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Domic-Siede M, Ortiz R, Ávalos M, Salazar N, Burgos J, Rosales C, Ramos-Henderson M, Véliz-García O, Calderón C. Executive functions and their relationship with age: Insights from a novel neuropsychological Assessment Battery in Children-a pilot study. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. CHILD 2024:1-29. [PMID: 39089403 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2024.2381199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) are a set of cognitive processes that enable individuals to manage and coordinate their thoughts and actions toward achieving specific goals. EFs include planning, organizing, initiating, and monitoring actions, and have been found to improve with age due to the maturation of the brain, especially during childhood. Therefore, our correlational study sought to determine the relationship between the performance in executive functions and age in 79 children (36 girls, 45.6%) throughout development, between the ages of 6 and 12 (mean = 9.25; SD = 2.05), using a battery designed in Chile: BEFE (Batería de Evaluación de las Funciones Ejecutivas: Executive Function Assessment Battery) based on traditional neuropsychological tests to evaluate Working Memory, Inhibitory Control, Cognitive Flexibility, and Planning skills. Our results showed various correlations between the variables age and performance in various behavioral parameters, demonstrating an increase in the number of correct responses (positive correlation) and/or a decrease in errors (negative correlation) with age (6-12) in the subtests that correspond to dimensions of Cognitive Flexibility (Semantic and Phonological Fluency, Card Sorting Game, and Tracing Tasks), Inhibitory Control (ENA-F and Sentence Completion), Working Memory (Audio-verbal WM Forward and Ordering, and Visuospatial WM Forward and Backward), and Planning (La Portada de Antofagasta and FISA Maps). These results are consistent with previous empirical evidence and support the notion of a developmental relationship between EF performance and age. Additionally, this study contributes to understanding EF development in culturally specific contexts, highlighting the importance of contextually relevant assessment tools in evaluating cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Domic-Siede
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Romina Ortiz
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - María Ávalos
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Nancy Salazar
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Jennifer Burgos
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Constanza Rosales
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Miguel Ramos-Henderson
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Gerontología Aplicada CIGAP, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomás, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Oscar Véliz-García
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Carlos Calderón
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
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Williams ME, Corn EA, Martinez Ransanz S, Berl MM, Andringa-Seed R, Mulkey SB. Neurodevelopmental assessments used to measure preschoolers' cognitive development in Latin America: a systematic review. J Pediatr Psychol 2024; 49:321-339. [PMID: 38244996 PMCID: PMC11098046 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsad089] [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: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to systematically review the standardized neurodevelopmental assessments used to study preschool-aged children's cognitive development in Spanish-speaking Latin America. METHODS The authors systematically searched PubMed, PsycINFO, and ERIC databases for peer-reviewed articles from Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. Articles were included if they measured cognitive development among children aged 2-6 years using at least one standardized assessment tool; 97 articles were included and reviewed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to assess their use of these tools. RESULTS Ninety-seven studies across 13 countries used a total of 41 assessments to measure cognitive development; most widely used were the Wechsler intelligence scales (n = 46/97), particularly the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (n = 23 and 29, respectively). Other common assessments included the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (n = 9), Raven's Progressive Matrices (n = 9), Child Neuropsychological Assessment (n = 8), and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (n = 7). In regions where normative data for a given assessment were unpublished, authors commonly used norms from the United States, Mexico, or Spain or did not report standard scores in their analyses. CONCLUSIONS The wide range of tools used in these studies presents a challenge for generalizing results when measuring the neurodevelopment of Latin American preschool-aged children. The low availability of normative data for specific regions reveals concerns if some tools are culturally and linguistically appropriate even when Spanish is a common language, particularly in low-resource settings. Future work to forge greater consistency in the use of validated measures, clarity in reporting research methods, and publication of regional normative data would benefit the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meagan E Williams
- Prenatal Pediatrics Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Corn
- Prenatal Pediatrics Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Santiago Martinez Ransanz
- Prenatal Pediatrics Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Madison M Berl
- Prenatal Pediatrics Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Regan Andringa-Seed
- Prenatal Pediatrics Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Sarah B Mulkey
- Prenatal Pediatrics Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
- Department of Neurology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States
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Giancola M, Bocchi A, Palmiero M, De Grossi I, Piccardi L, D’Amico S. Examining cognitive determinants of planning future routine events: a pilot study in school-age Italian children ( Análisis de los determinantes cognitivos de la planificación de eventos de rutina futuros: un estudio piloto con niños italianos en edad escolar). STUDIES IN PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/02109395.2022.2163778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
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Doris HL, Irene R, Ulrike L, Irene S, Thomas P. The assessment of executive functioning in pediatric patients with posterior fossa tumors: A recommendation to combine caregiver-based ratings and performance-based tests. Dev Neurorehabil 2022; 25:19-28. [PMID: 33977851 DOI: 10.1080/17518423.2021.1915404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study addresses the issue of drawing valid conclusions about the assessment of executive functioning (EF) in long-term survivors of pediatric posterior fossa tumors (PPFT). METHOD All 44 patients (females = 18, mean age = 11 years) were treated consecutively at our department for PPFTs (medulloblastomas, ependymomas, low-grade-gliomas). Four years after diagnosis, their EF was investigated, considering age at diagnosis and treatment type. The validity, sensitivity, and specificity of different EF measures (TMT-B, Number Repetition, WCST, BRIEF) were compared and Strengths-and-Difficulties-Questionnaire was incorporated as a potential screening for EF issues. RESULTS EF impairments were found, especially in patients with chemo-/radiotherapy. Caregiver-ratings and performance-based-EF-tests identified different patients as below average. Sensitivity was highest in TMT-B. Strengths-and-Difficulties-Questionnaire was not an adequate screening for EF. CONCLUSION It is essential to assess patients with PPFT with performance-based-tests as well as caregiver-questionnaires, since EF impairments are not always visible at the behavioral level but may still influence everyday life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoffmann-Lamplmair Doris
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ritter Irene
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leiss Ulrike
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Slavc Irene
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pletschko Thomas
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Desai G, Barg G, Vahter M, Queirolo EI, Peregalli F, Mañay N, Millen AE, Yu J, Kordas K. Executive functions in school children from Montevideo, Uruguay and their associations with concurrent low-level arsenic exposure. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 142:105883. [PMID: 32599352 PMCID: PMC10927015 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Arsenic is a known childhood neurotoxicant, but its neurotoxicity at low exposure levels is still not well established. The aim of our cross-sectional study was to test the association between low-level arsenic exposure and executive functions (EF) among children in Montevideo. We also assessed effect modification by arsenic methylation capacity, a susceptibility factor for the health effects of arsenic, and by B-vitamin intake, which impacts arsenic methylation. METHODS Arsenic exposure was assessed as the specific gravity-adjusted sum of urinary arsenic metabolites (U-As) among 255 ~ 7 year-old children, and methylation capacity as the proportion of urinary monomethylarsonic acid (%MMA). Arsenic concentrations from kitchen water samples at participants' homes were assessed. B-vitamin intake was calculated from the average of two 24-hour dietary recalls. EF was measured using three tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery- Stockings of Cambridge (SOC), Intra-dimensional/extra-dimensional shift task (IED), and Spatial Span (SSP). Generalized linear models assessed the association between U-As and EF measures; models were adjusted for age, sex, maternal education, possessions score, Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory score, season, and school clusters. Additional analyses were conducted to address issues of residual confounding and sample size. A "B-vitamin index" was calculated using principal component analysis. Effect modification by the index and urinary %MMA was assessed in strata split at the respective medians of these variables. RESULTS The median (range) U-As and water arsenic levels were 9.9 µg/L (2.2, 47.7) and 0.45 µg/L (0.1, 18.9) respectively, indicating that exposure originated mainly from other sources. U-As was inversely associated with the number of stages completed (β = -0.02; 95% CI: -0.03, -0.002) and pre-executive shift errors (β = -0.08; 95% CI: -0.14, -0.02) of the IED task, and span length of the SSP task (β = -0.01; 95% CI: -0.02, -0.004). There was no clear pattern of effect modification by B-vitamin intake or urinary %MMA. CONCLUSION Low-level arsenic exposure may adversely affect executive function among children but additional, including longitudinal, studies are necessary to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauri Desai
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, The State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, NY, USA.
| | - Gabriel Barg
- Department of Neurocognition, Catholic University of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Elena I Queirolo
- Center for Research, Catholic University of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Fabiana Peregalli
- Center for Research, Catholic University of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Nelly Mañay
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Republic of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Amy E Millen
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, The State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jihnhee Yu
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Professions, The State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Katarzyna Kordas
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, The State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, NY, USA
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Sonney J, Insel KC. Exploring the intersection of executive function and medication adherence in school-age children with asthma. J Asthma 2018. [PMID: 29513610 DOI: 10.1080/02770903.2018.1441870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. For children with persistent asthma, asthma control is largely related to controller medication adherence. With increasing calls for children to be involved in their own asthma management, there is a gap in our knowledge about the executive functioning of children with asthma. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between executive function, asthma, and medication adherence among school-age children with asthma. METHODS Thirty-one children ages 7 to 11 years (M = 8.9 ± 1.51) and one of their parents were enrolled in this study. Parents reported on asthma control while children reported on asthma control, medication beliefs, medication adherence, and completed an executive function battery that assessed inhibition, updating, shifting and planning. RESULTS Compared to the reference sample, children in this study had significantly lower composite scores in inhibition, t (31) = -3.84, p =. 001, and shifting, t (30) = -3.73, p =. 001. Controlling for age and asthma control, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that shifting accounted for 16% of the variance in child-reported medication adherence. CONCLUSIONS This study revealed lowered executive functioning scores among school-age children with persistent asthma. Furthermore, it appears executive functioning and controller medication adherence are intertwined and warrant future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Sonney
- a Department of Family and Child Nursing , School of Nursing, University of Washington , Seattle , WA
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