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Haft SL, Caballero JN, Tanaka H, Zekelman L, Cutting LE, Uchikoshi Y, Hoeft F. Direct and Indirect Contributions of Executive Function to Word Decoding and Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2019; 76:101783. [PMID: 32189956 PMCID: PMC7079702 DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2019.101783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Extant research is increasingly recognizing the contribution of executive function (EF) to reading comprehension alongside established predictors like word decoding and oral language. The nature of the association between EF and reading comprehension is commonly investigated in older children and in those with reading impairments. However, less is known about this relationship in emerging readers in kindergarten, where word decoding and reading comprehension are highly intertwined. Moreover, a better understanding of the mechanisms by which EF influences reading comprehension is needed. The present study investigated direct contributions of EF to reading comprehension, as well as indirect contributions via word decoding in 97 kindergarteners. Results indicated that there was a significant indirect effect of EF on reading comprehension, with word decoding mediating this association. The direct contribution of EF to reading comprehension was not significant. Implications for reading instruction and intervention for early readers are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L. Haft
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Ave., San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
| | - Jocelyn N. Caballero
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Ave., San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Hiroko Tanaka
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Leo Zekelman
- Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, 1350 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Laurie E. Cutting
- Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Pl, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, 465 21 Ave South, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St #900, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Yuuko Uchikoshi
- School of Education, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Fumiko Hoeft
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Ave., San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St #900, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC) & Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 850 Bolton Road, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi Shinjuku Tokyo, 160-8582 Japan
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202
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Denervaud S, Knebel JF, Hagmann P, Gentaz E. Beyond executive functions, creativity skills benefit academic outcomes: Insights from Montessori education. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225319. [PMID: 31751404 PMCID: PMC6874078 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have shown scholastic, creative, and social benefits of Montessori education, benefits that were hypothesized to result from better executive functioning on the part of those so educated. As these previous studies have not reported consistent outcomes supporting this idea, we therefore evaluated scholastic development in a cross-sectional study of kindergarten and elementary school-age students, with an emphasis on the three core executive measures of cognitive flexibility, working memory update, and selective attention (inhibition). Two hundred and one (201) children underwent a complete assessment: half of the participants were from Montessori settings, while the other half were controls from traditional schools. The results confirmed that Montessori participants outperformed peers from traditional schools both in academic outcomes and in creativity skills across age groups and in self-reported well-being at school at kindergarten age. No differences were found in global executive functions, except working memory. Moreover, a multiple mediations model revealed a significant impact of creative skills on academic outcomes influenced by the school experience. These results shed light on the possibly overestimated contribution of executive functions as the main contributor to scholastic success of Montessori students and call for further investigation. Here, we propose that Montessori school-age children benefit instead from a more balanced development stemming from self-directed creative execution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solange Denervaud
- The Center for Affective Sciences (CISA), Campus Biotech, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences (FAPSE), University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- The Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology (The LINE), Department of Radiology and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne (CHUV-UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Connectomics Lab, Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne (CHUV-UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Jean-François Knebel
- The Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology (The LINE), Department of Radiology and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne (CHUV-UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Patric Hagmann
- Connectomics Lab, Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne (CHUV-UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Edouard Gentaz
- The Center for Affective Sciences (CISA), Campus Biotech, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences (FAPSE), University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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203
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Daneri MP, Blair C, Kuhn LJ. Maternal Language and Child Vocabulary Mediate Relations Between Socioeconomic Status and Executive Function During Early Childhood. Child Dev 2019; 90:2001-2018. [PMID: 29707764 PMCID: PMC6207477 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This article examined longitudinal relations among socioeconomic risk, maternal language input, child vocabulary, and child executive function (EF) in a large sample (N = 1,009) recruited for a prospective longitudinal study. Two measures of maternal language input derived from a parent-child picture book task, vocabulary diversity (VOCD), and language complexity, showed variation by socioeconomic risk at child ages 15, 24, and 36 months. Maternal VOCD at child age 24 months and maternal language complexity at child age 36 months mediated the relation between socioeconomic risk and 48-month child EF, independent of parenting sensitivity. Moreover, 36-month child vocabulary mediated the relation between maternal language input and child EF. These findings provide novel evidence about mechanisms linking socioeconomic risk and child executive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Paula Daneri
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Clancy Blair
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Laura J. Kuhn
- FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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204
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van der Fels IMJ, Smith J, de Bruijn AGM, Bosker RJ, Königs M, Oosterlaan J, Visscher C, Hartman E. Relations between gross motor skills and executive functions, controlling for the role of information processing and lapses of attention in 8-10 year old children. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224219. [PMID: 31648263 PMCID: PMC6812776 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to systematically investigate the relation between gross motor skills and aspects of executive functioning (i.e. verbal working memory, visuospatial working memory, response inhibition and interference control) in 8-10 year old children. Additionally, the role of information processing (speed and variability) and lapses of attention in the relation between gross motor skills and executive functions was investigated. Data of 732 Dutch children from grade 3 and 4 were analyzed (50.0% boys, 50.4% grade 3, age = 9.16 ± 0.64 years). Gross motor skills were assessed using three items of the Körper Koordinationstest für Kinder and one item of the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition. Executive functions were assessed using the Wechsler Digit Span task (verbal working memory), the Visuospatial Memory task (visuospatial working memory), the Stop Signal task (response inhibition) and a modified version of the Flanker task (interference control). Information processing and lapses of attention were obtained by applying an ex-Gaussian analysis on go trials of the Stop Signal task. Multilevel regression analysis showed that gross motor skills were significantly related to verbal working memory, visuospatial working memory and response inhibition, but not to interference control. Lapses of attention was a significant predictor for all executive functions, whereas processing speed was not. Variability in processing speed was only predictive for visuospatial working memory. After controlling for information processing and lapses of attention, gross motor skills were only significantly related to visuospatial working memory and response inhibition. The results suggest that after controlling for information processing and lapses of attention, gross motor skills are related to aspects of executive functions that are most directly involved in, and share common underlying processes with, gross motor skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene M. J. van der Fels
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Joanne Smith
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anne G. M. de Bruijn
- University of Groningen, Groningen Institute for Educational Research, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Roel J. Bosker
- University of Groningen, Groningen Institute for Educational Research, Groningen, The Netherlands
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Department of Educational Sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marsh Königs
- Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Emma Neuroscience Group, Department of Pediatrics, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap Oosterlaan
- Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Emma Neuroscience Group, Department of Pediatrics, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Clinical Neuropsychology Section, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- VU University Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chris Visscher
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Esther Hartman
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands
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205
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Theodoraki TE, McGeown SP, Rhodes SM, MacPherson SE. Developmental changes in executive functions during adolescence: A study of inhibition, shifting, and working memory. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 38:74-89. [PMID: 31587347 DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The development of executive functions (EFs) has primarily been studied among younger children, despite research suggesting that particular aspects of EFs continue to develop throughout adolescence and into adulthood. This study investigated whether EFs continue to develop during the later stages of adolescence: three related, yet separable EF components - inhibition, shifting, and working memory - were examined in a cross-sectional sample of 347 adolescents (aged 14-18 years). After adjusting for covariates, age was found to be a significant predictor of pupils' performance on the inhibition but not the shifting or working memory tasks, suggesting different developmental trajectories for the three EF components. Controlling for non-executive processes implicated in performing the inhibition and working memory tasks had the most pronounced effect on the relationship between performance on those tasks and age. Finally, socioeconomic status was a significant predictor of performance on all tasks. Implications for research and practice are discussed. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Brain regions associated with EFs continue to mature throughout adolescence, implying ongoing development of EFs. Behavioural studies demonstrate that certain EFs have not yet reached their adult levels in early adolescence. What the present study adds Changes in inhibition, but not shifting or working memory task performance, are evident among older adolescents. Lower-order processes tapped by EF tasks act as confounds in the relationship between age and task performance. Socioeconomic status is a significant predictor of adolescents' performance on EF tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thalia E Theodoraki
- School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah P McGeown
- Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sinead M Rhodes
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah E MacPherson
- School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
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206
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St. John AM, Tarullo AR. Neighbourhood chaos moderates the association of socioeconomic status and child executive functioning. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M. St. John
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesBoston University Boston Massachusetts
| | - Amanda R. Tarullo
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesBoston University Boston Massachusetts
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207
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Gur RE, Moore TM, Rosen AFG, Barzilay R, Roalf DR, Calkins ME, Ruparel K, Scott JC, Almasy L, Satterthwaite TD, Shinohara RT, Gur RC. Burden of Environmental Adversity Associated With Psychopathology, Maturation, and Brain Behavior Parameters in Youths. JAMA Psychiatry 2019; 76:966-975. [PMID: 31141099 PMCID: PMC6547104 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Low socioeconomic status (L-SES) and the experience of traumatic stressful events (TSEs) are environmental factors implicated in behavioral deficits, abnormalities in brain development, and accelerated maturation. However, the relative contribution of these environmental factors is understudied. OBJECTIVE To compare the association of L-SES and TSEs with psychopathology, puberty, neurocognition, and multimodal neuroimaging parameters in brain maturation. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS The Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort is a community-based study examining psychopathology, neurocognition, and neuroimaging among participants recruited through the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia pediatric network. Participants are youths aged 8 to 21 years at enrollment with stable health and fluency in English. The sample of 9498 participants was racially (5298 European ancestry [55.8%], 3124 African ancestry [32.9%], and 1076 other [11.4%]) and economically diverse. A randomly selected subsample (n = 1601) underwent multimodal neuroimaging. Data were collected from November 5, 2009, through December 30, 2011, and analyzed from February 1 through November 7, 2018. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The following domains were examined: (1) clinical, including psychopathology, assessed with a structured interview based on the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children, and puberty, assessed with the Tanner scale; (2) neurocognition, assessed by the Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery; and (3) multimodal magnetic resonance imaging parameters of brain structure and function. RESULTS A total of 9498 participants were included in the analysis (4906 [51.7%] female; mean [SD] age, 14.2 [3.7] years). Clinically, L-SES and TSEs were associated with greater severity of psychiatric symptoms across the psychopathology domains of anxiety/depression, fear, externalizing behavior, and the psychosis spectrum. Low SES showed small effect sizes (highest for externalizing behavior, 0.306 SD; 95% CI, 0.269 to 0.342), whereas TSEs had large effect sizes, with the highest in females for anxiety/depression (1.228 SD; 95% CI, 1.156 to 1.300) and in males for the psychosis spectrum (1.099 SD; 95% CI, 1.032 to 1.166). Both were associated with early puberty. Cognitively, L-SES had moderate effect sizes on poorer performance, the greatest being on complex cognition (-0.500 SD 95% CI, -0.536 to -0.464), whereas TSEs were associated with slightly better memory (0.129 SD; 95% CI, 0.084 to 0.174) and poorer complex reasoning (-0.109 SD; 95% CI, -0.154 to -0.064). Environmental factors had common and distinct associations with brain structure and function. Structurally, both were associated with lower volume, but L-SES had correspondingly lower gray matter density, whereas TSEs were associated with higher gray matter density. Functionally, both were associated with lower regional cerebral blood flow and coherence and with accelerated brain maturation. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Low SES and TSEs are associated with common and unique differences in symptoms, neurocognition, and structural and functional brain parameters. Both environmental factors are associated with earlier completion of puberty by physical features and brain parameters. These findings appear to underscore the need for identifying and preventing adverse environmental conditions associated with neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel E. Gur
- Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,Lifespan Brain Institute, Penn Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Tyler M. Moore
- Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,Lifespan Brain Institute, Penn Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Adon F. G. Rosen
- Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,Lifespan Brain Institute, Penn Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ran Barzilay
- Lifespan Brain Institute, Penn Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - David R. Roalf
- Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,Lifespan Brain Institute, Penn Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Monica E. Calkins
- Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,Lifespan Brain Institute, Penn Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Kosha Ruparel
- Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,Lifespan Brain Institute, Penn Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - J. Cobb Scott
- Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Laura Almasy
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Genetics University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Theodore D. Satterthwaite
- Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,Lifespan Brain Institute, Penn Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Russell T. Shinohara
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Ruben C. Gur
- Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,Lifespan Brain Institute, Penn Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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208
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Nielsen NF, Gaulke A, Eriksen TM, Svensson J, Skipper N. Socioeconomic Inequality in Metabolic Control Among Children With Type 1 Diabetes: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study of 4,079 Danish Children. Diabetes Care 2019; 42:1398-1405. [PMID: 31123155 DOI: 10.2337/dc19-0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine inequality in glycemic control by maternal educational level among children with type 1 diabetes in a setting with universal access to health care. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This was a longitudinal nationwide study of 4,079 Danish children with type 1 diabetes between the years 2000 and 2013. Children were divided into four groups based on mothers' education prebirth (≤high school [n = 1,643], vocational or 2-year college [n = 1,548], bachelor's degree [n = 695], ≥master's degree [n = 193]). Means of socioeconomic and treatment characteristics were compared between groups. HbA1c and the number of daily glucose tests were compared repeatedly from onset until 5 years after onset across groups. HbA1c was compared across daily blood glucose testing frequency and groups. Linear regression was used to compare HbA1c across groups with and without adjustment for socioeconomic and treatment characteristics. RESULTS Large differences in HbA1c across maternal education were found. The mean level of HbA1c during follow-up was 59.7 mmol/mol (7.6%) for children of mothers with ≥master's degrees and 68.7 mmol/mol (8.4%) for children of mothers with ≤high school (difference: 9.0 mmol/mol [95% CI 7.5, 10.6]; 0.8% [95% CI 0.7, 1.0]). The associations were attenuated but remained significant after adjustment. Observable characteristics explained 41.2% of the difference in HbA1c between children of mothers with ≤high school and mothers with ≥master's degree; 22.5% of the difference was explained by more frequent blood glucose monitoring among the children with the highly educated mothers. CONCLUSIONS Family background is significantly related to outcomes for children with type 1 diabetes, even with universal access to health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick F Nielsen
- Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality, Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Amanda Gaulke
- Department of Economics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
| | - Tine M Eriksen
- VIVE - The Danish Center of Social Science Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jannet Svensson
- Pediatrics and Adolescent Department, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Niels Skipper
- Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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209
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Gago Galvagno LG, De Grandis MC, Clerici GD, Mustaca AE, Miller SE, Elgier AM. Regulation During the Second Year: Executive Function and Emotion Regulation Links to Joint Attention, Temperament, and Social Vulnerability in a Latin American Sample. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1473. [PMID: 31333535 PMCID: PMC6624823 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although a growing body of work has established developing regulatory abilities during the second year of life, more work is needed to better understand factors that influence this emerging control. The purpose of the present study was to examine regulation capacities in executive functions (i.e., EF or cognitive control) and emotion regulation (i.e., ER or control focused on modulating negative and sustaining positive emotions) in a Latin American sample, with a focus on how joint attention, social vulnerability, and temperament contribute to performance. Sixty Latin American dyads of mothers and children aged 18 to 24 months completed several EF tasks, a Still-Face Paradigm (SFP) to examine ER (Weinberg et al., 2008), and the Early Social Communication Scale to measure joint attention (Mundy et al., 2003). Parents completed the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire Very Short Form to measure temperament (ECBQ-VS, Putnam et al., 2010) and the Social Economic Level Scale (SES) from INDEC (2000). Results revealed the typical responses expected for toddlers of this age in these EF tasks and in the SFP. Also, we found associations between EF and ER and between non-verbal communication related to monitoring infants’ attention to objects (i.e., responding to joint attention) and initiation of pointing (e.g., pointing and showing of an object while the child alternates his gaze to an adult) with EF. Regarding social factors, family differences and type of housing contribute to regulation. For temperament, effortful control was associated with both regulatory capacities. Finally, only age predicted EF. These results suggest that many patterns regarding the development of these abilities are duplicated in the first months of life in a Latin American sample while further highlighting the importance of considering how the environment and the individual characteristics of infants may associate to these regulatory abilities, which is particularly relevant to developing public policies to promote their optimal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas G Gago Galvagno
- Facultad de Psicología y Relaciones Humanas, Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones en Psicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María C De Grandis
- Facultad de Psicología y Relaciones Humanas, Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gonzalo D Clerici
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Psicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alba E Mustaca
- Facultad de Psicología y Relaciones Humanas, Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Stephanie E Miller
- Department of Psychology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, United States
| | - Angel M Elgier
- Facultad de Psicología y Relaciones Humanas, Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones en Psicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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210
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St John AM, Finch K, Tarullo AR. Socioeconomic status and neural processing of a go/no-go task in preschoolers: An assessment of the P3b. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 38:100677. [PMID: 31255904 PMCID: PMC6969333 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Children aged 4.5–5.5 years completed a go/no-go task while recording EEG. P3b amplitudes were assessed, indexing inhibition and attention processes. Higher household income related to larger P3b amplitudes on go and no-go trials. Results show that SES has implications for children’s neural processing.
While it is well established that lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with poorer executive functioning (EF), how SES relates to the neural processing of EF in childhood remains largely unexplored. We examined how household income and parent education related to amplitudes of the P3b, an event-related potential component, during one EF task. We assessed the P3b, indexing inhibition and attention allocation processes, given the importance of these skills for academic success. Children aged 4.5–5.5 years completed a go/no-task, which assesses inhibitory control and attention, while recording EEG. The P3b was assessed for both go trials (indexing sustained attention) and no-go trials (indexing inhibition processes). Higher household income was related to larger P3b amplitudes on both go and no-go trials. This was a highly educated sample, thus results indicate that P3b amplitudes are sensitive to household income even within the context of high parental education. Findings build on the behavioral literature and demonstrate that SES also has implications for the neural mechanisms underlying inhibition and attention processing in early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M St John
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, United States.
| | - Kayla Finch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, United States.
| | - Amanda R Tarullo
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, United States.
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211
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Machlin L, Miller AB, Snyder J, McLaughlin KA, Sheridan MA. Differential Associations of Deprivation and Threat With Cognitive Control and Fear Conditioning in Early Childhood. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:80. [PMID: 31133828 PMCID: PMC6517554 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-life adversity (ELA) is strongly associated with risk for psychopathology. Within adversity, deprivation, and threat may lead to psychopathology through different intermediary pathways. Specifically, deprivation, defined as the absence of expected cognitive and social inputs, is associated with lower performance on complex cognitive tasks whereas threatening experiences, defined as the presence of experiences that reflect harm to the child, are associated with atypical fear learning and emotional processes. However, distinct associations of deprivation and threat on behavioral outcomes have not been examined in early childhood. The present study examines how deprivation and threat are associated with cognitive and emotional outcomes in early childhood. Children 4–7 years old completed behavioral tasks assessing cognitive control (N = 58) and fear conditioning (N = 45); deprivation and threat were assessed using child interview and parent questionnaires. Regression analyses were performed including deprivation and threat scores and controls for age, gender, and IQ. Because this is the first time these variables have been examined in early childhood, interactions with age were also examined. Deprivation, but not threat was associated with worse performance on the cognitive control task. Threat, but not deprivation interacted with age to predict fear learning. Young children who experienced high levels of threat showed evidence of fear learning measured by differential skin conductance response even at the earliest age measured. In contrast, for children not exposed to threat, fear learning emerged only in older ages. Children who experienced higher levels of threat also showed blunted reactivity measured by amplitude of skin conductance response to the reinforced stimuli regardless of age. Results suggest differential influences of deprivation and threat on cognitive and emotional outcomes even in early childhood. Future work should examine the neural mechanisms underlying these behavioral changes and link changes with increased risk for negative outcomes associated with adversity exposure, such as psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Machlin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Adam Bryant Miller
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jenna Snyder
- Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States
| | - Katie A McLaughlin
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Margaret A Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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212
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Frndak S, Barg G, Canfield RL, Quierolo EI, Mañay N, Kordas K. Latent subgroups of cognitive performance in lead- and manganese-exposed Uruguayan children: Examining behavioral signatures. Neurotoxicology 2019; 73:188-198. [PMID: 30978412 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2019] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) are confirmed neurotoxins but it is unclear to what extent low-level exposure produces a unique behavioral signature. The objective of this study was to investigate latent cognitive profiles among children (6-8 years) from Montevideo, Uruguay co-exposed to these metals. METHOD Among 345 children, blood Pb and hair Mn were measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy and ICP-MS, respectively. Sixteen measures, reflecting multiple domains of cognitive functioning were gathered: (1) three tests from Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB): Intra-Extra Dimensional Shift (IED), Spatial Span (SSP) and Stockings of Cambridge (SOC), (2) ten tasks from Woodcock-Muñoz Achievement Battery, Revised (WM): Visual-Motor Integration, Verbal Comprehension (Vocabulary, Synonyms, Antonyms, Analogies), Visual-Auditory Comprehension, Concept Formation, Visual Spatial Thinking, Number Inversion and Spatial Relations, (3) Bender Gestalt task, and (4) Weschler block design task. Scores were modeled using latent profile analysis (LPA). Association between blood Pb and hair Mn on performance profiles was assessed using ordinal regression, controlling for confounders. An interaction between Pb and Mn was tested. RESULTS Mean ± SD of blood Pb was 4.1 ± 2.1 μg/dL and 35% of children had blood Pb ≥ 5 μg/dL. Median [5%, 95%] hair Mn level was 0.8 [0.3, 4.1] ppb. Three latent cognitive performance profiles were identified: high (n = 46, 13%), average (n = 209, 61%) and low (n = 90, 26%). Each one-unit increase in blood Pb was associated with a 28% greater likelihood of belonging to a poorer-performing profile. The association was non-linear, with the effect of Pb on profile membership strongest at lower levels of exposure. There was no meaningful interaction between Pb and Mn. CONCLUSIONS A behavioral signature for low-level Pb & Mn exposure was not identified, but the likelihood of membership in low-performing profile was higher at lowest levels of blood Pb. There was no effect measure modification between Pb and Mn. Future research should address how complex environments created by chemical exposures and the social context relate to cognitive performance in young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth Frndak
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, USA.
| | - Gabriel Barg
- Department of Neurocognition, Catholic University of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Elena I Quierolo
- Center for Research, Catholic University of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Nelly Mañay
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Republic of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Katarzyna Kordas
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, USA
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213
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Poverty and self-regulation: Connecting psychosocial processes, neurobiology, and the risk for psychopathology. Compr Psychiatry 2019; 90:52-64. [PMID: 30711814 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2018.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In the United States, over 40% of youth under the age of 18 live at or near the federal poverty line. Several decades of research have established clear links between exposure to child poverty and the development of psychopathology, yet the mechanisms that convey this risk remain unclear. We review research in developmental science and other allied disciplines that identify self-regulation as a critical factor that may influence the development of psychopathology after exposure to poverty. We then connect this work with neurobiological research in an effort to further inform these associations. We propose a starting framework focused on the neural correlates of self-regulation, and discuss recent work relating poverty to alterations in brain regions related to self-regulation. We close this review by highlighting important considerations for future research on poverty/socioeconomic status, neurobiology, self-regulation, and the risks related to the development of negative mental health outcomes.
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214
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Thompson WK, Barch DM, Bjork JM, Gonzalez R, Nagel BJ, Nixon SJ, Luciana M. The structure of cognition in 9 and 10 year-old children and associations with problem behaviors: Findings from the ABCD study's baseline neurocognitive battery. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 36:100606. [PMID: 30595399 PMCID: PMC6676481 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study is poised to be the largest single-cohort long-term longitudinal study of neurodevelopment and child health in the United States. Baseline data on N= 4521 children aged 9-10 were released for public access on November 2, 2018. In this paper we performed principal component analyses of the neurocognitive assessments administered to the baseline sample. The neurocognitive battery included seven measures from the NIH Toolbox as well as five other tasks. We implemented a Bayesian Probabilistic Principal Components Analysis (BPPCA) model that incorporated nesting of subjects within families and within data collection sites. We extracted varimax-rotated component scores from a three-component model and associated these scores with parent-rated Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) internalizing, externalizing, and stress reactivity. We found evidence for three broad components that encompass general cognitive ability, executive function, and learning/memory. These were significantly associated with CBCL scores in a differential manner but with small effect sizes. These findings set the stage for longitudinal analysis of neurocognitive and psychopathological data from the ABCD cohort as they age into the period of maximal adolescent risk-taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley K Thompson
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Psychiatry and Radiology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
| | - James M Bjork
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, United States
| | - Raul Gonzalez
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States
| | - Bonnie J Nagel
- Departments of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Sara Jo Nixon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States
| | - Monica Luciana
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States.
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215
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Socioeconomic disparity in prefrontal development during early childhood. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2585. [PMID: 30796284 PMCID: PMC6385208 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39255-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic status (SES) has a powerful influence on cognitive, social and brain development. Children from low-SES backgrounds show poor executive function (EF). However, it is unclear if there is a SES-dependent disparity in functional brain development. The present study examined whether the SES of preschool children (N = 93) is associated with prefrontal activation during cognitive shifting tasks as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy. Low-SES children did not show activation in lateral prefrontal regions during the tasks, whereas middle- and high-SES children showed prefrontal activations, although no differences were found in terms of behavioural performance. These results suggest that SES can affect the functional development of the prefrontal regions. In this study, we discuss the practical implications of the results.
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216
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Is there a relationship between body mass index and academic achievement? A meta-analysis. Public Health 2019; 167:111-124. [DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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217
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Which Factors Influence Attentional Functions? Attention Assessed by KiTAP in 105 6-to-10-Year-Old Children. Behav Sci (Basel) 2019; 9:bs9010007. [PMID: 30626060 PMCID: PMC6359051 DOI: 10.3390/bs9010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
This research revealed the children with difficulties in attentional functions among healthy children attending primary school and aimed to identify the possible sociodemographic factors, such as the child’s age, gender, and school grade, that could influence attentive performance. The participants were 105 children aged 6–10 years (M age = 8.6; SD = 1.04), attending primary schools. Family economic condition was mostly at a medium level (63.5%), and parents most frequently had 13 years of schooling. The computerized test KiTAP was administered to children to assess their attentional functions. Results showed a higher frequency of omissions and false alarms and a reduced speed in alertness, go/no-go, and sustained attention tasks compared to Italian norms. Hierarchical regression analyses were run with school grade, gender, and current age as independent variables and mean reaction times (and standard deviation), number of omissions, and false alarms as dependent ones. The results showed that male gender and attending a lower grade impacted on lower attentional performance in several subtests. Girls showed the best performances in tests of distractibility and impulsive reaction tendencies, while higher school grade positively influenced divided and sustained attention. These results could be useful to identify children with major attentional difficulties, and some recommendations for future studies and the implementation of attention empowerment programmes are proposed.
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218
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Amso D, Salhi C, Badre D. The relationship between cognitive enrichment and cognitive control: A systematic investigation of environmental influences on development through socioeconomic status. Dev Psychobiol 2018; 61:159-178. [PMID: 30375651 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
We measured the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on cognitive processes. We examined cognitive control, specifically working memory (WM), in a sample of N = 141 7- to 17-year-olds using rule-guided behavior tasks. Our hypothesis is based on computational modeling data that suggest that the development of flexible cognitive control requires variable experiences in which to implement rule-guided action. We found that not all experiences that correlated with SES in our sample impacted task performance, and not all experiential variables that impacted performance were associated with SES. Of the experiential variables associated with task performance, only cognitive enrichment opportunities worked indirectly through SES to affect WM as tested with rule-guided behavior tasks. We discuss the data in the context of necessary precision in SES research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dima Amso
- Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
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219
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Stephens RL, Watson LR, Crais ER, Reznick JS. Infant quantitative risk for autism spectrum disorder predicts executive function in early childhood. Autism Res 2018; 11:1532-1541. [PMID: 30345650 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Much of the current research concerning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) focuses on early identification of behaviors that may indicate future deficits or higher risk for a later diagnosis. Additionally, there exists a strong claim regarding the dimensional nature of ASD, such that even among non-diagnosed individuals, a continuous distribution of symptom severity can be observed. Executive function (EF) has been widely studied in children, adolescents, and adults with ASD, with a robust body of research supporting widespread EF deficits in diagnosed individuals. However, it remains unclear how the degree of ASD symptomatology, outside of the presence of a diagnosis, affects EF abilities in a community sample. The First Year Inventory 2.0 (FYI 2.0), a parent-report measure, was designed to identify infants at 12 months who are at risk for an eventual ASD diagnosis. In the current study, a continuous scoring scale was used to examine risk (overall, Social-Communication, and Sensory-Regulatory) from a dimensional perspective. Parents also completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version and the Social Responsiveness Scale-2nd edition when their children were 42 months (3.5 years) old. Each FYI 2.0 risk variable significantly predicted scores on an overall EF composite and specific EF subscales. When controlling for general ASD symptomatology, Sensory-Regulatory risk still significantly predicted EF deficits. This research provides additional support for a quantitative consideration of risk for ASD and presents novel findings regarding the relation between infant behaviors indicative of ASD risk and EF in early childhood. Autism Research 2018, 11: 1532-1541. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulty with executive function (EF) tasks that require a set of mental processes involved in goal-directed behaviors. Studying children without ASD who may have symptoms affecting EF is also important. This study demonstrates that certain infant behaviors related to ASD are linked to early childhood EF difficulties. These results support looking at a range of ASD symptoms to better understand children who struggle with EF and potentially design tools to help them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Stephens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Linda R Watson
- Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Elizabeth R Crais
- Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - J Steven Reznick
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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220
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Merz EC, Wiltshire CA, Noble KG. Socioeconomic Inequality and the Developing Brain: Spotlight on Language and Executive Function. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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221
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Last BS, Lawson GM, Breiner K, Steinberg L, Farah MJ. Childhood socioeconomic status and executive function in childhood and beyond. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202964. [PMID: 30142188 PMCID: PMC6108482 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic status (SES) predicts health, wellbeing, and cognitive ability, including executive function (EF). A body of recent work has shown that childhood SES is positively related to EF, but it is not known whether this disparity grows, diminishes or holds steady over development, from childhood through adulthood. We examined the association between childhood SES and EF in a sample ranging from 9–25 years of age, with six canonical EF tasks. Analyzing all of the tasks together and in functionally defined groups, we found positive relations between SES and EF, and the relations did not vary by age. Analyzing the tasks separately, SES was positively associated with performance in some but not all EF measures, depending on the covariates used, again without varying by age. These results add to a growing body of evidence that childhood SES is associated with EF abilities, and contribute novel evidence concerning the persistence of this association into early adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana S. Last
- Department of Psychology, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Gwen M. Lawson
- Department of Psychology, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Kaitlyn Breiner
- Department of Psychology, The University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Laurence Steinberg
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Martha J. Farah
- Department of Psychology, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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222
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Fiedler S, Walter F, Petermann F, Daseking M. Zum Zusammenhang von Verhaltensauffälligkeiten in exekutiven Funktionen und Intelligenzleistungen in der WPPSI-IV. KINDHEIT UND ENTWICKLUNG 2018. [DOI: 10.1026/0942-5403/a000255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Zusammenfassung. Der BRIEF-P basiert auf alltagsnahen kindlichen Verhaltensweisen im Bereich der exekutiven Funktionen, die durch Bezugspersonen beurteilt werden. Allgemein gilt dieses Verfahren als ökonomisch einsetzbares und ökologisch valides Instrument. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde untersucht, ob und welcher Zusammenhang zwischen exekutiven Funktionen (EF) und Intelligenz im Kindergartenalter besteht. Für eine Stichprobe von N = 169 Kindern im Alter von 2;6 bis 6;11 Jahren wurden Daten aus einem Elternfragebogen zum familiären Hintergrund, zu den EF des Kindes (BRIEF-P) und aus der Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence – Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV) analysiert. Es wurden Häufigkeitsanalysen zu den Defiziten in den EF, Korrelationen und Regressionsanalysen berechnet. Sowohl die primäre Skala Arbeitsgedächtnis (Updating) als auch der Gesamtwert EF des BRIEF-P tragen zur Vorhersage der Intelligenz (Gesamt-IQ) bei. Die Skala Inhibition und der Gesamtwert EF des BRIEF-P korrelieren signifikant mit drei der fünf primären und allen vier sekundären Indizes der WPPSI-IV. Aus der Perspektive der WPPSI-IV-Indizes sticht der Index Fluides Schlussfolgern hervor, mit dem fast alle erfassten EF-Bereiche des BRIEF-P korrelieren. Die Indizes der WPPSI-IV werden hinsichtlich ihrer Nähe zur fluiden Intelligenz diskutiert. Die EF spielen bereits im Vorschulalter eine wichtige Rolle für die kognitiven Leistungen. Die Ergebnisse werden im Zusammenhang von Sprachauffälligkeiten und ADHS betrachtet. Förder- und Interventionsprogramme sollten bereits in einem frühen Alter etabliert werden, um die Voraussetzungen für schulisches Lernen zu verbessern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sören Fiedler
- Helmut-Schmidt-Universität/Universität der Bundeswehr, Hamburg
| | - Franziska Walter
- Zentrum für Klinische Psychologie und Rehabilitation, Universität Bremen
| | - Franz Petermann
- Zentrum für Klinische Psychologie und Rehabilitation, Universität Bremen
| | - Monika Daseking
- Helmut-Schmidt-Universität/Universität der Bundeswehr, Hamburg
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223
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Bervoets J, Jonkman LM, Mulkens S, de Vries H, Kok G. Enhancing Executive Functions Among Dutch Elementary School Children Using the Train Your Mind Program: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Trial. JMIR Res Protoc 2018; 7:e144. [PMID: 29880469 PMCID: PMC6013713 DOI: 10.2196/resprot.7908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Executive functions are higher cognitive control functions, which are essential to physical and psychological well-being, academic performance, and healthy social relationships. Executive functions can be trained, albeit without broad transfer, to this date. Broad transfer entails the translation of improved cognitive functions to daily life (behaviors). The intervention Train your Mind was designed to train executive functions among elementary school children aged 9 to 11 years, and obtain broad transfer in terms of enhanced physical activity, healthy eating, and socioemotional regulation. Objective This paper aims to describe the cluster randomized trial to test the effectiveness of the Train your Mind intervention. Methods Train your Mind was integrated into the existing school curriculum for 8 months (25 weeks excluding holidays). The effectiveness of the intervention was tested in a cluster randomized trial comprising 13 schools, 34 groups (school classes), and 800 children, using a battery of 6 computer tasks at pre- and postmeasurement. Each of the 3 core executive functions was measured by 2 tasks (Flanker and Go/No-Go; N-Back and Running Span; Attention Switching Task and Dots/Triangles). Moreover, we administered questionnaires that measure emotion-regulation, cognitive errors, physical activity, dietary habits, and the psycho-social determinants of diet and physical activity. Body mass index was also measured. Multilevel analyses will account for clustering at the school and group levels, and randomization took place at the school level. Results Results are currently being analyzed. Conclusions The main purpose of this study is to test Train your Mind’s effectiveness in enhancing executive functions. Second, we investigate whether increased executive functions lead to improved physical activity and healthy eating. If found effective, executive function training could easily be integrated into school curricula everywhere, and as such, boost health, academic performance, and emotion-regulation of elementary school children, in a cost-effective manner. Trial Registration Netherlands Trial Register NTR5804; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=5804 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6z9twosJ8) Registered Report Identifier RR1-10.2196/7908
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Bervoets
- Department of Work & Social Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Lisa M Jonkman
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Sandra Mulkens
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Hein de Vries
- Department of Health Promotion and Education, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Gerjo Kok
- Department of Work & Social Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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224
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van Tetering MAJ, de Groot RHM, Jolles J. Teacher-Evaluated Self-Regulation Is Related to School Achievement and Influenced by Parental Education in Schoolchildren Aged 8-12: A Case-Control Study. Front Psychol 2018; 9:438. [PMID: 29670557 PMCID: PMC5893787 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There are major inter-individual differences in the school achievements of students aged 8-12. The determinants of these differences are not known. This paper investigates two possible factors: the self-regulation of the student and the educational levels obtained by their parents. The study first investigates whether children with high and low academic achievement differ in their self-regulation. It then evaluates whether there are differences in the self-regulation of children with high and moderate-to-low level of parental education (LPE). The focus was on the self-regulation of students as judged by their teacher. Teacher evaluations were assessed using an observer questionnaire: the Amsterdam Executive Functioning Inventory. Results showed that students with low school achievement had substantially lower teacher-perceived self-regulation than children with high school achievement. Furthermore, teacher-perceived self-regulation was lower for children with moderate-to-low LPE than for children with high LPE. The findings suggest that interventions on the domain of self-regulation skills should be developed and used, particularly in students at risk of poor school achievement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marleen A J van Tetering
- Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Centre for Brain & Learning, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Renate H M de Groot
- Welten Institute, Research Centre for Learning, Teaching, and Technology, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, Netherlands.,NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Jelle Jolles
- Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Centre for Brain & Learning, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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225
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Leviton A, Joseph RM, Allred EN, O’Shea TM, Taylor HG, Kuban KKC. Antenatal and Neonatal Antecedents of Executive Dysfunctions in Extremely Preterm Children. J Child Neurol 2018; 33:198-208. [PMID: 29322860 PMCID: PMC5807158 DOI: 10.1177/0883073817750499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
To find out why children born extremely preterm are at heightened risk of executive dysfunctions, the authors assessed 716 children who were 10 years old born extremely preterm whose IQ was ≥ 70. A working memory dysfunction (n = 169), an inhibition dysfunction (n = 360), a switching dysfunction (355), and all 3 (executive dysfunction; n = 107) were defined on the basis of Z-scores ≤ -1 on the Differential Ability Scales-II Working Memory composite, and/or on the NEPSY-II Inhibition-Inhibition and Inhibition-Switching subtests. All risk profiles include an indicator of socioeconomic disadvantage. The risk profile of each of the 3 individual dysfunctions includes an indicator of the newborn's immaturity, and the risk profiles of the inhibition dysfunction and switching dysfunction also include an indicator of inflammation. Only the switching dysfunction was associated with fetal growth restriction. The risk factors for executive dysfunction can be subsumed under the 4 themes of socioeconomic disadvantage, immaturity/vulnerability, inflammation, and fetal growth restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Leviton
- Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School,
Boston MA, USA
| | | | | | - T. Michael O’Shea
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill NC,
USA
| | - H. Gerry Taylor
- Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State
University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Karl KC Kuban
- Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine,
Boston, MA, USA
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226
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