Working memory structure and intellectual disability

The working memory of people with intellectual disability has been found to generally lag behind their mental age. However, studies concerning the str ucture of working memory or its connections to other cognitive functions ar e rare. The present study employs a versatile battery of tests for the eval uation of working memory structure in adults with intellectual disability o f unknown aetiology. In addition, connections between working memory and co gnitive skills valid for everyday functioning are evaluated. Working memory performance in the study participants was found to stem from two distinct components which could be regarded to represent phonological and general wo rking memory. General working memory was closely related to intelligence, w hereas phonological working memory was not. The subjects in the study group differed in their working memory profiles. These distinct profiles were si gnificantly related to academic skills (e.g. reading, writing and mathemati cs) and sentence comprehension because the profile of the working memory pr edicted these abilities even when the intelligence and educational backgrou nd of the participants was taken into consideration.