Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42561499›Full record

ArticleResearch in developmental disabilities2026

Preliminary evaluation of an adapted snack delay task for measuring inhibition in young children with Down syndrome.

Miranda E Pinks, Kaylyn Van Deusen, Madison M Walsh, Anna J Esbensen, Angela John Thurman, Leonard Abbeduto, Lina R Patel, Lisa A Daunhauer, Deborah J Fidler

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Research in developmental disabilities, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Miranda E PinksHuman Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Kaylyn Van DeusenHuman Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Madison M WalshHuman Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Anna J EsbensenDivision of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Angela John ThurmanDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MIND Institute, University of California Davis Health, Sacramento, CA, USA.
Leonard AbbedutoDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MIND Institute, University of California Davis Health, Sacramento, CA, USA.
Lina R PatelDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
Lisa A DaunhauerHuman Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Deborah J FidlerHuman Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. Electronic address: deborah.fidler@colostate.edu.

Funding

Executive Function Outcome Measures for Young Children with Down SyndromeR01HD099150 · NICHD · COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY · PI DEBORAH J FIDLER · 2019 to 2026
$4.7M
NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD099150
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIndividuals with Down syndrome (DS) often experience challenges in executive functioning (EF), including inhibitory control. Despite interest in EF research and intervention in DS, there is a lack of feasible and developmentally sensitive measures of EF for young children in this population. This study evaluated the feasibility, developmental sensitivity, and test-retest reliability of a modified Snack Delay task for children with DS aged 2-7 years.

methodsThe Snack Delay task was administered to 118 participants with DS (mean age = 5.21, SD = 1.53; 51.7% male). Three outcome metrics were evaluated for feasibility, developmental sensitivity, and preliminary psychometric properties. Feasibility was assessed by task completion rates. Distributional characteristics, including range and floor and ceiling effects, were examined. Intraclass correlation coefficients assessed test-retest reliability, and t-tests evaluated practice effects across a two-week period. Developmental sensitivity was evaluated as a function of chronological and mental age.

resultsThe Snack Delay task was feasible for 89% of participants and captured meaningful variability in inhibitory control among children with DS aged 3-7 years. Floor effects ranged from 0% to 17.1% and ceiling effects from 20% to 56.2%. Test-retest reliability was moderate for one metric and strong for two. A small, non-significant practice effect was observed for one metric, with lower average waiting times at retest. Performance scaled with age and developmental level, though ceiling effects were observed in older children. Lack of motivation was more common among participants with younger chronological and mental ages.

conclusionThe Snack Delay task is a reliable, developmentally sensitive measure of inhibition in young children with DS and may be a valuable tool for assessing EF in this population.

Indexed as

Down SyndromeExecutive FunctionInhibition, PsychologicalSnacksChildChild, PreschoolFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleNeuropsychological TestsPsychometricsReproducibility of ResultsAssessmentDown syndromeExecutive functionInhibitory controlSnack Delay

Identifiers

PMID42561499
PMCPMC13671400

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.