medicine. He was further trained
in London finishing his Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and further Specialized in Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability. He has been practicing for
the last decade in prestigious Harley Street in London and at Priory group, working with people with neurodevelopmental disorders, specializing in diagnosing and
managing complex cases.
dr.pawan.rajpal@googlemail.comPawan Rajpal
10 Harley Street London, UK
Pawan Rajpal, ClinNeuropsychol 2018, Volume 3
DOI: 10.4172/2472-095X-C1-001