51
|
Kenny SA, Cameron CE, Karing JT, Ahmadi A, Braithwaite PN, McClelland MM. A meta-analysis of the validity of the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task in predicting young children's academic performance. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1124235. [PMID: 37416543 PMCID: PMC10319628 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1124235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study represents the first meta-analytic synthesis of the utility of a widely used early-childhood self-regulation measure, the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task, in predicting children's academic achievement. A systematic review of the literature yielded 69 studies accessed from peer reviewed journals representing 413 effect sizes and 19,917 children meeting the complete set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Robust variance analysis demonstrated that the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task was a consistent predictor of children's academic achievement across literacy, oral language, and mathematical outcomes. A moderator analysis indicated that in accordance with prior research, the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task was more strongly associated with children's mathematics performance relative to their performance on language and literacy measures. The results of this meta-analysis suggest that the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task demonstrated statistically significant, positive associations with children's overall academic performance. These associations remained stable across different participant and measurement factors and are comparable to meta-analyses examining the self-regulation and academic association with multiple measures of self-regulation and executive function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Ann Kenny
- Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Claire E. Cameron
- Department of Learning and Instruction, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Jasmine Tua Karing
- Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Ahmad Ahmadi
- Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | | | - Megan M. McClelland
- Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| |
Collapse
|
52
|
Musso MF, Moyano S, Rico-Picó J, Conejero Á, Ballesteros-Duperón MÁ, Cascallar EC, Rueda MR. Predicting Effortful Control at 3 Years of Age from Measures of Attention and Home Environment in Infancy: A Machine Learning Approach. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:982. [PMID: 37371215 DOI: 10.3390/children10060982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Effortful control (EC) is a dimension of temperament that encompass individual differences in self-regulation and the control of reactivity. Much research suggests that EC has a strong foundation on the development of executive attention, but increasing evidence also shows a significant contribution of the rearing environment to individual differences in EC. The aim of the current study was to predict the development of EC at 36 months of age from early attentional and environmental measures taken in infancy using a machine learning approach. A sample of 78 infants participated in a longitudinal study running three waves of data collection at 6, 9, and 36 months of age. Attentional tasks were administered at 6 months of age, with two additional measures (i.e., one attentional measure and another self-restraint measure) being collected at 9 months of age. Parents reported household environment variables during wave 1, and their child's EC at 36 months. A machine-learning algorithm was implemented to identify children with low EC scores at 36 months of age. An "attention only" model showed greater predictive sensitivity than the "environmental only" model. However, a model including both attentional and environmental variables was able to classify the groups (Low-EC vs. Average-to-High EC) with 100% accuracy. Sensitivity analyses indicate that socio-economic variables together with attention control processes at 6 months, and self-restraint capacity at 9 months, are the most important predictors of EC. Results suggest a foundational role of executive attention processes in the development of EC in complex interactions with household environments and provide a new tool to identify early markers of socio-emotional regulation development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariel F Musso
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Interdisciplinary Center for Research in Mathematical and Experimental Psychology (CIIPME), National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires 1040, Argentina
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (UADE), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires 1073, Argentina
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Sebastián Moyano
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Josué Rico-Picó
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Ángela Conejero
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Department of Educational and Developmental Psychology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - M Ángeles Ballesteros-Duperón
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Department of Psychobiology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Eduardo C Cascallar
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - M Rosario Rueda
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
53
|
Everaert E, Vorstman JAS, Selten IS, Slieker MG, Wijnen F, Boerma TD, Houben ML. Executive functioning in preschoolers with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and the impact of congenital heart defects. J Neurodev Disord 2023; 15:15. [PMID: 37173621 PMCID: PMC10181926 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-023-09484-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Executive functioning (EF) is an umbrella term for various cognitive functions that play a role in monitoring and planning to effectuate goal-directed behavior. The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), the most common microdeletion syndrome, is associated with a multitude of both somatic and cognitive symptoms, including EF impairments in school-age and adolescence. However, results vary across different EF domains and studies with preschool children are scarce. As EF is critically associated with later psychopathology and adaptive functioning, our first aim was to study EF in preschool children with 22q11DS. Our second aim was to explore the effect of a congenital heart defects (CHD) on EF abilities, as CHD are common in 22q11DS and have been implicated in EF impairment in individuals with CHD without a syndromic origin. METHODS All children with 22q11DS (n = 44) and typically developing (TD) children (n = 81) were 3.0 to 6.5 years old and participated in a larger prospective study. We administered tasks measuring visual selective attention, visual working memory, and a task gauging broad EF abilities. The presence of CHD was determined by a pediatric cardiologist based on medical records. RESULTS Analyses showed that children with 22q11DS were outperformed by TD peers on the selective attention task and the working memory task. As many children were unable to complete the broad EF task, we did not run statistical analyses, but provide a qualitative description of the results. There were no differences in EF abilities between children with 22q11DS with and without CHDs. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the first study measuring EF in a relatively large sample of young children with 22q11DS. Our results show that EF impairments are already present in early childhood in children with 22q11DS. In line with previous studies with older children with 22q11DS, CHDs do not appear to have an effect on EF performance. These findings might have important implications for early intervention and support the improvement of prognostic accuracy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Everaert
- Institute for Language Sciences, Utrecht University, Trans 10, 3512 JK, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Department of Pediatrics, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, 3584 EA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Jacob A S Vorstman
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, Research Institute, and Department of Psychiatry, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Iris S Selten
- Institute for Language Sciences, Utrecht University, Trans 10, 3512 JK, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatrics, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, 3584 EA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn G Slieker
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85090, 3508 AB, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Frank Wijnen
- Institute for Language Sciences, Utrecht University, Trans 10, 3512 JK, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tessel D Boerma
- Institute for Language Sciences, Utrecht University, Trans 10, 3512 JK, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatrics, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, 3584 EA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Michiel L Houben
- Department of Pediatrics, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, 3584 EA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
54
|
Nugroho HW, Salimo H, Hartono H, Hakim MA, Probandari A. Association between poverty and children's working memory abilities in developing countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1067626. [PMID: 37252247 PMCID: PMC10213742 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1067626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Working memory is critical in cognitive skills, especially among children. Children's ability to count and complete cognitive tasks are strongly associated with working memory abilities. Recent studies indicated that in addition to health factors, socioeconomic status also has a significant impact on children's working memory capacity. Despite these, evidence on the effects of socioeconomic status on working memory from developing countries yielded a somewhat puzzling picture. Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis provide a comprehensive summary of the recent evidence concerning the socioeconomic status determinants of children's working memory in developing countries. We searched via Cochrane library, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, and ProQuest. The initial search terms were ["socioeconomic", "socio-economic", "socioeconomic status", "socio-economic status", "income", "poverty", "disadvantaged", "disparity"] AND ["working memory", "short term memory", "short-term memory", "cognitive", "achievement", "performance"] AND ["child*", "school child*"]. Odds ratio (for categorical outcome data) or standardized mean differences (for continuous data) and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated from the data generated. Results This meta-analysis included five studies from 4 developing countries with a total of 4,551 subjects. Poverty was associated with a lower working memory score (OR: 3.12; 95% CI: 2.66, 3.65; p < 0.001). Another finding from 2 studies in this meta-analysis was that low mother education was associated with a lower score of working memory (OR: 3.26, 95% CI: 2.86, 3.71; p < 0.001). Discussion Poverty and low level of mothers' education were significant risk factors for lowering working memory among children in developing countries. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier: CRD42021270683.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hari Wahyu Nugroho
- Doctoral Program of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
| | - Harsono Salimo
- Doctoral Program of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
| | - Hartono Hartono
- Doctoral Program of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
| | - Moh. Abdul Hakim
- Doctoral Program of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
| | - Ari Probandari
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
| |
Collapse
|
55
|
Kotowicz J, Woll B, Herman R. Executive Function in Deaf Native Signing Children. JOURNAL OF DEAF STUDIES AND DEAF EDUCATION 2023:7152319. [PMID: 37141625 DOI: 10.1093/deafed/enad011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study is twofold: To examine if deafness is invariably associated with deficits in executive function (EF) and to investigate the relationship between sign language proficiency and EF in deaf children of deaf parents with early exposure to a sign language. It is also the first study of EF in children acquiring Polish Sign Language. Even though the mothers of the deaf children (N = 20) had lower levels of education compared with the mothers of a hearing control group, the children performed similarly to their hearing peers (N = 20) on a variety of EF task-based assessments. Only in the Go/No-go task were weaker inhibition skills observed in younger deaf children (6-9 years) compared with hearing peers, and this difference was not seen in older children (10-12 years). Hence, deafness does not necessarily impair EF; however, attentional and inhibition abilities may be acquired via a different route in deaf children. Sign language receptive skills predicted EF in deaf children. In conclusion, we highlight the importance of deaf parenting building the scaffolding for EF in deaf children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Kotowicz
- Section for Sign Linguistics, Faculty of Polish Studies, University of Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bencie Woll
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, UK
| | - Rosalind Herman
- Department of Language and Communication Science, City, University of London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
56
|
Hinnant B, Buckhalt JA, Brigham EF, Gillis BT, El-Sheikh M. Socioeconomic Disparities, Nighttime Bedroom Temperature, and Children's Sleep. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 86:101530. [PMID: 37035841 PMCID: PMC10081498 DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2023.101530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
We investigated associations between family income-to-needs, nighttime bedroom temperature (NBT), and children's sleep. Using a sample of 46 children (M age = 11.5), we recorded NBT and objective sleep parameters via actigraphy nightly for one week to evaluate within- (night-to-night) and between-person associations. We found consistent evidence for a curvilinear association between NBT and sleep variables at the between-person level, indicating that children who slept in rooms that were "too hot" or "too cold" experienced poorer sleep. Moreover, children in lower income-to-needs families had more extreme NBTs. There was some evidence that family income-to-needs is indirectly related to sleep via NBT, but with interpretational caveats. These findings point to NBT as a potentially modifiable variable, which has implications for practical applications to mitigate effects of socioeconomic disparities on children's sleep.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ben Hinnant
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, 261 Mell Street, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849
| | - Joseph A. Buckhalt
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, 261 Mell Street, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849
| | - Emily F. Brigham
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, 261 Mell Street, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849
| | - Brian T. Gillis
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, 261 Mell Street, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849
| | - Mona El-Sheikh
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, 261 Mell Street, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849
| |
Collapse
|
57
|
Medina LD, Henry S, Torres S, MacDonald B, Strutt AM. The Measurement of Acculturation in Neuropsychological Evaluations of Hispanic/Latino Individuals across the Lifespan: A Scoping Review of the Literature. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2023; 38:365-386. [PMID: 36988392 PMCID: PMC10132785 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acac114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Acculturation has been linked to health outcomes in Hispanics/Latinos (H/Ls). However, there is equivocal evidence of a relationship between acculturation and neuropsychological outcomes. Various factors limit the ability to subject the evidence to systematic/meta-analytic review. We sought to examine the current state of the literature in the context of H/Ls and neuropsychology and describe the various limitations of measuring acculturation across the lifespan. METHOD Applying a scoping review approach, we identified unique stand-alone (e.g., questionnaires) measures of acculturation. We focused on psychometric (e.g., internal consistency) and other characteristics (e.g., language, structure/format) and description of the validation samples (e.g., cultural background/country of origin). RESULTS A total of 40 unique acculturation measures were identified. Measures spanned various domains (e.g., language proficiency, food preference, music choice), and relied heavily on linguistic behavioral characteristics. Internal consistency varied from unacceptable to clinically acceptable ranges. Variable approaches to development and validation were reported. Validation samples varied from 22 to 2,048 respondents (median = 380), most of which represented a general adult population. Only eight measures were validated for use in pediatric populations; none were developed specifically for use with older adults. CONCLUSIONS Published measures are outdated, evidence highly variable psychometric and methodological weaknesses, and lack a lifespan perspective. Several themes in the types of items considered elemental to the acculturative process are revealed and findings are summarized via an "ABC" framework, categorizing items as antecedents, behaviors, and consequent acculturative changes, that lends itself to clinical and research settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luis D Medina
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Samantha Henry
- Department of Neurology, Section of Neuropsychology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Stephanie Torres
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, TX, USA
| | - Beatriz MacDonald
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Psychology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Adriana M Strutt
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neurology, Section of Neuropsychology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
58
|
Ogrodnik M, Karsan S, Cirone V, Heisz JJ. Exploring the Relationship between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Executive Functioning in Adults with ADHD. Brain Sci 2023; 13:673. [PMID: 37190638 PMCID: PMC10136722 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13040673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Associations between measures of executive functioning (EF) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were examined for adults with and without ADHD. METHOD Measures of executive functioning including the Stroop task, Wisconsin Card Sorting task, and Operation Span Task were completed virtually (n = 36 ADHD; n = 36 Control). Participants completed the Six-Minute Walk Test to estimate CRF. RESULTS Mean performance measures of executive function did not differ by group. However, higher estimated CRF was associated with better Stroop task performance, and the association was strongest for individuals with ADHD. CONCLUSION In adults with ADHD, higher estimated CRF was associated with better inhibitory control, but not with other measures of executive functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Ogrodnik
- Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
- Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Sameena Karsan
- Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Victoria Cirone
- Department of Physical Therapy, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, The Centre for Aging SMART, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V1Y 1T3, Canada
| | - Jennifer J. Heisz
- Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
59
|
Chen YY, Yim H, Lee TH. Negative impact of daily screen use on inhibitory control network in preadolescence: A two-year follow-up study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101218. [PMID: 36821878 PMCID: PMC9933860 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has made an unprecedented shift in children's daily lives. Children are increasingly spending time with screens to learn and connect with others. As the online environment rapidly substitutes in-person experience, understanding children's neuropsychological trajectories associated with screen experiences is important. Previous findings suggest that excessive screen use can lead children to prefer more immediate rewards over delayed outcomes. We hypothesized that increased screen time delays a child's development of inhibitory control system in the brain (i.e., fronto-striatal circuitry). By analyzing neuropsychological data from 8324 children (9-11ys) from the ABCD Study, we found that children who had more screen time showed a higher reward orientation and weaker fronto-striatal connectivity. Importantly, we found that the daily screen exposure mediated the effect of reward sensitivity on the development of the inhibitory control system in the brain over a two year period. These findings suggest possible negative long-term impacts of increased daily screen time on children's neuropsychological development. The results further demonstrated that screen time influences dorsal striatum connectivity, which suggests that the effect of daily screen use is a habitual seeking behavior. The study provides neural and behavioral evidence for the negative impact of daily screen use on developing children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Yun Chen
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Hyungwook Yim
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Tae-Ho Lee
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA; School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
60
|
Muir RA, Howard SJ, Kervin L. Interventions and Approaches Targeting Early Self-Regulation or Executive Functioning in Preschools: A Systematic Review. EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10648-023-09740-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
This systematic literature review sought to reconcile the evidence of efficacy for interventions and approaches to enhancing self-regulation and/or executive function in preschool settings. Following PRISMA methodology, a comprehensive search of 20 years of intervention research identified 85 studies that met inclusion criteria. Interventions were categorised by intervention approach and coded for their characteristics (e.g. sample size, dose, duration, interventionist, intervention activities), outcomes (e.g. significance, size of effects) and study quality (i.e. risk of bias). Reconciliation of intervention results indicated (1) within intervention approaches, some approaches had more consistent and robust evidence of efficacy (e.g. mindfulness, mediated play, physical activity) and (2) across intervention approaches, characteristics that had greater (or exclusive) presence amongst the higher efficacy interventions (e.g. cognitive challenge, movement, as well as interventionist, fidelity and dose considerations). Implications for future intervention (re)design, and for theorising about mechanisms of self-regulation and executive function change, are discussed.
Collapse
|
61
|
Lasch C, Carlson SM, Elison JT. Responding to joint attention as a developmental catalyst: Longitudinal associations with language and social responsiveness. INFANCY 2023; 28:339-366. [PMID: 36404295 PMCID: PMC9899317 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Joint attention (JA), infants' ability to engage in triadic attention with another person and a separate object or event, emerges in infancy. Responding to joint attention (RJA) develops earlier than initiating joint attention (IJA) and may benefit from a reconceptualization from a competence to a skill that varies in performance. Investigating associations between RJA performance and important skills of toddlerhood such as language, social responsiveness, and executive function (EF) in typically developing samples can better elucidate how RJA may serve as a developmental precursor to later dimensional skills, with implications for both typical and atypical development. Here, 210 (82% White) infants completed the Dimensional Joint Attention Assessment (DJAA), a naturalistic play-based assessment of RJA, at 8-15 months. At 16-38 months social responsiveness, verbal ability, and EF were assessed. Multilevel models showed that DJAA scores were associated with later verbal abilities and parent-reported social responsiveness. Exploratory analyses showed trend-level associations between RJA and EF. Results establish the content validity of the DJAA as a measure of RJA, and longitudinal associations with later verbal ability and social responsiveness. Future work should examine EF emergence and consolidation, and RJA and later EF associations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Lasch
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Jed T. Elison
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
62
|
Factors related to the development of executive functions: A cumulative dopamine genetic score and environmental factors predict performance of kindergarten children in a go/nogo task. Trends Neurosci Educ 2023; 30:100200. [PMID: 36925267 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2023.100200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed at investigating the interaction between genetic and environmental factors in predicting executive function in children aged four to six years. METHODS Response inhibition as index of EF was assessed in 197 children using a go/nogo task. A cumulative dopamine (DA) genetic score was calculated, indexing predisposition of low DA activity. Dimensions of parenting behavior and parental education were assessed. RESULTS Parental education was positively related to accuracy in nogo trials. An interaction between the cumulative genetic score and the parenting dimension Responsiveness predicted go RT indicating that children with a high cumulative genetic score and high parental responsiveness exhibited a careful response mode. CONCLUSION The development of EF in kindergarten children is related to parental education as well as to an interaction between the molecular-genetics of the DA system and parenting behavior.
Collapse
|
63
|
Unger L, Sloutsky VM. Category learning is shaped by the multifaceted development of selective attention. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 226:105549. [PMID: 36116317 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Categories are a fundamental building block of cognition that simplify the multitude of entities we encounter into equivalence classes. By simplifying this barrage of inputs, categories support reasoning about and interacting with their members. For example, despite differences in size, color, and other features, we can treat members of the category of dogs as equivalent, and thus generalize information about any given dog to other dogs. Simplifying entities into categories in adulthood is supported by selective attention, in which people focus on category-relevant attributes, while filtering out category-irrelevant attributes. However, much category learning takes place in infancy and early childhood, when selective attention undergoes substantial development. We designed two experiments to disentangle the contributions of the focusing and filtering aspects of selective attention to category learning over development. Experiment 1 provided evidence that learning simple categories was accompanied by selective attention in both 4- and 5- year-old children and adults. Experiment 2 provided evidence that only focusing contributed to selective attention in 4-year-olds, whereas both focusing and filtering contributed to selective attention in 5-year-olds and adults. Thus, category learning may recruit different aspects of selective attention across development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Layla Unger
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, United States.
| | | |
Collapse
|
64
|
Baker BH, Joo YY, Park J, Cha J, Baccarelli AA, Posner J. Maternal age at birth and child attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: causal association or familial confounding? J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:299-310. [PMID: 36440655 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Causal explanations for the association of young motherhood with increased risk for child attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remain unclear. METHODS The ABCD Study recruited 11,878 youth from 22 sites across the United States between June 1, 2016 and October 15, 2018. This cross-sectional analysis of 8,514 children aged 8-11 years excluded 2,260 twins/triplets, 265 adopted children, and 839 younger siblings. We examined associations of maternal age with ADHD clinical range diagnoses based on the Child Behavior Checklist and NIH Toolbox Flanker Attention Scores using mixed logistic and linear regression models, respectively. We conducted confounding and causal mediation analyses using genotype array, demographic, socioeconomic, and prenatal environment data to investigate which genetic and environmental variables may explain the association between young maternal age and child ADHD. RESULTS In crude models, each 10-year increase in maternal age was associated with 32% decreased odds of ADHD clinical range diagnosis (OR = 0.68; 95% CI [0.59, 0.78]) and 1.09-points increased NIH Flanker Attention Scores (β = 1.09; 95% CI [0.76, 1.41]), indicating better child visual selective attention. However, adjustment for confounders weakened these associations. The strongest confounders were family income, caregiver education, and ADHD polygenic risk score for ADHD clinical range diagnoses, and family income, caregiver education, and race/ethnicity for NIH Flanker Attention Scores. Breastfeeding duration, prenatal alcohol exposure, and prenatal tobacco exposure were responsible for up to 18%, 6%, and 4% mediation, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Socioeconomic disadvantages were likely the primary explanation for the association of young maternal age with child ADHD, although genetics and modifiable environmental factors also played a role. Public policies aimed at reducing the burden of ADHD associated with young motherhood should target socioeconomic inequalities and support young pregnant women by advocating for reduced prenatal tobacco exposure and healthy breastfeeding practices after childbirth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brennan H Baker
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Junghoon Park
- Department of Economics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jiook Cha
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.,AI Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Andrea A Baccarelli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jonathan Posner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
65
|
Abstract
Child abuse is associated with elevated risk for psychopathology. The current study examined the role of automatic emotion regulation as a potential mechanism linking child abuse with internalizing psychopathology. A sample of 237 youth aged 8-16 years and their caregivers participated. Child abuse severity was assessed by self-report questionnaires, and automatic emotion regulation was assessed using an emotional Stroop task designed to measure adaptation to emotional conflict. A similar task without emotional stimuli was also administered to evaluate whether abuse was uniquely associated with emotion regulation, but not cognitive control applied in a nonemotional context. Internalizing psychopathology was assessed concurrently and at a 2-year longitudinal follow-up. Child abuse severity was associated with lower emotional conflict adaptation but was unrelated to cognitive control. Specifically, the severity of emotional and physical abuse, but not sexual abuse, were associated with lower emotional conflict adaptation. Emotional conflict adaptation was not associated with internalizing psychopathology prospectively. These findings suggest that childhood emotional and physical abuse, in particular, may influence automatic forms of emotion regulation. Future work exploring the socioemotional consequences of altered automatic emotion regulation among youth exposed to child abuse is clearly needed.
Collapse
|
66
|
Socio-economic Status Exceeds Executive Function as a Central Role Player in Academic Achievement of Grade 7 Primary School Boys and Girls: the NW-CHILD Study. TRENDS IN PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s43076-022-00252-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
|
67
|
Greenwood PB, Cohen JW, Liu R, Hoepner L, Rauh V, Herbstman J, Pagliaccio D, Margolis AE. Effects of prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and childhood material hardship on reading achievement in school-age children: A preliminary study. Front Psychol 2023; 13:933177. [PMID: 36687992 PMCID: PMC9845780 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.933177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds are at elevated risk for reading problems. They are also likely to live in neighborhoods with high levels of air pollution and to experience material hardship. Despite these risk factors, the links between prenatal chemical exposures, socioeconomic adversities, and reading problems in youth from disadvantaged backgrounds remain understudied. Here we examine associations between prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), a common air pollutant, and reading skills, and determine if this relationship is exacerbated by material hardship among Black and/or Latinx children who have been followed as part of a longitudinal urban birth cohort. Methods Mothers and their children, who were participants in a prospective birth cohort followed by the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, were recruited for the current study. Personal prenatal PAH exposure was measured during the third-trimester of pregnancy using a personal air monitoring backpack. Mothers reported their level of material hardship when their child was age 5 and children completed measures of pseudoword and word reading [Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III) Basic Reading Index] at age 7. We used multiple linear regression to examine the effects of the interaction between prenatal PAH and material hardship on Basic Reading Index, controlling for ethnicity/race, sex, birthweight, presence of a smoker in the home (prenatal), and maternal education (prenatal) (N = 53). Results A prenatal PAH × material hardship interaction significantly associated with WJ-III Basic Reading Index scores at age 7 (β = -0.347, t(44) = -2.197, p = 0.033). Exploratory analyses suggested that this effect was driven by untimed pseudoword decoding (WJ-III Word Attack: β = -0.391, t(44) = -2.550, p = 0.014). Conclusion Environmental chemical exposures can be particularly toxic during the prenatal period when the fetal brain undergoes rapid development, making it uniquely vulnerable to chemical perturbations. These data highlight the interactive effects of environmental neurotoxicants and unmet basic needs on children's acquisition of reading skill, specifically phonemic processing. Such findings identify potentially modifiable environmental risk factors implicated in reading problems in children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paige B. Greenwood
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jacob W. Cohen
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ran Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Lori Hoepner
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, SUNY Downstate Health Science University, Brooklyn, NY, United States
| | - Virginia Rauh
- Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Julie Herbstman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - David Pagliaccio
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Amy E. Margolis
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
68
|
Salem AAGG, Ferreira da Silva P, Felizardo D, Holz MR, Fonseca RP. Does the frequency of reading and writing habits contribute to executive functions, intelligence, and learning in adolescents with healthy development? APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. CHILD 2023; 12:34-44. [PMID: 35129415 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2022.2026222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The influence of the frequency of reading and writing habits (FRWH) on cognition has been investigated by several studies in the literature. However, the implications of FRWH on executive development, intelligence, and academic achievement are not yet clear in adolescents with healthy development. The aim was to verify whether there are differences in executive functions, intelligence, and academic achievement between adolescents with high and low FRWH. Moreover, we aimed to investigate if there are differences in the parental FRWH between adolescents with high and low FRWH. The sample was composed of 47 healthy adolescents, n = 24 with high FRWH and n = 23 with low FRWH. Adolescents with higher FRWH had better performance on measures of vocabulary, Speech Act analysis, and Oral Narrative Discourse. Therefore, a high FRWH has a positive influence on the cognitive development of healthy adolescents, especially with regard to pragmatic language. However, adolescents with low FRWH performed better than those with a high FRWH on an automatic counting task. The interpretation of cognitive performance and academic achievement scores in neuropsychological assessment should consider the FRWH of parents and adolescents. This factor should be targeted by early stimulation interventions to help adolescents achieve the highest possible levels of global development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Deivid Felizardo
- Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Maila Rossato Holz
- Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
69
|
Do Neighborhood Resources Mitigate Family Risk to Preschool Children's Executive Function Skills Growth? PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2023; 24:115-125. [PMID: 36602714 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-022-01480-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite previous studies showing that children's development of executive function (EF) skills is associated with the differing contexts in which children live, evidence about the independent and synergistic effects of families and neighborhoods is limited. Using a sample from a two-cohort longitudinal study of preschoolers from low-income families, we examined whether residential neighborhood resources (measured with the Child Opportunity Index (COI)) moderated the relationship between family cumulative risk and the growth trajectory of children's EF skills. Results from conditional growth curve models indicate family cumulative risk was negatively related to baseline EF skills and the rate of EF skill growth. In contrast, the overall COI and the COI social and economic domain z-score were positively associated with the initial, but not linear, growth of EF skills. We found no evidence of moderator effects. Policies that aim to better target and support the most vulnerable children should consider the unique contribution of family risks and neighborhood resources to child development.
Collapse
|
70
|
Hendry A, Gibson SP, Davies C, McGillion M, Gonzalez-Gomez N. Toward a dimensional model of risk and protective factors influencing children's early cognitive, social, and emotional development during the COVID-19 pandemic. INFANCY 2023; 28:158-186. [PMID: 35993691 PMCID: PMC10086814 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Variation in infants' home environment is implicated in their cognitive and psycho-social development. The pandemic has intensified variations in home environments through exacerbating socioeconomic inequalities, and increasing psychological stressors for some families. This study investigates the effects of parental (predominantly maternal) mental health, enriching activities and screen use on 280 24- to 52-month-olds' executive functions, internalising and externalising problems, and pro-social behaviour; with socioeconomic status and social support as contextual factors. Our results indicate that aspects of the home environment are differentially associated with children's cognitive and psycho-social development. Parents who experienced sustained mental distress during the pandemic tended to report higher child externalising and internalising problems, and executive function difficulties at follow-up. Children who spent more time engaged in enriching activities with their parents showed stronger executive functions and social competence six months later. Screen use levels during the first year of the pandemic were not associated with outcomes. To mitigate the risk of persistent negative effects for this 'pandemic generation' of infants, our study highlights the importance of supporting parents' mental health. As our results demonstrate the impact of social support on mental health, investing in support services and interventions promoting building support networks are likely to be beneficial.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Hendry
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Catherine Davies
- School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
71
|
Holochwost SJ, Winebrake D, Brown ED, Happeney KR, Wagner NJ, Mills-Koonce WR. An Ecological Systems Perspective on Individual Differences in Children’s Performance on Measures of Executive Function. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2022.2160721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Deaven Winebrake
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston
| | | | - Keith R. Happeney
- Department of Psychology, Lehman College, City University of New York
| | - Nicholas J. Wagner
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston
| | | |
Collapse
|
72
|
Zelazo PD, Carlson SM. Reconciling the Context-Dependency and Domain-Generality of Executive Function Skills from a Developmental Systems Perspective. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2022.2156515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
|
73
|
Vos M, Deforche B, Van Kerckhove A, Michels N, Geuens M, Van Lippevelde W. Intervention strategies to promote healthy and sustainable food choices among parents with lower and higher socioeconomic status. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:2378. [PMID: 36536355 PMCID: PMC9761028 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14817-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A global shift towards more healthy and sustainable diets is necessary for the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases, as well as for the growing pressure on our ecosystems. Given that parents are important actors in affecting dietary behaviors of their children, developing intervention strategies targeting families and their practices is promising to reach positive behavior change among children. Also, it is important to tailor these interventions to the needs of parents with different socioeconomic statuses (SES), given that health inequalities continue to grow. This study aims to investigate perspectives of lower and higher SES parents on the usability and acceptability of various innovative intervention strategies. METHODS Fourteen focus groups and four individual interviews (n = 78, nlowerSES = 17; nhigherSES = 61) were conducted in Belgium. A semi-structured interview guide was used to facilitate the discussions. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed via thematic content analysis using NVivo. RESULTS To encourage healthy and sustainable food choices, interventions via online food shopping platforms and nudging strategies in grocery stores were mostly cited by higher SES parents, but these were less applicable for lower SES parents as they buy less online and mainly consider the price of products. Mobile applications that provide inspiration for healthy and sustainable recipes and easily accessible shopping lists received moderate support among lower and higher SES parents. Furthermore, both lower and higher SES parents showed interest in meal boxes delivered at home, but lower SES parents have not yet tried such meal boxes because of their higher prices. Still, both groups of SES parents mentioned many advantages of these meal boxes, such as the convenience and time-saving component, as well as the cooking inspiration aspect. CONCLUSION Our study reveals the preferences of lower and higher SES parents for practical intervention strategies, providing insight in what features these strategies should have to be acceptable and useful. Hence, the findings can inform the development of a tailored family-based intervention strategy to improve parental food choices in favor of increased health and sustainability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marjolijn Vos
- grid.5342.00000 0001 2069 7798Department of Marketing, Innovation and Organization, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium ,grid.5342.00000 0001 2069 7798Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Benedicte Deforche
- grid.5342.00000 0001 2069 7798Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium ,grid.8767.e0000 0001 2290 8069Movement and Nutrition for Health and Performance Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Ixelles, Belgium
| | - Anneleen Van Kerckhove
- grid.5342.00000 0001 2069 7798Department of Marketing, Innovation and Organization, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Michels
- grid.5342.00000 0001 2069 7798Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Maggie Geuens
- grid.5342.00000 0001 2069 7798Department of Marketing, Innovation and Organization, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wendy Van Lippevelde
- grid.5342.00000 0001 2069 7798Department of Marketing, Innovation and Organization, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium ,grid.5342.00000 0001 2069 7798Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
74
|
Adise S, Marshall AT, Kan E, Sowell ER. Access to quality health resources and environmental toxins affect the relationship between brain structure and BMI in a sample of pre and early adolescents. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1061049. [PMID: 36589997 PMCID: PMC9797683 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1061049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Environmental resources are related to childhood obesity risk and altered brain development, but whether these relationships are stable or if they have sustained impact is unknown. Here, we utilized a multidimensional index of childhood neighborhood conditions to compare the influence of various social and environmental disparities (SED) on body mass index (BMI)-brain relationships over a 2-year period in early adolescence. Methods Data were gathered the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study® (n = 2,970, 49.8% female, 69.1% White, no siblings). Structure magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI), anthropometrics, and demographic information were collected at baseline (9/10-years-old) and the 2-year-follow-up (11/12-years-old). Region of interest (ROIs; 68 cortical, 18 subcortical) estimates of cortical thickness and subcortical volume were extracted from sMRI T1w images using the Desikan atlas. Residential addresses at baseline were used to obtain geocoded estimates of SEDs from 3 domains of childhood opportunity index (COI): healthy environment (COIHE), social/economic (COISE), and education (COIED). Nested, random-effects mixed models were conducted to evaluate relationships of BMI with (1) ROI * COI[domain] and (2) ROI * COI[domain] * Time. Models controlled for sex, race, ethnicity, puberty, and the other two COI domains of non-interest, allowing us to estimate the unique variance explained by each domain and its interaction with ROI and time. Results Youth living in areas with lower COISE and COIED scores were heavier at the 2-year follow-up than baseline and exhibited greater thinning in the bilateral occipital cortex between visits. Lower COISE scores corresponded with larger volume of the bilateral caudate and greater BMI at the 2-year follow-up. COIHE scores showed the greatest associations (n = 20 ROIs) with brain-BMI relationships: youth living in areas with lower COIHE had thinner cortices in prefrontal regions and larger volumes of the left pallidum and Ventral DC. Time did not moderate the COIHE x ROI interaction for any brain region during the examined 2-year period. Findings were independent of family income (i.e., income-to-needs). Conclusion Collectively our findings demonstrate that neighborhood SEDs for health-promoting resources play a particularly important role in moderating relationships between brain and BMI in early adolescence regardless of family-level financial resources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shana Adise
- Division of Pediatric Research Administration, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Andrew T. Marshall
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Eric Kan
- Division of Pediatric Research Administration, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Elizabeth R. Sowell
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
75
|
Singh M, Skippen P, He J, Thomson P, Fuelscher I, Caeyenberghs K, Anderson V, Nicholson JM, Hyde C, Silk TJ. Longitudinal developmental trajectories of inhibition and white-matter maturation of the fronto-basal-ganglia circuits. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 58:101171. [PMID: 36372005 PMCID: PMC9660590 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Response inhibition refers to the cancelling of planned (or restraining of ongoing) actions and is required in much of our everyday life. Response inhibition appears to improve dramatically in early development and plateau in adolescence. The fronto-basal-ganglia network has long been shown to predict individual differences in the ability to enact response inhibition. In the current study, we examined whether developmental trajectories of fiber-specific white matter properties of the fronto-basal-ganglia network was predictive of parallel developmental trajectories of response inhibition. 138 children aged 9-14 completed the stop-signal task (SST). A subsample of 73 children underwent high-angular resolution diffusion MRI data for up to three time points. Performance on the SST was assessed using a parametric race modelling approach. White matter organization of the fronto-basal-ganglia circuit was estimated using fixel-based analysis. Contrary to predictions, we did not find any significant associations between maturational trajectories of fronto-basal-ganglia white matter and developmental improvements in SST performance. Findings suggest that the development of white matter organization of the fronto-basal-ganglia and development of stopping performance follow distinct maturational trajectories.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mervyn Singh
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Patrick Skippen
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Jason He
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Phoebe Thomson
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ian Fuelscher
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Karen Caeyenberghs
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Vicki Anderson
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jan M Nicholson
- Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Christian Hyde
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Timothy J Silk
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
76
|
Segura IA, Panjeh S, Cogo-Moreira H, Nouri A, Miranda MC, Esmaeili F, Seyedi H, Pompéia S. Fractionation of executive functions in adolescents from Iran: invariance across age and socioeconomic status. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03974-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractExecutive functions (EFs) are cognitive skills that regulate thoughts and behavior. The seminal EF unity and diversity theoretical framework proposes the existence of three correlated EF latent domains (inhibition, updating, and switching) that become distinguishable from a certain moment during adolescence, but it is unclear how age and socioeconomic status (SES) affect these abilities. Here, we assessed 407 9-15-year-old Iranians of variable SES using an open-access battery of executive function tests that includes two tasks of each EF domain and allows for sociocultural adaptations regarding language and stimuli. Various EF model configurations proposed in the literature were tested (one, two and three EF latent factor, nested and bifactor-S-1 models) using confirmatory factor analyses. In addition, to explore the unbiased effects of age and SES, we performed invariance testing (across age and SES) using multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) model to the best fitting model solution. The three-correlated EF factor model had the best fit and was mostly invariant across age and SES, with all three EF latent traits improving with age, while SES exerted only minimal positive effects on shifting and updating. We concluded that the three separable EF domains, found in adults and adolescents of other ages from different populations, can already be detected from the beginning of adolescence when culturally and psychometrically appropriate EF tasks are used. Additionally, these abilities continue to improve with age and are little affected by SES, suggesting that the unity and diversity framework is useful to study the cross-country generality of EF development.
Collapse
|
77
|
Dryer A, Zhang X, England-Mason G, Atkinson L, Gonzalez A. Maternal sensitivity moderates the association between maternal history of childhood maltreatment and child executive function. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2022; 134:105933. [PMID: 36283274 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Experiences of childhood maltreatment are associated with a variety of negative outcomes throughout individuals' lives as well as disadvantaged cognitive and socioemotional development among their offspring. The mechanisms through which some children show resilience against the intergenerational transmission of risk, however, are less well understood. OBJECTIVE The current study focuses on a proximal parental factor that plays a central role in children's early cognitive development - maternal sensitivity - and examines whether it moderates the association between maternal history of childhood maltreatment and child executive function (EF). PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Data were collected from a community sample of 139 mothers and their infants (51 % female) recruited from urban areas in Ontario, Canada. METHODS Maternal maltreatment history was assessed via self-report at child age 3 months. Maternal sensitivity was assessed observationally at child age 8 months, and child executive function was assessed using performance-based measures at child age 3 years. Hypotheses were tested through multiple regression models. RESULTS In the current sample, maternal maltreatment history was not associated with child EF on average. However, results were consistent with a moderation model, indicating that maternal maltreatment history was associated with lower levels of child EF only when mothers were relatively insensitive. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate the importance of considering sensitive parenting practices as a protective factor for children's cognitive development in the context of more distal risk factors such as mothers' history of childhood maltreatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arielle Dryer
- Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Xutong Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences and the Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 3L8, Canada
| | - Gillian England-Mason
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Leslie Atkinson
- Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Andrea Gonzalez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences and the Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 3L8, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
78
|
Lindert NG, Maxwell MY, Liu SR, Stern HS, Baram TZ, Poggi Davis E, Risbrough VB, Baker DG, Nievergelt CM, Glynn LM. Exposure to unpredictability and mental health: Validation of the brief version of the Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC-5) in English and Spanish. Front Psychol 2022; 13:971350. [PMID: 36438371 PMCID: PMC9682115 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.971350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Unpredictability is increasingly recognized as a primary dimension of early life adversity affecting lifespan mental health trajectories; screening for these experiences is therefore vital. The Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC) is a 38-item tool that measures unpredictability in childhood in social, emotional and physical domains. The available evidence indicates that exposure to unpredictable experiences measured with the QUIC predicts internalizing symptoms including depression and anxiety. The purpose of the present study was to validate English and Spanish brief versions (QUIC-5) suitable for administration in time-limited settings (e.g., clinical care settings, large-scale epidemiological studies). Five representative items were identified from the QUIC and their psychometric properties examined. The predictive validity of the QUIC-5 was then compared to the QUIC by examining mental health in four cohorts: (1) English-speaking adult women assessed at 6-months postpartum (N = 116), (2) English-speaking male veterans (N = 95), (3) English-speaking male and female adolescents (N = 155), and (4) Spanish-speaking male and female adults (N = 285). The QUIC-5 demonstrated substantial variance in distributions in each of the cohorts and is correlated on average 0.84 (r's = 0.81-0.87) with the full 38-item version. Furthermore, the QUIC-5 predicted internalizing symptoms (anxiety and depression) in all cohorts with similar effect sizes (r's = 0.16-0.39; all p's < 0.05) to the full versions (r's = 0.19-0.42; all p's < 0.05). In sum, the QUIC-5 exhibits good psychometric properties and is a valid alternative to the full QUIC. These findings support the future use of the QUIC-5 in clinical and research settings as a concise way to measure unpredictability, identify risk of psychopathology, and intervene accordingly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan Y. Maxwell
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Sabrina R. Liu
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Hal S. Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Victoria B. Risbrough
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Dewleen G. Baker
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Caroline M. Nievergelt
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Laura M. Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
79
|
Barry KR, Hanson JL, Calma-Birling D, Lansford JE, Bates JE, Dodge KA. Developmental connections between socioeconomic status, self-regulation, and adult externalizing problems. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13260. [PMID: 35348266 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Children from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds are at particularly heightened risk for developing later externalizing problems. A large body of research has suggested an important role for self-regulation in this developmental linkage. Self-regulation has been conceptualized as a mediator as well as a moderator of these connections. Using data from the Child Development Project (CDP, N = 585), we probe these contrasting (mediating/moderating) conceptualizations, using both Frequentist and Bayesian statistical approaches, in the linkage between early SES and later externalizing problems in a multi-decade longitudinal study. Connecting early SES, physiology (i.e., heart rate reactivity) and inhibitory control (a Stroop task) in adolescence, and externalizing symptomatology in early adulthood, we found the relation between SES and externalizing problems was moderated by multiple facets of self-regulation. Participants from lower early SES backgrounds, who also had high heart rate reactivity and lower inhibitory control, had elevated levels of externalizing problems in adulthood relative to those with low heart rate reactivity and better inhibitory control. Such patterns persisted after controlling for externalizing problems earlier in life. The present results may aid in understanding the combinations of factors that contribute to the development of externalizing psychopathology in economically marginalized youth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly R Barry
- Learning, Research, and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jamie L Hanson
- Learning, Research, and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Destany Calma-Birling
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jennifer E Lansford
- Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - John E Bates
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Kenneth A Dodge
- Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
80
|
Chaku N, Barry K, Fowle J, Hoyt LT. Understanding patterns of heterogeneity in executive functioning during adolescence: Evidence from population-level data. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13256. [PMID: 35238432 PMCID: PMC9901488 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Executive functioning (EF) is fundamental to positive development. Yet, little is known about how to best characterize constellations of EF skills that may inform disparate associations between EF and behavior during adolescence. In the current study, cross-validated latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to derive profiles of EF based on measures of inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility using data from 11,672 youth (52.2% male, mean age = 9.91 years) in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study. Four meaningful EF profiles emerged from the data representing Average EF, High EF, Low Inhibitory Control, and Low EF. Boys, youth from low-income households, and early developing youth were more likely to be in profiles distinguished by lower EF. Profile membership also predicted differences in externalizing, internalizing, and other problem behaviors assessed one year later. Findings indicate that youth may have distinct constellations of EF skills, underscoring the need for person-centered approaches that focus on patterns of individual characteristics.
Collapse
|
81
|
Obradović J, Finch JE, Connolly C, Siyal S, Yousafzai AK. The unique relevance of executive functions and self-regulation behaviors for understanding early childhood experiences and preschoolers' outcomes in rural Pakistan. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13271. [PMID: 35561073 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Performance-based measures of children's executive functions (EFs) do not capture children's application of these skills during everyday emotionally-laden and socially-mediated interactions. The current study demonstrates the value of using assessor report of self-regulation behaviors (inhibitory control and positive affect/engagement) in addition to EF tasks when studying early childhood experiences and development in a rural lower-middle-income country setting. In a sample of 1302 disadvantaged 4-year-olds living in rural Pakistan, we found that directly assessed EFs were significantly related to assessor observations of children's inhibitory control and positive affect/engagement during a structured assessment protocol. However, EFs and two types of self-regulation behaviors demonstrated unique associations with children's (1) contextual experiences, as indexed by family socio-economic resources, participation in parenting interventions, and children's physical growth; and (2) age-salient developmental outcomes, as indexed by direct assessment of pre-academic skills and maternal report of prosocial behaviors and behavior problems. First, family wealth uniquely predicted only observed positive affect/engagement, whereas maternal education uniquely predicted only EFs. Second, children's antecedent linear growth was a significant predictor of both EFs and positive affect/engagement, but exposure to an enhanced nutrition intervention during the first 2 years of life and preschoolers' hair cortisol concentration were associated only with observed self-regulation behaviors. Finally, both EFs and observed positive affect/engagement uniquely predicted children's pre-academic skills. In contrast, only assessors' ratings of positive affect/engagement uniquely predicted maternal report of prosocial behaviors and only assessors' ratings of inhibitory control uniquely predicted maternal report of behavioral problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Obradović
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Jenna E Finch
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Catie Connolly
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Saima Siyal
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.,DREAM Community Development and Research Organization, Naushahero Feroze, Pakistan
| | - Aisha K Yousafzai
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
82
|
Vrantsidis DM, Wakschlag LS, Espy KA, Wiebe SA. Differential associations of maternal behavior to preschool boys' and girls' executive function. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 83:101468. [PMID: 37220613 PMCID: PMC10201980 DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2022.101468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Boys are more sensitive to environmental factors like parental behavior, an important predictor of executive function. This study examined whether the interaction between child sex and maternal behavior was associated with children's executive function in a manner consistent with the vulnerability or differential susceptibility model. Participants were 146 36-month-old children and their mothers. Maternal responsiveness and negative reactivity were coded during structured mother-child interactions. Executive function was operationalized as latent self-control and working memory/inhibitory control (WMIC). Structural equation modelling supported a sex by responsiveness interaction for self-control but not WMIC. Consistent with a vulnerability model, less responsiveness was associated with poorer self-control for boys relative to girls. Boys' self-control may be more vulnerable to the negative effect of unresponsive maternal behavior helping explain boys increased risk for externalizing behavior problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daphne M. Vrantsidis
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Children’s Drive, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Lauren S. Wakschlag
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine and Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, 633 N. St. Clair Street, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Kimberly Andrews Espy
- Departments of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Sandra A. Wiebe
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave., Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
83
|
Linking early maternal input during shared reading to later theory of mind through receptive language and executive function: A within- and between-family design. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 223:105469. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
84
|
Zonneveld AK, Serpell Z, Parr T, Ellefson MR. Executive function measurement in urban schools: Exploring links between performance-based metrics and teacher ratings. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13319. [PMID: 36106899 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
When compared to research centered on the executive function development of white, middle-class children, relatively little is known about their non-white, low socioeconomic status peers. In an effort to harmonize how executive functions are measured within under-represented contexts, the present study addresses gaps in the evaluation of everyday executive functioning to better understand whether behavior rating scales completed by teachers (BASC2EF - BASC executive function scale, 2nd edition; BASC3EF - BASC executive function scale, 3rd edition) capture distinctions between performance-based measures. This study includes two large samples of older, ethnic minority children from high-poverty backgrounds (Sample 1. N = 243; Mage = 9.28 years, SDage = 0.80; nfemale = 125; nAfricanAmerican = 216, nLatinAmerican = 15, nAsianAmerican = 6; Sample 2. N = 229; Mage = 10.02 years, SDage = 1.01; nfemale = 120; nAfricanAmerican = 132, nLatinAmerican = 92, nWhite = 3, nPacificIslander = 1). Based on structural equation models testing the links between computerized performance-based measures and the teacher rating scales, the results indicate that BASC2EF in its original form might be a good fit for some populations but there is not a strong factor structure for the current high-poverty samples. In addition, post-hoc analyses suggest that only including BASC2EF items also in BASC3EF or using BASC3EF is best practice for high-poverty populations. BASC3EF seems better able to capture different components of performance-driven tasks, whereas BASC2EF captures overall executive functioning better than individual tasks. These findings encourage continued questioning surrounding metrics used to assess everyday executive functions in older children from diverse backgrounds. HIGHLIGHTS: This study explores whether teacher ratings of children's everyday executive functioning (using standardized behavior rating scales) capture distinctions between performance-based measures. Results indicate that BASC2EF teacher rating scale (Karr & Garcia-Barrera, 2017) is not a good representation of everyday executive function behaviors by children from schools in high-poverty communities. The findings suggest that restricting BASC2EF analyses to only items included in BASC3EF (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2015) or using BASC3EF for high-poverty populations. BASC3EF seems better able to capture the different components of performance-driven tasks, whereas BASC2EF captures overall executive functioning better than individual tasks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Zewelanji Serpell
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Teresa Parr
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
85
|
Li M, Lindenmuth M, Tarnai K, Lee J, King-Casas B, Kim-Spoon J, Deater-Deckard K. Development of cognitive control during adolescence: The integrative effects of family socioeconomic status and parenting behaviors. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 57:101139. [PMID: 35905528 PMCID: PMC9335383 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control is of great interest to researchers and practitioners. The concurrent association between family socioeconomic status (SES) and adolescent cognitive control is well-documented. However, little is known about whether and how SES relates to individual differences in the development of adolescent cognitive control. The current four-year longitudinal investigation (N = 167, 13-14 years at Wave 1) used multi-source interference task performance (reaction time in interference correct trials minus neutral correct trials) and corresponding neural activities (blood oxygen level dependent contrast of interference versus neutral conditions) as measures of cognitive control. SES and parenting behaviors (warmth, monitoring) were measured through surveys. We examined direct and indirect effects of earlier SES on the development of cognitive control via parenting behaviors; the moderating effect of parenting also was explored. Results of latent growth modeling (LGM) revealed significant interactive effects between SES and parenting predicting behavioral and neural measures of cognitive control. Lower family SES was associated with poorer cognitive performance when coupled with low parental warmth. In contrast, higher family SES was associated with greater improvement in performance, as well as a higher intercept and steeper decrease in frontoparietal activation over time, when coupled with high parental monitoring. These findings extend prior cross-sectional evidence to show the moderating effect of the parenting environment on the potential effects of SES on developmental changes in adolescent cognitive control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengjiao Li
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | | | - Kathryn Tarnai
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jacob Lee
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Brooks King-Casas
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | | | - Kirby Deater-Deckard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
86
|
Executive functions as self-reported on the BRIEF scales in adolescents and adults with and without a history of institutionalized rearing in Russia. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2022.101261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
87
|
Fan L, Qing W, Wang Y, Zhan M. Family Socioeconomic Status and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Preschool Children: The Mediating Role of Executive Function. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11608. [PMID: 36141880 PMCID: PMC9517435 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the relationship between family socioeconomic status (SES) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in preschool children and the mediating role of executive function (EF). A total of 361 parents of preschool children were surveyed using the self-reported Family Situation Questionnaire, the Child Executive Functioning Inventory, and the Child Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results revealed that (1) there were significant pairwise correlations between SES, EF and its dimensions, and ADHD, except for a non-significant correlation between SES and regulation ability; (2) after controlling for preschool children's age and sex, SES directly predicted preschoolers' ADHD and EF partially mediated the association between SES and ADHD; and (3) among the EF dimensions, working memory and inhibitory ability significantly mediated the association between SES and ADHD, whereas the mediating effect of regulatory ability was not significant. These results suggest that SES can affect the ADHD of preschoolers both directly and through EF, especially through working memory and inhibitory ability. This supports the family stress model and family investment model of the relationship between SES and the development of children to some extent, and provides a reference for the early prevention of ADHD in children with low SES.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liheng Fan
- Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
- Department of Education, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Wenjing Qing
- Department of Education, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Yinling Wang
- Department of Education, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Meichen Zhan
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan 467000, China
| |
Collapse
|
88
|
Toor HK, Hanif R. Executive Function Touch battery: Translation and preliminary measure validation for Pakistani preschoolers. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274431. [PMID: 36107940 PMCID: PMC9477268 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Keeping in mind the importance of measuring early executive function (EF) skills in low and middle-income countries, the present study examined the feasibility and preliminary psychometric properties of a performance-based computerized EF measure; EF Touch, to be used with Pakistani preschoolers. Review of the content and Urdu translation of verbal instruction EF Touch battery was carried out by subject matter experts before data collection from the 120 preschoolers aged between 3.1 to 5.9 years. The feasibility report indicated that between 79.2% -100% of the preschoolers completed each executive function task. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed the unidimensionality of the EF battery. Item response theory models were used for the initial assessment of tasks and item parameters. Results demonstrated that each task worked invariantly across subgroups of preschoolers residing in low and middle-income households. Moreover, preschoolers showed differences on each task, and task scores reflect their latent EF skills in the low to moderate range. The battery was demonstrated as a feasible and reliable measure for use with low and middle-income countries specifically in Pakistan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hafsa Khalil Toor
- Department of Psychology, Foundation University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Rubina Hanif
- National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
89
|
Ernst JR, Grenell A, Carlson SM. Associations between executive function and early math and literacy skills in preschool children. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH OPEN 2022; 3:100201. [PMID: 36578863 PMCID: PMC9794199 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedro.2022.100201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The current study directly compared the magnitude of associations between executive function (EF) and math versus literacy and investigated whether they differed by age within the preschool years. Participants were 92 typically developing, preschool children in the United States (M age=58.53 months; 47.8% Female; 58.7% White; 29.3% Non-White). Children completed a developmentally sensitive battery of direct EF assessments, math and literacy achievement tests, and IQ tests. Results showed an EF Composite was associated with math, but not literacy, after controlling for age, verbal and nonverbal IQ, and socioeconomic status. Extending prior work to a younger age, we examined whether the association between EF and academic achievement was moderated by age but found no significant interactions. These findings support the link between EF and math before kindergarten and indicate a similar magnitude of associations in younger and older preschoolers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine R. Ernst
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, 51 E River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Amanda Grenell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E 10th St, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
| | - Stephanie M. Carlson
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, 51 E River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| |
Collapse
|
90
|
Dietrichson J, Thomsen MK, Seerup JK, Strandby MW, Viinholt BCA, Bengtsen E. PROTOCOL: School-based language, math, and reading interventions for executive functions in children and adolescents: A systematic review. CAMPBELL SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS 2022; 18:e1262. [PMID: 36909886 PMCID: PMC9275554 DOI: 10.1002/cl2.1262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This is the protocol for a Campbell systematic review. Our primary objective for this systematic review is to examine if preschool and school-based interventions aimed at improving language, literacy, and/or mathematical skills increase children's and adolescents' executive functions. As a secondary objective, we will examine how the effects of language, literacy, and mathematics interventions on executive functions are moderated by the subject of the intervention, child age or grade, the type of EF measured, and the at-risk status of participants. We will also explore how the effects are moderated by other study characteristics, and estimate the effects of the included interventions on language, literacy, and mathematical skills.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jens Dietrichson
- VIVE—The Danish Center for Social Science ResearchCopenhagenDenmark
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
91
|
Bachman HJ, Miller P, Elliott L, Duong S, Libertus M, Votruba-Drzal E. Associations among socioeconomic status and preschool-aged children's, number skills, and spatial skills: The role of executive function. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 221:105453. [PMID: 35605526 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Extensive literature has documented socioeconomic status (SES) disparities in young children's standardized math achievement, which primarily reflect differences in basic number and arithmetic skills. In addition, growing evidence indicates that direct assessments of executive function (EF) both predict standardized math achievement and mediate SES differences in standardized math tests. However, early spatial skills and children's approximate number system (ANS) acuity, critical components of later math competence, have been largely absent in this past research. The current study examined SES associations with multiple direct assessments of early ANS, cardinality, and spatial skills, as well as standardized math achievement, in a socioeconomically diverse sample of 4-year-old children (N = 149). Structural equation modeling revealed SES effect sizes of .21 for geometric sensitivity skills, .23 for ANS acuity, .39 for cardinality skills, and .28 for standardized math achievement. Furthermore, relations between SES and children's spatial skills, ANS acuity, cardinality, and standardized math skills were mediated by a composite measure of children's EF skills. Implications of pervasive SES disparities across multiple domains of early math development, as well as the mitigating role of EF, are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather J Bachman
- Department of Health and Human Development, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
| | - Portia Miller
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Leanne Elliott
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Shirley Duong
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Melissa Libertus
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Elizabeth Votruba-Drzal
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| |
Collapse
|
92
|
Romeo RR, Flournoy JC, McLaughlin KA, Lengua LJ. Language development as a mechanism linking socioeconomic status to executive functioning development in preschool. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13227. [PMID: 34981872 PMCID: PMC9250946 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is related to disparities in the development of both language and executive functioning (EF) skills. Emerging evidence suggests that language development may precede and provide necessary scaffolding for EF development in early childhood. The present preregistered study investigates how these skills co-develop longitudinally in early childhood and whether language development explains the relationship between SES and EF development. A socioeconomically diverse sample of 305 children completed repeated assessments of language (sentence comprehension) and EF (cognitive flexibility, behavioral inhibition, and cognitive inhibition) at four waves spaced 9 months apart from ages 3 to 5 years. Bivariate latent curve models with structured residuals were estimated to disaggregate between-person and within-person components of stability and change. Results revealed bidirectional relationships between language and EF across all waves. However, at 3 years, language comprehension more strongly predicted EF than the reverse; yet by 5 years, the bidirectional effects across domains did not significantly differ. Children from higher-SES backgrounds exhibited higher initial language and EF skills than children from lower-SES families, though SES was not associated with either rate of growth. Finally, early language-mediated the association between SES and early EF skills, and this model outperformed a reverse direction mediation. Together, results suggest that EF development is driven by early language development, and that SES disparities in EF are explained, at least in part, by early differences in language comprehension. These findings have implications for early interventions to support children's language skills as a potential pathway to improving early EF development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel R Romeo
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - John C Flournoy
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Katie A McLaughlin
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Liliana J Lengua
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| |
Collapse
|
93
|
Gillespie ML, Rao U. Relationships between Depression and Executive Functioning in Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Unpredictable Home Environment. JOURNAL OF CHILD AND FAMILY STUDIES 2022; 31:2518-2534. [PMID: 36504694 PMCID: PMC9733726 DOI: 10.1007/s10826-022-02296-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Although researchers have explored the link between depression and executive functioning (EF), the influence of early-life environmental and relational instability on this association has not been comprehensively assessed in adolescents. This cross-sectional study examined whether unpredictability of home environment in childhood moderated the relationship between depression and EF in adolescents. Participants were 138 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years (72% female; 47.8% White; 47.1% Hispanic). Diagnostic status (major depression versus healthy control) and depression severity were assessed using psycho-diagnostic interviews and self-reports from parents and adolescents. Participants also completed the Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC). EF was assessed using self-report (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition; BRIEF2) and a battery of performance-based measures. Results showed that QUIC scores moderated the relationship between depression and BRIEF2 scores, such that high unpredictability was associated with poorer EF for adolescents exhibiting low depression severity. Participants with the highest levels of depression exhibited the poorest EF ratings, regardless of childhood unpredictability. Unpredictability was moderately associated with performance-based measures, but did not interact with depressive symptoms to predict complex performance-based EF. Recommendations include assessing for unpredictable childhood environment and acknowledging this risk factor for poor EF in youth with sub-threshold depression. Treatment implications are discussed with respect to family systems/parenting interventions, as mildly depressed adolescents growing up in unstable homes may be vulnerable to EF difficulties. Further, this study adds to the EF measurement literature by examining associations between self-report and performance-based EF instruments in a diverse sample of adolescents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie L Gillespie
- Biobehavioral Research on Adolescent Development (BRoAD) Lab, Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, 5251 California Ave., Suite 240, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Uma Rao
- Biobehavioral Research on Adolescent Development (BRoAD) Lab, Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, 5251 California Ave., Suite 240, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, 505 S. Main St., Suite 525, Orange, CA 92868, USA
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, 309 Qureshey Research Lab Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Children's Hospital of Orange County, 1201 W La Veta Ave, Orange, CA 92868, USA
| |
Collapse
|
94
|
Schulte K, Blakeslee SB, Kandil FI, Stock-Schröer B, Seifert G. The Effect of Cold-Water Hydrotherapy According to Sebastian Kneipp for Immune Stimulation: A Nonrandomized, Controlled, Explorative, Mixed-Methods Clinical Study. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE 2022; 28:749-756. [PMID: 35649190 DOI: 10.1089/jicm.2022.0476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Highlights Home-based hydrotherapy leads to fewer missed kindergarten-days in total. In the application group, more fever days could be registered. Hydrotherapy, according to the hormesis principle by Sebastian Kneipp, aims to reduce infections of the lower respiratory tract. Parents participation motivated by increase in applicable health knowledge for their children. Objectives: This study investigates the effect of cold-water hydrotherapy stimulation according to the hormesis principle by Sebastian Kneipp on the number of missing kindergarten-days, fever days, and respiratory tract infections in children aged 3-6 years. Study design: A nonrandomized, controlled, explorative, mixed-methods clinical study. Intervention: The hydrotherapeutic intervention treated children aged 3-6 years with Kneipp arm affusions over 6 weeks. The control group received no intervention. Number of missed kindergarten-days, fever days, and respiratory tract infections were assessed by means of a digital diary. Through a self-developed structured questionnaire, sociodemographic data of both groups were compared and reason for participation in the study was recorded and qualitatively evaluated. Results: Twenty children participants and their parents in the intervention group and 18 in the control group were evaluated. The intervention was conducted at home by the parents. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences between the groups but still showed intermediate effect sizes (indicating an underpowered study). These effect sizes point to a potentially lower proportion of children in the application group versus the control group with missed kindergarten-days in total (d = 0.67), days missed due to fever (d = 0.29), and infections of the lower respiratory tract (d = 0.60). In a future study, these parameters will thus serve as promising factors for evaluation. Parent's stated reasons for participation interest were to improve health, increase their own health knowledge, and because of their interest in alternative therapies and to support research. Conclusions: Cold-water hydrotherapy stimulation, according to the hormesis principle by Sebastian Kneipp, did reduce the number of days absent in kindergarten in total in the intervention group and lower respiratory tract infections occurred less frequently. Parent' participation interest demonstrated a desire to increase health literacy and implement this with their own children. Due to the small sample size, the results should be interpreted cautiously. Clinical Trial Registration Number: German Register of Clinical Trials (DRKS): ID 00017562.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Klaudia Schulte
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Otto-Heubner Centre for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (OHC), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah B Blakeslee
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Otto-Heubner Centre for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (OHC), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Farid I Kandil
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Otto-Heubner Centre for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (OHC), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Beate Stock-Schröer
- Department of Human Medicine and Integrated Accompanying Studies in Anthroposophic Medicine (IBAM), University of Witten/Herdecke Faculty of Health, Herdecke, Germany
| | - Georg Seifert
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Otto-Heubner Centre for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (OHC), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, University of São Paulo Faculty of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
95
|
Dutra NB, Chen L, Anum A, Burger O, Davis HE, Dzokoto VA, Fong FTK, Ghelardi S, Mendez K, Messer EJE, Newhouse M, Nielsen MG, Ramos K, Rawlings B, dos Santos RAC, Silveira LGS, Tucker-Drob EM, Legare CH. Examining relations between performance on non-verbal executive function and verbal self-regulation tasks in demographically-diverse populations. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13228. [PMID: 35025126 PMCID: PMC10782846 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Self-regulation is a widely studied construct, generally assumed to be cognitively supported by executive functions (EFs). There is a lack of clarity and consensus over the roles of specific components of EFs in self-regulation. The current study examines the relations between performance on (a) a self-regulation task (Heads, Toes, Knees Shoulders Task) and (b) two EF tasks (Knox Cube and Beads Tasks) that measure different components of updating: working memory and short-term memory, respectively. We compared 107 8- to 13-year-old children (64 females) across demographically-diverse populations in four low and middle-income countries, including: Tanna, Vanuatu; Keningau, Malaysia; Saltpond, Ghana; and Natal, Brazil. The communities we studied vary in market integration/urbanicity as well as level of access, structure, and quality of schooling. We found that performance on the visuospatial working memory task (Knox Cube) and the visuospatial short-term memory task (Beads) are each independently associated with performance on the self-regulation task, even when controlling for schooling and location effects. These effects were robust across demographically-diverse populations of children in low-and middle-income countries. We conclude that this study found evidence supporting visuospatial working memory and visuospatial short-term memory as distinct cognitive processes which each support the development of self-regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natália B. Dutra
- Laboratório de Evolução do Comportamento Humano, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
- Núcleo de Teoria e Pesquisa do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Lydia Chen
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Adote Anum
- Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Oskar Burger
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Helen E. Davis
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vivian A. Dzokoto
- Department of African American Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Frankie T. K. Fong
- Early Cognitive Development Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sabrina Ghelardi
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Kimberly Mendez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Emily J. E. Messer
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Morgan Newhouse
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Mark G. Nielsen
- Early Cognitive Development Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Faculty of Humanities, The University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Karlos Ramos
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Bruce Rawlings
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Renan A. C. dos Santos
- Laboratório de Evolução do Comportamento Humano, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Lara G. S. Silveira
- Laboratório de Evolução do Comportamento Humano, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Cristine H. Legare
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
96
|
Huang R, Baker ER, Battista C, Liu Q. Executive Function and Theory of Mind in Children Living in Poverty: A Short-term Longitudinal Study. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2022.2110873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rong Huang
- University at Albany, State University of New York, New York, New York, United States
| | - Erin Ruth Baker
- University at Albany, State University of New York, New York, New York, United States
| | - Carmela Battista
- University at Albany, State University of New York, New York, New York, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
97
|
Childhood poverty and psychological well-being: The mediating role of cumulative risk exposure. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:911-921. [PMID: 33526153 PMCID: PMC8326302 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The current study assessed whether the proportion of childhood (age 0-9 years) in poverty altered the developmental trajectories (ages 9-24) of multimethodological indicators of psychological well-being. In addition, we tested whether exposure to cumulative risk over time mediated the association between poverty exposure and psychological well-being. Measures of psychological well-being included internalizing and externalizing symptoms, a behavioral index of learned helplessness (task persistence), and chronic physiological stress (allostatic load). Exposure to poverty during childhood predicted the trajectory of each development outcome: individuals with more poverty exposure during childhood showed (a) relatively high levels of internalizing symptoms that diminished more slowly with maturation, (b) relatively high levels of externalizing symptoms that increased faster over time, (c) less task persistence indicative of greater learned helplessness, and (d) higher levels of chronic physiological stress which increased faster over time relative to persons with less childhood poverty exposure. Trajectories of cumulative risk exposure from physical and psychosocial surroundings from 9-24 years accounted for the association between childhood poverty and the growth curves of internalizing and externalizing symptoms but not for learned helplessness or chronic physiological stress. Additional sensitivity analyses indicate that early childhood disadvantage is particularly problematic for each outcome, except for internalizing symptoms which seem sensitive to the combination of early and lifetime poverty exposure. We also explored whether domains of cumulative risk as well as two alternatives, maternal sensitivity or family cohesion, functioned as mediators. Little evidence emerged for any of these alternative mediating constructs.
Collapse
|
98
|
Pham C, Bekkering S, O'Hely M, Burgner D, Thomson S, Vuillermin P, Collier F, Marx W, Mansell T, Symeonides C, Sly PD, Tang MLK, Saffery R, Ponsonby AL. Infant inflammation predicts childhood emotional and behavioral problems and partially mediates socioeconomic disadvantage. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 104:83-94. [PMID: 35618227 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotional and behavioral problems (EBP) are common in children. Environmental factors like socioeconomic disadvantage influence EBP pathogenesis and can trigger inflammation. However, the link between early inflammation-EBP in children is unclear. We investigated the associations between i) infant inflammatory biomarkers and subsequent EBP and ii) early life environmental factors and EBP and assessed whether infant inflammation mediated these associations. METHODS Inflammatory biomarkers glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were quantified at birth and 12 months in a population-derived birth cohort, the Barwon Infant Study. Early life factors including demographic, prenatal, and perinatal factors were collected from antenatal to the two-year period. Internalizing and externalizing problems at age two were measured by the Child Behavior Checklist. Prospective associations were examined by multivariable regression analyses adjusted for potential confounders. Indirect effects of early life factors on EBP through inflammation were identified using mediation analyses. RESULTS Elevated GlycA levels at birth (GlycAbirth) were associated with greater internalizing problems at age two (β = 1.32 per SD increase in GlycA; P = 0.001). Inflammation at birth had a stronger magnitude of effect with later EBP than at 12 months. GlycAbirth partially mediated the associations between lower household income (6%), multiparity (12%) and greater number of older siblings (13%) and EBP. Patterns were less evident for hsCRP or externalizing problems. CONCLUSIONS GlycAbirth was positively associated with EBP at age two and partially mediated the association between several indicators of socioeconomic disadvantage and EBP. Prenatal and perinatal inflammation may be relevant to early neurodevelopment and emotional health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Pham
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Siroon Bekkering
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, GA 6625, the Netherlands
| | - Martin O'Hely
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | - David Burgner
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Sarah Thomson
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Peter Vuillermin
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia; Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | - Fiona Collier
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia; Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | - Wolfgang Marx
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | - Toby Mansell
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Christos Symeonides
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Peter D Sly
- Child Health Research Centre, University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia
| | - Mimi L K Tang
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Richard Saffery
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Anne-Louise Ponsonby
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
99
|
Merz EC, Strack J, Hurtado H, Vainik U, Thomas M, Evans A, Khundrakpam B. Educational attainment polygenic scores, socioeconomic factors, and cortical structure in children and adolescents. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4886-4900. [PMID: 35894163 PMCID: PMC9582364 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome‐wide polygenic scores for educational attainment (PGS‐EA) and socioeconomic factors, which are correlated with each other, have been consistently associated with academic achievement and general cognitive ability in children and adolescents. Yet, the independent associations of PGS‐EA and socioeconomic factors with specific underlying factors at the neural and neurocognitive levels are not well understood. The main goals of this study were to examine the unique contributions of PGS‐EA and parental education to cortical structure and neurocognitive skills in children and adolescents, and the associations among PGS‐EA, cortical structure, and neurocognitive skills. Participants were typically developing 3‐ to 21‐year‐olds (53% male; N = 391). High‐resolution, T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired, and cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA) were measured. PGS‐EA were computed based on the EA3 genome‐wide association study of educational attainment. Participants completed executive function, vocabulary, and episodic memory tasks. Higher PGS‐EA and parental education were independently and significantly associated with greater total SA and vocabulary. Higher PGS‐EA was significantly associated with greater SA in the left medial orbitofrontal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus, which was associated with higher executive function. Higher parental education was significantly associated with greater SA in the left parahippocampal gyrus after accounting for PGS‐EA and total brain volume. These findings suggest that education‐linked genetics may influence SA in frontal regions, leading to variability in executive function. Associations of parental education with cortical structure in children and adolescents remained significant after controlling for PGS‐EA, a source of genetic confounding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Merz
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Jordan Strack
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Hailee Hurtado
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Uku Vainik
- University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Michael Thomas
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Alan Evans
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
100
|
Structural Equation Modeling of Common Cognitive Abilities in Preschool-Aged Children Using WPPSI-IV and BRIEF-P. CHILDREN 2022; 9:children9071089. [PMID: 35884075 PMCID: PMC9323403 DOI: 10.3390/children9071089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Various studies have addressed the relationship between intelligence and executive functions (EF). There is widespread agreement that EF in preschool children is a unitary construct in which the subordinate factors of Updating, Inhibition, and Shifting are still undifferentiated and correlate moderately with a general factor of intelligence (g). The aim of this study is to investigate the common structural relationship between these two constructs using confirmatory factor analysis. Furthermore, we intend to close the gap of more daily life-associated executive functions and replicate findings in preschool-aged children. Data from a sample of N = 124 average developed children without severe impairments (aged 4 years 0 months–6 years 11 months) were analyzed using the data pool of the standardization and validation studies on the German Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence—Fourth Edition. Additionally, Executive functions were assessed using a standardized parent-completed questionnaire (BRIEF-P) on their children’s everyday behavior. A second-order factor solution revealed that a model with a loading of the common factor of general intelligence (g-factor) onto the EF factor fits the data best. To specify possible method effects due to different sources of measurements, a latent method factor was generated. The results indicate a heterogeneous method effect and a decreasing factor loading from g on to EF while controlling for the method factor.
Collapse
|