Development of Social-Emotional and Cognitive Skills in Girls with Fragile X Syndrome

The objective of the current study was to analyse the developmental trajectory of key cognitive, social, and emotional features in girls with fragile X syndrome (FXS) over a period from January 2018 to December 2022. The researchers included a longitudinal, parallel cohort of 117 participants, that enrolled 65 girls with FXS aged 6 to 16 and 52 age- and developmentally-matched girls without FXS. Evaluations were conducted three times, approximately 12–18 months apart, focusing on three cognitive domains (verbal abilities, nonverbal abilities, executive function) and four social-emotional domains (depression, general anxiety, social behavior, social anxiety).

The findings of the study revealed:

• Noteworthy differences were found in verbal, nonverbal, executive function, and social anxiety domains between both groups.
• Additionally, there were significant interactions between group and age in verbal skills, social behavior, and social anxiety. 

Thus, the study highlighted the need for early, disorder-specific interventions for girls with FXS, particularly in areas such as verbal and nonverbal skills, executive function, social behavior, and social anxiety.

Source: Bartholomay KL, Lightbody AA, Ma Q, Jo B, Jordan TL, Reiss AL. Cognitive and Social-Emotional Development in Girls With Fragile X Syndrome. Pediatrics. 2024 Oct 1;154(4):e2023065145. doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-065145. PMID: 39262346; PMCID: PMC11422195.