Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40381091›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2025

Characterizing Inhibitory Control Challenges Among Autistic Adults: An Examination of Demographic and Psychiatric Moderators and Associations with Anxiety Symptomatology.

Meghan K O'Brien, Goldie A McQuaid, Jessica R McNulty, Gregory L Wallace, Nancy Raitano Lee

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Meghan K O'BrienDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA. mobrien20@huskers.unl.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-7000-9571
Goldie A McQuaidDepartment of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.
Jessica R McNultyDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Gregory L WallaceDepartment of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Nancy Raitano LeeDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Funding

Multimodal Developmental Neurogenetics of Females with ASDR01MH100028 · NIMH · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI Allison Elizabeth Jack, LAUREN KENWORTHY · 2012 to 2026
$37.8M
Strategies to Facilitate Early Detection of Autism in Primary CareP50HD111142 · NICHD · DREXEL UNIVERSITY · PI Diana L Robins · 2022 to 2026
$12.4M
A longitudinal study identifying psychological and service delivery targets to improve daily living skills and quality of life outcomes among transition-age autistic youthR01MH133838 · NIMH · CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA · PI LAUREN KENWORTHY, BENJAMIN YERYS · 2023 to 2026
$3.2M
Emotion processing, gender identity, and differential risk for anxiety and depression in autistic adultsK01MH129622 · NIMH · GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY · PI Goldie Ann McQuaid · 2022 to 2026
$780k
Executive dysfunction as a treatment target for DS clinical trials: An evaluation of its real-world and neural correlates.R21HD106164 · NICHD · DREXEL UNIVERSITY · PI LEE, NANCY RAITANO, WALLACE, GREGORY L · 2021 to 2022
$541k
Evaluating a novel approach-avoidance model of repetitive behaviors in autistic adolescents: A multi-method studyR21MH129777 · NIMH · CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA · PI YERYS, BENJAMIN · 2022 to 2023
$468k
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development R21HD106164NIH HHS K01MH129622NIH HHS P50HD111142NIH HHS R01MH100028NIH HHS R01MH133838NIH HHS R21HD106164NIH HHS R21MH129777
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder is associated with elevated rates of mental health difficulties and executive function challenges. Emerging evidence links executive function to mental health in autistic individuals. However, less is known about (a) everyday inhibitory control difficulties among autistic adults; (b) the influence of sex assigned at birth and co-occurring attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) features on inhibition challenges; and (c) relations between inhibition challenges and anxiety symptoms. Drawing upon data from 732 autistic adults aged 18-83, this online study examined self-reported inhibitory control in autistic adults and the influence of assigned sex and ADHD screening status (based on a positive screening score on a self-report tool) on the degree of inhibitory control challenges experienced. In addition, this research examined relations between inhibitory control challenges and anxiety symptoms, and the moderating role of assigned sex and ADHD screening status in this relationship. Autistic adults endorsed significantly more inhibitory control challenges relative to published norms. Participants assigned female reported more difficulties in inhibitory control relative to sex-adjusted normative expectations than participants assigned male. Participants who screened positive for ADHD reported more inhibitory control challenges than those who screened negative. Greater endorsement of inhibitory control challenges was associated with greater anxiety symptomatology; this relationship was moderated by ADHD screening status, but not by assigned sex. Inhibitory control is an area of difficulty in autistic adults and is associated with anxiety symptomatology, suggesting that inhibitory control may be a valuable intervention target to improve emotional well-being in autistic adults.

Indexed as

ADHDAdult outcomesAnxietyAutismInhibitory control

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.