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Roy E, Van Rinsveld A, Nedelec P, Richie-Halford A, Rauschecker AM, Sugrue LP, Rokem A, McCandliss BD, Yeatman JD. Differences in educational opportunity predict white matter development. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 67:101386. [PMID: 38676989 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101386] [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] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Coarse measures of socioeconomic status, such as parental income or parental education, have been linked to differences in white matter development. However, these measures do not provide insight into specific aspects of an individual's environment and how they relate to brain development. On the other hand, educational intervention studies have shown that changes in an individual's educational context can drive measurable changes in their white matter. These studies, however, rarely consider socioeconomic factors in their results. In the present study, we examined the unique relationship between educational opportunity and white matter development, when controlling other known socioeconomic factors. To explore this question, we leveraged the rich demographic and neuroimaging data available in the ABCD study, as well the unique data-crosswalk between ABCD and the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA). We find that educational opportunity is related to accelerated white matter development, even when accounting for other socioeconomic factors, and that this relationship is most pronounced in white matter tracts associated with academic skills. These results suggest that the school a child attends has a measurable relationship with brain development for years to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Roy
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | | | - Pierre Nedelec
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Adam Richie-Halford
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Andreas M Rauschecker
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Leo P Sugrue
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ariel Rokem
- Department of Psychology and eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Jason D Yeatman
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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2
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Pietto ML, Giovannetti F, Segretin MS, Lipina SJ, Kamienkowski JE. EEG Dynamics of Error Processing and Associated Behavioral Adjustments in Preschool Children. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13040575. [PMID: 37190540 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13040575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Preschool children show neural responses and make behavioral adjustments immediately following an error. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding how neural responses to error predict subsequent behavioral adjustments during childhood. The aim of our study was to explore the neural dynamics of error processing and associated behavioral adjustments in preschool children from unsatisfied basic needs (UBN) homes. Using EEG recordings during a go/no-go task, we examined within-subject associations between the error-related negativity (ERN), frontal theta power, post-error slowing, and post-error accuracy. Post-error accuracy increased linearly with post-error slowing, and there was no association between the neural activity of error processing and post-error accuracy. However, during successful error recovery, the frontal theta power, but not the ERN amplitude, was associated positively with post-error slowing. These findings indicated that preschool children from UBN homes adjusted their behavior following an error in an adaptive form and that the error-related theta activity may be associated with the adaptive forms of post-error behavior. Furthermore, our data support the adaptive theory of post-error slowing and point to some degree of separation between the neural mechanisms represented by the ERN and theta.
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O’Connor M, Stapleton A, O'Reilly G, Murphy E, Connaughton L, Hoctor E, McHugh L. The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in promoting resilience: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. JOURNAL OF CONTEXTUAL BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcbs.2023.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
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4
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The Influence of Socioeconomic Status (SES) and Processing Speed on the Psychological Adjustment and Wellbeing of Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14133075. [PMID: 35804846 PMCID: PMC9264789 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14133075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Processing speed (PS) is one of the most impaired functions in pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTSs) and it has been linked to difficulties in their psychological functioning, together with other non-insult-related risk factors, such as socio-economic status (SES). Given the psychological adjustment difficulties observed in PBTS, the aim of the current study was to explore the relationship between SES and psychological functioning, measured with the Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and considering the contribution of PS as a mediator. The results demonstrated that the influence of SES on the CBCL total index was mediated by PS. Furthermore, PS was found to have a mediating effect on the SES–internalizing problems relationship but not on the SES–externalizing problems relationship. These findings suggest that PS may be a rehabilitation target to prevent psychological distress and should be addressed, especially for PBTSs who live in a disadvantaged situation. Abstract (1) Background: The relationship between processing speed (PS) and psychological adjustment in the healthy population is well established, as is that between low socio-economic status (SES) and psychological distress. While PS is one of the most impaired functions in pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTSs), previous research has demonstrated that low SES may be a predictor of increased psychosocial risk in PBTSs. Given the psychological adjustment difficulties observed in PBTS, in the current study we aimed to explore the relationship between SES and psychological functioning, considering the contribution of PS as a mediator. (2) Methods: demographic and clinical data of 80 children (age range: 4–17 y.o.) were retrospectively collected. Psychological measures were the parent-compiled versions of the Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Mediation analysis models were performed on psychological measures with and without the inclusion of covariates. (3) Results: The influence of SES on the CBCL total index was mediated by PS. Furthermore, PS was found to have a mediating effect on the relationship between SES and internalizing problems but not on the relationship between SES and externalizing problems. (4) Conclusions: The results suggest that PS may be a rehabilitation target for the prevention of psychological distress and should be addressed especially for PBTSs who live in a disadvantaged situation.
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Neubeck M, Johann VE, Karbach J, Könen T. Age-differences in network models of self-regulation and executive control functions. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13276. [PMID: 35535463 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13276] [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: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Self-regulation (SR) and executive control functions (EF) are broad theoretical concepts that subsume various cognitive abilities supporting the regulation of behavior, thoughts, and emotions (c.f. Inzlicht et al., 2021; Wiebe & Karbach, 2017). However, many of these concepts stem from different psychological disciplines relying on distinct methodologies, such as self-reports (common in SR research) and performance-based tasks (common in EF research). Despite the striking overlap between SR and EF on the theoretical level, recent evidence suggests that correlations between self-report measures and behavioral tasks can be difficult to observe (e.g., Eisenberg et al., 2019). In our study, participants from a life-span sample (14-82 years) completed self-report measures and behavioral tasks, which were selected to include a variety of different facets of SR (e.g., sensation seeking, mindfulness, grit, or eating behavior) and EF (working memory, inhibition, shifting). Using this broad approach, we systematically investigated connections and overlap of different aspects of SR and EF to improve their conceptual understanding. By comparing network models of a youth, middle-aged, and older-aged group, we identified key variables that are well connected in the SR and EF construct space. In general, we found connections to be stronger within the clusters of SR and EF than between them. However, older adults demonstrated more connections between SR and EF than younger individuals, likely because of declining cognitive resources. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tanja Könen
- University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany
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6
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Nin V, Delgado H, Muniz-Terrera G, Carboni A. Partial agreement between task and BRIEF-P-based EF measures depends on school socioeconomic status. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13241. [PMID: 35142415 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13241] [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: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Executive functions (EF), either conceptualized as skills involved in regulation of cognition and emotion in service of goal oriented behavior, or reductively as working memory, flexibility and inhibitory control, are commonly invoked constructs in developmental science. Two main traditions on EFs measurement prevail, one consisting of ratings obtained through questionnaires that inquire on behavior in common situations, the other based on performance in laboratory tasks. Whether both types of assessment actually refer to the same constructs is not consensual. Further, the role of school context in the degree of correspondence between both types of measures remains largely unexplored. Here, we show in a sample of over 220 children (age M = 5.6, SD = 0.4 years), by means of multilevel models, that whether EF tasks can predict BRIEF-P ratings and vice-versa, depends on the process considered and on the school SES. Inhibitory control, planning, and global executive functioning are associated with BRIEF-P ratings in all schools. In contrast, we found no association among measures of flexibility independently of school SES. For working memory, we found that questionnaire rating predicts span only in high SES schools, but span predicts behaviors across schools. Our findings contribute to a growing body of literature that proposes constructs assessed by questionnaires and tasks only partially overlap and suggests that school SES may be a relevant factor to consider when questionnaires are answered by teachers. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Nin
- Centro de Investigación Básica en Psicología, Facultad de Psicología y Centro Interdisciplinario para la Cognición en la Enseñanza y el Aprendizaje, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - Hernán Delgado
- Centro de Investigación Básica en Psicología, Facultad de Psicología y Centro Interdisciplinario para la Cognición en la Enseñanza y el Aprendizaje, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | | | - Alejandra Carboni
- Centro de Investigación Básica en Psicología, Facultad de Psicología y Centro Interdisciplinario para la Cognición en la Enseñanza y el Aprendizaje, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
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7
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Giovannetti F, Pietto ML, Segretin MS, Lipina SJ. Impact of an individualized and adaptive cognitive intervention on working memory, planning and fluid reasoning processing in preschoolers from poor homes. Child Neuropsychol 2021; 28:597-626. [PMID: 34779691 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2021.1998406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Contemporary evidence shows that different intervention approaches can be effective in improving executive cognitive performance in preschoolers from poor homes. However, several aspects about the role of individual and contextual differences in intervention effects remain to be elucidated. The present study aimed to explore the impact of a computerized executive cognitive intervention with lab-based tasks in preschoolers from Unsatisfied Basic Needs (UBN) homes. In the context of a randomized controlled design, different activities were administered to children according to their baseline performance in a variety of cognitive tasks tapping inhibitory control, working memory, and planning demands (i.e., high- and low-performance intervention and control groups). Results suggested that the impact of the intervention was shown preferentially by high-performers in Tower of London and K-Bit tasks, who increased their performances in the posttest assessment. This finding supports the importance of considering individual and contextual differences in the design of interventions aimed at changing the cognitive performance of children from poor homes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcos Luis Pietto
- Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA), CEMIC-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Laboratorio de Inteligencia Artificial Aplicada, Instituto de Ciencias de la Computación, FCEyN-UBA- CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Conflict-Related Brain Activity after Individualized Cognitive Training in Preschoolers from Poor Homes. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-021-00223-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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9
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Pezzatti L, Edelsztein V, Hermida MJ. The learning of mathematics in Argentina and its association with the cognitive sciences: opportunities and challenges ( El aprendizaje de la matemática en la Argentina y su relación con las ciencias cognitivas: oportunidades y desafíos). STUDIES IN PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/02109395.2020.1749496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Valeria Edelsztein
- Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)
| | - Maria-Julia Hermida
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)
- Universidad Nacional de Hurlingham (UNAHUR)
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Giovannetti F, Pietto ML, Segretín MS, Lipina SJ. Impact of an Individualized Cognitive Training Intervention in Preschoolers from Poor Homes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17082912. [PMID: 32340155 PMCID: PMC7215356 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17082912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Over the last few decades, different interventions were shown to be effective in changing cognitive performance in preschoolers from poor homes undertaking tasks with executive demands. However, this evidence also showed that not all children included in the intervention groups equally increased their performance levels, which could be related to individual and contextual variability. The present study aimed to explore the impact of a computerized cognitive training intervention with lab-based tasks in preschoolers from Unsatisfied Basic Needs (UBN) homes under the consideration of their baseline performance. In the context of a randomized controlled trial design, different interventions were administered to children according to their baseline performance in a variety of cognitive tasks (i.e., executive attention, inhibitory control, working memory, and planning demands). The results showed different patterns of impact on performance depending on the experimental group, supporting the importance of considering individual and contextual differences in the design of interventions aimed at optimizing executive functions in poverty-impacted sample populations in early stages of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Giovannetti
- Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA), CEMIC-CONICET, Buenos Aires C1431FWO, Argentina; (M.L.P.); (M.S.S.)
- Correspondence: (F.G.); (S.J.L.)
| | - Marcos Luis Pietto
- Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA), CEMIC-CONICET, Buenos Aires C1431FWO, Argentina; (M.L.P.); (M.S.S.)
- Laboratorio de Inteligencia Artificial Aplicada, Instituto de Ciencias de la Computación, FCEyN-UBA- CONICET, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - María Soledad Segretín
- Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA), CEMIC-CONICET, Buenos Aires C1431FWO, Argentina; (M.L.P.); (M.S.S.)
| | - Sebastián Javier Lipina
- Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA), CEMIC-CONICET, Buenos Aires C1431FWO, Argentina; (M.L.P.); (M.S.S.)
- Correspondence: (F.G.); (S.J.L.)
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11
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Gerholm T, Kallioinen P, Tonér S, Frankenberg S, Kjällander S, Palmer A, Lenz-Taguchi H. A randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of two teaching methods on preschool children's language and communication, executive functions, socioemotional comprehension, and early math skills. BMC Psychol 2019; 7:59. [PMID: 31488204 PMCID: PMC6729003 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-019-0325-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the preschool years, children's development of skills like language and communication, executive functions, and socioemotional comprehension undergo dramatic development. Still, our knowledge of how these skills are enhanced is limited. The preschool contexts constitute a well-suited arena for investigating these skills and hold the potential for giving children an equal opportunity preparing for the school years to come. The present study compared two pedagogical methods in the Swedish preschool context as to their effect on language and communication, executive functions, socioemotional comprehension, and early math. The study targeted children in the age span four-to-six-year-old, with an additional focus on these children's backgrounds in terms of socioeconomic status, age, gender, number of languages, time spent at preschool, and preschool start. An additional goal of the study was to add to prior research by aiming at disentangling the relationship between the investigated variables. METHOD The study constitutes a randomized controlled trial including 18 preschools and 29 preschool units, with a total of 431 children, and 98 teachers. The interventions lasted for 6 weeks, preceded by pre-testing and followed by post-testing of the children. Randomization was conducted on the level of preschool unit, to either of the two interventions or to control. The interventions consisted of a socioemotional and material learning paradigm (SEMLA) and a digitally implemented attention and math training paradigm (DIL). The preschools were further evaluated with ECERS-3. The main analysis was a series of univariate mixed regression models, where the nested structure of individuals, preschool units and preschools were modeled using random variables. RESULTS The result of the intervention shows that neither of the two intervention paradigms had measurable effects on the targeted skills. However, there were results as to the follow-up questions, such as executive functions predicting all other variables (language and communication, socioemotional comprehension, and math). Background variables were related to each other in patterns congruent with earlier findings, such as socioeconomic status predicting outcome measures across the board. The results are discussed in relation to intervention fidelity, length of intervention, preschool quality, and the impact of background variables on children's developmental trajectories and life prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tove Gerholm
- Dept of Linguistics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Signe Tonér
- Dept of Linguistics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sofia Frankenberg
- Dept of Child and Youth Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Susanne Kjällander
- Dept of Child and Youth Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Palmer
- Dept of Child and Youth Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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12
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Rosas R, Espinoza V, Porflitt F, Ceric F. Executive Functions Can Be Improved in Preschoolers Through Systematic Playing in Educational Settings: Evidence From a Longitudinal Study. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2024. [PMID: 31551874 PMCID: PMC6734167 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02024] [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: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to test the impact of play on the development of executive functions (EFs) in preschoolers. Thirty-two games were designed to be collectively played in groups by 70 children, in their regular classes. The games were specifically designed to promote the development of the three components of EFs: inhibition (behavioral or cognitive), working memory, and cognitive flexibility. The games focused on each function were of three types: playground games, expression games, and classroom games. Sixty 45 min play sessions were held on consecutive days for 3 months, always in the first period. The sessions were guided by two members of the research team, assisted by the four teachers of the participating classes. The intervention was carried out in two highly socially vulnerable schools in the city of Santiago de Chile. Four classes were studied in total: two experimental groups and two controls. The classes were selected using a questionnaire on teacher-student interaction quality and an age homogeneity criterion. EFs were evaluated using the Hearts and Flowers task at three points: before the intervention (T1), immediately after the end of the intervention (T2), and 8 months after the end of the intervention (T3). The results show a significant difference in the growth of EFs by comparing the experimental and control groups (p = 0.04) between T1 and T3. They also reveal a strong correlation between EFs measures at T1 and mathematics performance at T3. These results are discussed within the context of the guidelines proposed by Diamond and Ling (2016) and Barnett (2011) regarding what an EFs promotion program needs to be considered effective and high quality. The program presented in this study meets most of the requisites mentioned by the authors, which proves that following these guidelines guarantees a high probability of success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Rosas
- Escuela de Psicología Centro de Justicia Educacional, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Victoria Espinoza
- Escuela de Psicología Centro de Justicia Educacional, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Felipe Porflitt
- Facultad de Educación, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Ceric
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
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13
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Cardoso CDO, Seabra AG, Gomes CMA, Fonseca RP. Program for the Neuropsychological Stimulation of Cognition in Students: Impact, Effectiveness, and Transfer Effects on Student Cognitive Performance. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1784. [PMID: 31456710 PMCID: PMC6700286 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the crucial role played by the executive functions (EF) to cognitive, emotional, and social development of children before and during school years, little attention has been given to construct and analyze the efficacy of programs that intend to develop them. The program of neuropsychological stimulation of cognition in students: emphasis on EF, or PENcE (an acronym from its original name in Portuguese, Programa de Estimulação Neuropsicológica da Cognição em Escolares: ênfase nas Funções Executivas), is an early and preventive intervention program for school-aged children, and implemented at school three times a week for 5 months. The PENcE was structured in four modules, each focusing on a different executive component: organization and planning, inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. The objectives of this study were to verify the effectiveness of the PENcE among elementary school children and to investigate whether there are transfer effects to other executive, cognitive, and academic abilities. The sample consisted of 113 children attending 3rd or 4th grade at two public elementary schools. Eight classes participated in the study, divided into two groups: an experimental group (EG) (four classes; n = 64), which received the intervention, and a control group (CG) (four classes; n = 49), which continued their regular school activities. The EF and academic skills of both participant groups were evaluated before and after the intervention. The EG showed significantly greater improvements in inhibitory control, working memory, and abstract planning relative to the CG, with a small to medium effect size. There were transfer effects to other cognitive and academic abilities. These findings suggest the PENcE may be a useful method of improving EF and could benefit both school-aged children and education professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Rochele Paz Fonseca
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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14
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Pietto ML, Giovannetti F, Segretin MS, Belloli LML, Lopez-Rosenfeld M, Goldin AP, Fernández-Slezak D, Kamienkowski JE, Lipina SJ. Enhancement of inhibitory control in a sample of preschoolers from poor homes after cognitive training in a kindergarten setting: Cognitive and ERP evidence. Trends Neurosci Educ 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2018.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Zelazo PD, Forston JL, Masten AS, Carlson SM. Mindfulness Plus Reflection Training: Effects on Executive Function in Early Childhood. Front Psychol 2018. [PMID: 29535661 PMCID: PMC5834482 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Executive function (EF) skills are essential for academic achievement, and poverty-related stress interferes with their development. This pre-test, post-test, follow-up randomized-control trial assessed the impact of an intervention targeting reflection and stress reduction on children's EF skills. Preschool children (N = 218) from schools serving low-income families in two U.S. cities were randomly assigned to one of three options delivered in 30 small-group sessions over 6 weeks: Mindfulness + Reflection training; Literacy training; or Business as Usual (BAU). Sessions were conducted by local teachers trained in a literacy curriculum or Mindfulness + Reflection intervention, which involved calming activities and games that provided opportunities to practice reflection in the context of goal-directed problem solving. EF improved in all groups, but planned contrasts indicated that the Mindfulness + Reflection group significantly outperformed the BAU group at Follow-up (4 weeks post-test). No differences in EF were observed between the BAU and Literacy training groups. Results suggest that a brief, small-group, school-based intervention teaching mindfulness and reflection did not improve EF skills more than literacy training but is promising compared to BAU for improving EF in low-income preschool children several weeks following the intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip David Zelazo
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | | | - Ann S Masten
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Stephanie M Carlson
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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16
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Lipina SJ, Evers K. Neuroscience of Childhood Poverty: Evidence of Impacts and Mechanisms as Vehicles of Dialog With Ethics. Front Psychol 2017; 8:61. [PMID: 28184204 PMCID: PMC5266697 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have identified associations between poverty and development of self-regulation during childhood, which is broadly defined as those skills involved in cognitive, emotional, and stress self-regulation. These skills are influenced by different individual and contextual factors at multiple levels of analysis (i.e., individual, family, social, and cultural). Available evidence suggests that the influences of those biological, psychosocial, and sociocultural factors on emotional and cognitive development can vary according to the type, number, accumulation of risks, and co-occurrence of adverse circumstances that are related to poverty, the time in which these factors exert their influences, and the individual susceptibility to them. Complementary, during the past three decades, several experimental interventions that were aimed at optimizing development of self-regulation of children who live in poverty have been designed, implemented, and evaluated. Their results suggest that it is possible to optimize different aspects of cognitive performance and that it would be possible to transfer some aspects of these gains to other cognitive domains and academic achievement. We suggest that it is an important task for ethics, notably but not exclusively neuroethics, to engage in this interdisciplinary research domain to contribute analyses of key concepts, arguments, and interpretations. The specific evidence that neuroscience brings to the analyses of poverty and its implications needs to be spelled out in detail and clarified conceptually, notably in terms of causes of and attitudes toward poverty, implications of poverty for brain development, and for the possibilities to reduce and reverse these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastián J Lipina
- Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas "Norberto Quirno"-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas) Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Kathinka Evers
- Centre for Research Ethics and Bioethics (CRB), Uppsala Universitet Uppsala, Sweden
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