Cognitive strengths and weaknesses associated with Prader-Willi syndrome

Nine adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and nine age- and IQ-matched a dults without PWS completed standardized tests of long-term and short-term memory, visual and auditory processing, and reading and mathematics achieve ment. Consistent with previous findings, long-term memory was superior to s hort-term memory only in the PWS group. In the present study, however, long -term memory was strong relative to Iq, whereas in previous research short- term memory was weak relative to IQ. Contrary to previous findings, there w as no direct evidence that visual processing was superior to auditory proce ssing in individuals with PWS. Also contrary to previous findings, reading was weaker than math as well as Iq, though this pattern was not specific to the PWS group. Implications of the results are discussed.