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Ridgely NC, Woods SP, Webber TA, Mustafa AI, Evans D. Cognitive Intra-individual Variability in the Laboratory Is Associated With Greater Executive Dysfunction in the Daily Lives of Older Adults With HIV. Cogn Behav Neurol 2024; 37:32-39. [PMID: 37871277 PMCID: PMC10948322 DOI: 10.1097/wnn.0000000000000358] [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: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Executive dysfunction, which is common among persons with HIV (PWH), can have an adverse impact on health behaviors and quality of life. Intra-individual variability (IIV) is a measure of within-person variability across cognitive tests that is higher in PWH and is thought to reflect cognitive dyscontrol. OBJECTIVE To assess whether cognitive IIV in the laboratory is associated with self-reported executive dysfunction in daily life among older PWH. METHOD Participants included 71 PWH aged ≥50 years who completed six subtests from the Cogstate battery and two subscales from the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe; self-report version). Cognitive IIV was calculated from the Cogstate as the coefficient of variation derived from age-adjusted normative T scores. RESULTS Cognitive IIV as measured by the Cogstate showed a significant, positive, medium-sized association with current FrSBe ratings of executive dysfunction but not disinhibition. CONCLUSION Higher cognitive IIV in the laboratory as measured by the Cogstate may be related to the expression of HIV-associated symptoms of executive dysfunction in daily life for older PWH.
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Church JA. The Brain's Control Networks in Reading: Insights From Cross-Task Studies of Youth. MIND, BRAIN AND EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL MIND, BRAIN, AND EDUCATION SOCIETY 2023; 17:257-266. [PMID: 38745918 PMCID: PMC11091959 DOI: 10.1111/mbe.12372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Humans engage multiple brain systems to read successfully, including using regions important for vision, language, and control. Control refers to the set of executive processes in the brain that guide moment-to-moment behavior in service of our goals. There is a growing appreciation for the role of the brain's control system in reading comprehension, in reading skill change over time, and in those who have difficulty with the reading process. One way to understand the brain's control engagement in reading may be to study control engagement across multiple tasks in order to study consistencies, or cross-task similarities, relative to reading-specific variations. In this commentary, I briefly summarize some of our recent work studying the brain's control networks across different tasks (e.g., when reading, or doing different executive function tasks). I then review our findings of when control activation does or does not relate to measures of reading ability, and reading growth over time. The utility of cross-task comparisons in neuroimaging is noted, as well as the need to better understand multiple sources of heterogeneity in our developmental samples. I end by discussing a few of the many future directions for further study of the brain with regard to the brain's control processing and academic achievement.
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Yeatman JD. Understanding the interplay between executive functions and reading development: A challenge for researchers and practitioners alike. MIND, BRAIN AND EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL MIND, BRAIN, AND EDUCATION SOCIETY 2023; 17:334-337. [PMID: 38585024 PMCID: PMC10997348 DOI: 10.1111/mbe.12384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
In June of 2022, The Dyslexia Foundation (TDF) organized a convening of dyslexia researchers and practitioners around the topic of executive functions. There was consensus on the importance of executive functions for reading development. However, the difficulty of defining, measuring, and training executive functions emerged as a challenge for researchers and practitioners alike. This special issue presents a collection of articles that survey different perspectives, define the current knowledge base, highlight challenges and inconsistencies in research, and chart a path towards a more nuanced understanding of the role of executive functions in reading and dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason D Yeatman
- Graduate School of Education and Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine
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Tervo-Clemmens B, Calabro FJ, Parr AC, Fedor J, Foran W, Luna B. A canonical trajectory of executive function maturation from adolescence to adulthood. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6922. [PMID: 37903830 PMCID: PMC10616171 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42540-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Theories of human neurobehavioral development suggest executive functions mature from childhood through adolescence, underlying adolescent risk-taking and the emergence of psychopathology. Investigations with relatively small datasets or narrow subsets of measures have identified general executive function development, but the specific maturational timing and independence of potential executive function subcomponents remain unknown. Integrating four independent datasets (N = 10,766; 8-35 years old) with twenty-three measures from seventeen tasks, we provide a precise charting, multi-assessment investigation, and replication of executive function development from adolescence to adulthood. Across assessments and datasets, executive functions follow a canonical non-linear trajectory, with rapid and statistically significant development in late childhood to mid-adolescence (10-15 years old), before stabilizing to adult-levels in late adolescence (18-20 years old). Age effects are well captured by domain-general processes that generate reproducible developmental templates across assessments and datasets. Results provide a canonical trajectory of executive function maturation that demarcates the boundaries of adolescence and can be integrated into future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenden Tervo-Clemmens
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Finnegan J Calabro
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ashley C Parr
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer Fedor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - William Foran
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Beatriz Luna
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Hu Q, Liang Z, Zhou Y, Feng S, Zhang Q. The role of working memory updating and capacity in children's mathematical abilities: A developmental cascade model. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 93:676-693. [PMID: 36647240 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies indicated that working memory (WM) updating and WM capacity play essential roles in mathematical ability. However, it is unclear whether WM capacity mediates the effect of WM updating on mathematics, and whether the cascading effects vary with different mathematical domains. AIMS The current study aims to explore the longitudinal mediating role of WM capacity between WM updating and mathematical performance, and how the relations change with the age and domains. SAMPLE A total of 131 Chinese first-graders participated the study. METHODS Participants were required to complete tasks on WM updating and WM capacity in Grade 1 and Grade 2, as well as paper-and-pencil tests on mathematics achievement in Grade 3. The role of WM updating and capacity in the development of pupil's mathematical achievement was examined. RESULTS Results revealed that verbal WM updating in Grade 1 predicted basic arithmetic and logical-visuospatial ability in Grade 3 via its cascading effect on verbal WM capacity in Grade 2. Moreover, visuospatial WM updating in Grade 1 predicted visuospatial WM capacity in Grade 2. Visuospatial WM capacity in Grade 1 predicted logical-visuospatial ability in Grade 3 instead of basic arithmetic ability in Grade 3. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggested that WM updating exerts effect on pupil's mathematical performance via WM capacity, meanwhile, this effect depends on children's mathematics domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Hu
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhanhong Liang
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanlin Zhou
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Qiong Zhang
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Cirino PT, Farrell AE, Barnes MA, Roberts GJ. An Evaluation of the Structure of Attention in Adolescence. Dev Neuropsychol 2023; 48:162-185. [PMID: 37218215 PMCID: PMC10330620 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2023.2213789] [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: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluated the factor structure of attention, considering internal and external attention, and juxtaposed alongside processing speed (PS) and working memory (WM). We expected the hypothesized model to fit better than unitary or method factors. We included 27 measures with 212 Hispanic middle schoolers from Spanish-speaking backgrounds, where a substantial proportion were at risk for learning difficulties. Confirmatory factor analytic models separated factors of PS and WM, but the final model did not align with theoretical predictions; rather only measurement factors emerged. Findings extend and refine our understanding of the structure of attention in adolescents.
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Gioia AR, Ahmed Y, Woods SP, Cirino PT. PROPERTIES OF A COMBINED MEASURE OF READING AND WRITING: THE ASSESSMENT OF WRITING, SELF-MONITORING, AND READING (AWSM READER). READING AND WRITING 2023; 36:723-744. [PMID: 37124450 PMCID: PMC10147347 DOI: 10.1007/s11145-022-10274-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
There is significant overlap between reading and writing, but no known standardized measure assesses these jointly. The goal of the present study is to evaluate the properties of a novel measure, the Assessment of Writing, Self-Monitoring, and Reading (AWSM Reader), that simultaneously evaluates both reading comprehension and writing. In doing so, we evaluate reliability (Cronbach's alpha) and various aspects of construct-related validity, including separate criterion measures of reading and writing, and the AWSM Reader's relations with other variables, including language and executive function (EF), both of which are implicated for both reading and writing. Participants were 377 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders with or at-risk for reading and writing difficulties. Reliability was low for the AWSM Reader reading comprehension (α = .58), but good for writing (α = .75-.80). Criterion-related validity indices revealed moderate correlations with other standardized and commonly used reading and writing measures, r = .47 to .50 (all ps < .001). Additionally, validity data supported the relations of both language and EF to AWSM Reader reading and writing, with EF showing unique prediction in both reading and writing domains. Results provide initial support for the measure per se but stress the difficulty in constructing combined reading and writing measures; directions are given for future work. Results also add to data on the contributions of language and EF to both reading and writing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony R Gioia
- University of Houston Department of Psychology, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yusra Ahmed
- University of Houston Department of Psychology, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Steven P Woods
- University of Houston Department of Psychology, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paul T Cirino
- University of Houston Department of Psychology, Houston, TX, USA
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Enke S, Gunzenhauser C, Johann VE, Karbach J, Saalbach H. “Hot” executive functions are comparable across monolingual and bilingual elementary school children: Results from a study with the Iowa Gambling Task. Front Psychol 2022; 13:988609. [PMID: 36148119 PMCID: PMC9486539 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.988609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Past research found performance differences between monolingual and bilingual children in the domain of executive functions (EF). Furthermore, recent studies have reported advantages in processing efficiency or mental effort in bilingual adults and children. These studies mostly focused on the investigation of “cold” EF tasks. Studies including measures of “hot” EF, i.e., tasks operating in an emotionally significant setting, are limited and hence results are inconclusive. In the present study, we extend previous research by investigating performance in a task of the “hot” EF domain by both behavioral data and mental effort via pupillary changes during task performance. Seventy-three monolingual and bilingual school children (mean age = 107.23 months, SD = 10.26) solved the Iowa Gambling Task in two different conditions. In the standard task, characterized by constant gains and occasional losses, children did not learn to improve their decision-making behavior. In a reversed task version, characterized by constant losses and occasional gains, both monolinguals and bilinguals learned to improve their decision-making behavior over the course of the task. In both versions of the task, children switched choices more often after losses than after gains. Bilinguals switched their choices less often than monolinguals in the reversed task, indicating a slightly more mature decision-making strategy. Mental effort did not differ between monolinguals and bilinguals. Conclusions of these findings for the bilingual advantage assumption will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Enke
- Faculty of Education, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
- Faculty of Education, Leipzig Research Center for Early Child Development, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
- *Correspondence: Susanne Enke,
| | - Catherine Gunzenhauser
- Faculty of Education, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
- Faculty of Education, Leipzig Research Center for Early Child Development, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
- Faculty of Education, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Verena E. Johann
- Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz and Landau, Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
- Individual Development and Adaptive Education (IDeA), Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany
| | - Julia Karbach
- Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz and Landau, Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
- Individual Development and Adaptive Education (IDeA), Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany
| | - Henrik Saalbach
- Faculty of Education, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
- Faculty of Education, Leipzig Research Center for Early Child Development, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
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Warren EA, Raghubar KP, Cirino PT, Child AE, Lupo PJ, Grosshans DR, Paulino AC, Okcu MF, Minard CG, Ris MD, Mahajan A, Viana A, Chintagumpala M, Kahalley LS. Cognitive predictors of social adjustment in pediatric brain tumor survivors treated with photon versus proton radiation therapy. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2022; 69:e29645. [PMID: 35285129 PMCID: PMC9208675 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.29645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pediatric brain tumor survivors are at risk for poor social outcomes. It remains unknown whether cognitive sparing with proton radiotherapy (PRT) supports better social outcomes relative to photon radiotherapy (XRT). We hypothesized that survivors treated with PRT would outperform those treated with XRT on measures of cognitive and social outcomes. Further, we hypothesized that cognitive performance would predict survivor social outcomes. PROCEDURE Survivors who underwent PRT (n = 38) or XRT (n = 20) participated in a neurocognitive evaluation >1 year post radiotherapy. Group differences in cognitive and social functioning were assessed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Regression analyses examined predictors of peer relations and social skills. RESULTS Age at evaluation, radiation dose, tumor diameter, and sex did not differ between groups (all p > .05). XRT participants were younger at diagnosis (XRT M = 5.0 years, PRT M = 7.6 years) and further out from radiotherapy (XRT M = 8.7 years, PRT M = 4.6 years). The XRT group performed worse than the PRT group on measures of processing speed (p = .01) and verbal memory (p < .01); however, social outcomes did not differ by radiation type. The proportion of survivors with impairment in peer relations and social skills exceeded expectation; χ2 (1) = 38.67, p < .001; χ2 (1) = 5.63, p < .05. Household poverty predicted peer relation difficulties (t = 2.18, p < .05), and verbal memory approached significance (t = -1.99, p = .05). Tumor diameter predicted social skills (t = -2.07, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS Regardless of radiation modality, survivors are at risk for social challenges. Deficits in verbal memory may place survivors at particular risk. Results support monitoring of cognitive and social functioning throughout survivorship, as well as consideration of sociodemographic risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A.H. Warren
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Psychology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX
| | - Kimberly P. Raghubar
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Psychology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX
| | - Paul T. Cirino
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston TX
| | - Amanda E. Child
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child and Adolescent Neurology, UT Health, Houston TX
| | - Philip J. Lupo
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX
| | - David R. Grosshans
- Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX
| | - Arnold C. Paulino
- Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX
| | - M. Fatih Okcu
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX
| | - Charles G. Minard
- Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX
| | - M. Douglas Ris
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Psychology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX
| | - Anita Mahajan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
| | - Andres Viana
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston TX
| | - Murali Chintagumpala
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX
| | - Lisa S. Kahalley
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Psychology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX,Correspondence To: Lisa S. Kahalley, Ph.D., Texas Children’s Hospital, 1102 Bates Ave., Suite 940, Houston, TX 77030-2399, US; Telephone: 832-822-4759; Fax: 832-825-1222; .
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10
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Friedman NP, Robbins TW. The role of prefrontal cortex in cognitive control and executive function. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:72-89. [PMID: 34408280 PMCID: PMC8617292 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01132-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 308] [Impact Index Per Article: 154.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Concepts of cognitive control (CC) and executive function (EF) are defined in terms of their relationships with goal-directed behavior versus habits and controlled versus automatic processing, and related to the functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and related regions and networks. A psychometric approach shows unity and diversity in CC constructs, with 3 components in the most commonly studied constructs: general or common CC and components specific to mental set shifting and working memory updating. These constructs are considered against the cellular and systems neurobiology of PFC and what is known of its functional neuroanatomical or network organization based on lesioning, neurochemical, and neuroimaging approaches across species. CC is also considered in the context of motivation, as "cool" and "hot" forms. Its Common CC component is shown to be distinct from general intelligence (g) and closely related to response inhibition. Impairments in CC are considered as possible causes of psychiatric symptoms and consequences of disorders. The relationships of CC with the general factor of psychopathology (p) and dimensional constructs such as impulsivity in large scale developmental and adult populations are considered, as well as implications for genetic studies and RDoC approaches to psychiatric classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi P Friedman
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience and Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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Laureys F, De Waelle S, Barendse MT, Lenoir M, Deconinck FJ. The factor structure of executive function in childhood and adolescence. INTELLIGENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2021.101600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Ahmed Y, Miciak J, Taylor WP, Francis DJ. Structure Altering Effects of a Multicomponent Reading Intervention: An Application of the Direct and Inferential Mediation (DIME) Model of Reading Comprehension in Upper Elementary Grades. JOURNAL OF LEARNING DISABILITIES 2022; 55:58-78. [PMID: 33645312 PMCID: PMC8425275 DOI: 10.1177/0022219421995904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
We evaluate the direct and inferential mediation (DIME) model for reading comprehension with a sample of struggling readers in Grades 3 to 5 (N = 364) in the context of a large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating two theoretically distinct reading interventions (text processing + foundational skills [n = 117] or text processing only [n = 120]) and a control condition (n = 127). We investigate whether the intervention affects not just reading comprehension levels, but also how variables within the reading system interrelate. This approach allows the focus to shift from intervention as influencing a change in reading comprehension status to a complex set of processes. We fit structural equation models (SEMs) to evaluate the DIME model at baseline and a change model that included reading comprehension and word reading at posttest. There were no significant mean differences between groups in reading comprehension. However, significant differences emerged on the direct and indirect effects of background knowledge, vocabulary, word reading, strategies, and inferencing on comprehension across grade levels and treatment conditions. Related to treatment groups, background knowledge, vocabulary, and inferencing were significantly related to comprehension at posttest for students who received text processing and/or foundational skills interventions. The results have implications for the direct instruction of higher-order reading skills in the context of multicomponent interventions.
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Ahmed Y, Kent S, Cirino PT, Keller-Margulis M. The Not-So-Simple View of Writing in Struggling Readers/Writers. READING & WRITING QUARTERLY : OVERCOMING LEARNING DIFFICULTIES 2021; 38:272-296. [PMID: 35783450 PMCID: PMC9246105 DOI: 10.1080/10573569.2021.1948374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Research suggests that executive function, motivation, transcription, and composition processes are implicated in the writing quality and productivity of children with and without learning difficulties. However, numerous components embedded within these constructs create both conceptual and empirical challenges to the study of written expression. These challenges are reflected in the writing research by way of poor delineation of constructs and insufficient distinction among domain general resources (e.g. working memory) versus processes related to the academic domain of writing (e.g. pre-planning), as well as among lower- (e.g. handwriting) and higher-order (e.g. editing) writing-specific processes. The current study utilizes the Not-so-Simple View of Writing (NSVW) as an organizing framework for examining the relations among multiple components, correlates, and attributes of writing in a sample of struggling readers/writers (n = 402) in grades 3-5. Data were collected on measures of (a) handwriting, spelling, planning, revision, and editing, derived from the Test of Oral Written Language (TOWL-4), (b) executive function derived from the NIH Examiner, and (c) motivation/self-efficacy derived from the Student Contextual Learning Scale. Structural equation modeling was utilized to test direct and indirect relations in the NSVW model. Results showed generally moderate correlations among observed/latent variables and found support for relations among writing-specific processes. Domain-general resources (executive function and motivation/self-efficacy) were related to spelling directly and indirectly to writing. Domain-specific processes (handwriting, spelling, planning, editing, and revision) were related to writing. The results have implications for explicit instruction of writing processes and for future research on empirical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusra Ahmed
- Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shawn Kent
- College of Education, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paul T. Cirino
- Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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Kibby MY, Newsham G, Imre Z, Schlak JE. Is executive dysfunction a potential contributor to the comorbidity between basic reading disability and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder? Child Neuropsychol 2021; 27:888-910. [PMID: 33849390 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2021.1908532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Our study is one of the few to analyze executive functioning (EF) in a comprehensive, multi-modal fashion as a potential contributor to the comorbidity between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and basic reading disability (RD). We included multiple, traditional, neuropsychological measures of EF, along with the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) questionnaire, to assess inhibit, shift, working memory (WM), planning, generation fluency, and problem-solving. Participants included 263 children, ages 8-12 years, with RD, ADHD, RD/ADHD, and typically developing controls. When using the traditional measures in a 2 × 2 MANCOVA, we found both RD and ADHD had poor cognitive EF in most areas at the group level, with phonological loop deficits being more specific to RD and behavioral regulation deficits being more specific to ADHD. Children with RD/ADHD performed comparably to those with RD and ADHD alone. Results were similar on the BRIEF. In contrast, only WM predicted both basic reading and inattention when the data were assessed in a continuous fashion. It also explained the correlations between basic reading and inattention, being worthy of longitudinal research to determine if it is a shared contributor to RD/ADHD. When comparing hypotheses as to the nature of RD/ADHD, we found the multiple deficit hypothesis was better supported by our EF data than the phenocopy hypothesis or the cognitive subtype hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Y Kibby
- School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Genni Newsham
- School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Zsofia Imre
- School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Jennifer E Schlak
- School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, USA
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Halverson KK, Derrick JL, Medina LD, Cirino PT. Executive Functioning with the NIH EXAMINER and Inference Making in Struggling Readers. Dev Neuropsychol 2021; 46:213-231. [PMID: 33794714 PMCID: PMC8113101 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2021.1908291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Executive functioning (EF) is a domain-general process implicated in reading, but there remains lack of clarity within the domain due to varied assessment methods. We investigated the relation of EF (indexed with the NIH EXAMINER) to word reading, reading fluency, and reading comprehension in struggling readers and evaluated the mediational role of inference making for the EF-comprehension link. Analyses revealed an overall effect of EF on reading, with significant differences between fluency and comprehension, and between single word reading and comprehension, but not between fluency and single-word reading. The EF-reading comprehension relation was fully mediated by inference making.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jaye L Derrick
- Psychology Department, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Luis D Medina
- Psychology Department, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Paul T Cirino
- Psychology Department, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
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16
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Assessing reading and online research comprehension: Do difficulties in attention and executive function matter? LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2021.101985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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17
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Abstract
This paper proposes a model for developmental psychopathology that is informed by recent research suggestive of a single model of mental health disorder (the p factor) and seeks to integrate the role of the wider social and cultural environment into our model, which has previously been more narrowly focused on the role of the immediate caregiving context. Informed by recently emerging thinking on the social and culturally driven nature of human cognitive development, the ways in which humans are primed to learn and communicate culture, and a mentalizing perspective on the highly intersubjective nature of our capacity for affect regulation and social functioning, we set out a cultural-developmental approach to psychopathology.
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Gerst EH, Cirino PT, Macdonald KT, Miciak J, Yoshida H, Woods SP, Gibbs MC. The Structure of Processing Speed in Children and its Impact on Reading. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2021; 22:84-107. [PMID: 33519305 PMCID: PMC7839965 DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2020.1862121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The present study had two aims. First, we set out to evaluate the structure of processing speed in children by comparing five alternative models: two conceptual models (a unitary model, a complexity model) and three methodological models (a stimulus material model, an output response model, and a timing modality model). Second, we then used the resulting models to predict multiple types of reading, a highly important developmental outcome, using other well-known predictors as covariates. Participants were 844 children enrolled in third through fifth grade in urban public elementary schools who received 16 measures of processing speed that varied in the above dimensions. A two-factor complexity model that differentiated between simple and complex processing speed was the preferred model and fit the data well. Both types of PS predicted reading fluency, and complex (but not simple) PS predicted single word reading and comprehension. Results offer insight to the structure of processing speed, its relation to closely related concepts (such as executive function), and provide nuance to the understanding of the way processing speed influences reading.
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Nguyen TQ, Del Tufo SN, Cutting LE. Readers Recruit Executive Functions to Self-Correct Miscues During Oral Reading Fluency. SCIENTIFIC STUDIES OF READING : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF READING 2020; 24:462-483. [PMID: 33716490 PMCID: PMC7954224 DOI: 10.1080/10888438.2020.1720025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Reading fluency undoubtedly underlies reading competence; yet, the role of executive functions (EF) is less well understood. Here, we investigated the relationship between children's reading fluency and EF. Children's (n = 82) reading and language performance was determined by standardized assessments and EF by parental questionnaire. Results revealed that production of more miscues was explained by poorer reading and language performance and EF. Yet, self-correcting a miscue was predicted by better EF, beyond reading and language abilities. Intriguingly, EF partially mediated the relationship between reading and self-correction, suggesting that self-correction reflects parallel recruitment and coordination of domain-specific and domain-general processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tin Q Nguyen
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Stephanie N Del Tufo
- College of Education and Human Development, University of Delaware, Newark, Tennessee, USA
| | - Laurie E. Cutting
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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20
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Abstract
Executive function (EF) skills are neurocognitive skills that support the reflective, top-down coordination and control of other brain functions, and there is neural and behavioral evidence for a continuum from more "cool" EF skills activated in emotionally neutral contexts to more "hot" EF skills needed for the reversal of motivationally significant tendencies. Difficulties in EF are transdiagnostic indicators of atypical development. A neurodevelopmental model traces the pathway from adverse childhood experiences and stress to disruption of the development of neural systems supporting reflection and EF skills to an increased risk for general features of psychopathology. Research indicates that EF skills can be cultivated through scaffolded training and are a promising target for therapeutic and preventive intervention. Intervention efficacy can be enhanced by mitigating disruptive bottom-up influences such as stress, training both hot and cool EF skills, and adding a reflective, metacognitive component to promote far transfer of trained skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip David Zelazo
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0345, USA;
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21
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Domain-specific self-regulation contributes to concurrent but not later mathematics performance in elementary students. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2020.101845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Cirino PT, Miciak J, Ahmed Y, Barnes MA, Taylor WP, Gerst EH. Executive Function: Association with Multiple Reading Skills. READING AND WRITING 2019; 32:1819-1846. [PMID: 31680727 PMCID: PMC6824553 DOI: 10.1007/s11145-018-9923-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Executive function (EF) is related to reading. However, there is a lack of clarity around (a) the relative contribution of different components of EF to different reading components (word reading, fluency, comprehension), and (b) how EF operates in the context of known strong language predictors (e.g., components of the Simple View of Reading or SVR), and other skills theoretically related to reading (e.g., vocabulary, processing speed) and/or to EF (e.g., short-term memory, motor function). In a large sample of 3rd to 5th graders oversampled for struggling readers, this paper evaluates the impact of EF derived from a bifactor model (Cirino, Ahmed, Miciak, Taylor, Gerst, & Barnes, 2018) in the context of well-known covariates and demographics. Beyond common EF, five specific factors (two related to working memory, and factors of fluency, self-regulated learning, and behavioral inattention/metacognition) were addressed. EF consistently showed a unique contribution to already-strong predictive models for all reading outcomes; for reading comprehension, EF interacted with SVR indices (word reading and listening comprehension). The findings extend and refine our understanding of the contribution of EF to reading skill.
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Spencer M, Richmond MC, Cutting LE. Considering the Role of Executive Function in Reading Comprehension: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach. SCIENTIFIC STUDIES OF READING : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF READING 2019; 24:179-199. [PMID: 32982142 PMCID: PMC7518696 DOI: 10.1080/10888438.2019.1643868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, we used latent variable structural equation modeling to investigate relations between oral language, decoding, and two components of executive function (cognitive flexibility and working memory) and reading comprehension in a sample of 271 native English-speaking 9.00- to 14.83-year-olds. Results of the mediation analyses indicated that both oral language and decoding fully mediated the relations between working memory and cognitive flexibility and reading comprehension. These findings suggest that executive function is likely associated with reading comprehension through its relation with decoding and oral language and provide additional support for the role of executive function in reading comprehension as a potentially crucial precursor to skilled reading.
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Andersen PN, Klausen ME, Skogli EW. Art of Learning - An Art-Based Intervention Aimed at Improving Children's Executive Functions. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1769. [PMID: 31417476 PMCID: PMC6685039 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) can be conceptualized as a mean of behavioral self-regulation, and difficulties with EFs may adversely affect school success, social function, and cognitive and psychological development. Research about EFs and how they are affected by various educational and psychosocial factors is sparse. EFs are of great importance to understand how children can handle the challenges that they meet at various stages of development. There has been an increased focus on programs aimed at improving EFs, either as a primary outcome, or as a supplemental result of a specific activity. In this randomized controlled study, 66 children (31 girls, mean age 7:1 years) were given an arts and culture rich intervention (Art of Learning) aimed at improving EFs. EFs were assessed with the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning-teacher version (BRIEF-teacher form) before, immediately after, and 6 months after intervention. Outcome in the intervention group was compared to children from two schools serving as controls (n = 37, 18 girls, mean age 7:3 years). In addition, teachers from intervention schools were also interviewed both individually and in focus groups. The results reveal that both groups improved their EFs, as measured with BRIEF, over time on the global executive composite (GEC) score, the metacognition index, and on behavioral regulation index (BRI). However, the intervention group displayed a significantly greater improvement than the control group on GEC and BRI. The teacher interviews reveal positive effects for the children when it comes to several aspects: collaboration, conflict management, inclusion, vocabulary, and confidence. These factors are regarded as important for EFs development and academic outcome. The results support the notion of best training transfer effects for tasks addressing global executive functioning and specifically behavioral regulation skills (BRI).
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Affiliation(s)
- Per Normann Andersen
- Faculty of Social and Health Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer, Norway
| | - Marita Eggen Klausen
- Faculty of Education, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer, Norway
| | - Erik Winther Skogli
- Division of Mental Health Care, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway
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Church JA, Cirino PT, Miciak J, Juranek J, Vaughn S, Fletcher JM. Cognitive, Intervention, and Neuroimaging Perspectives on Executive Function in Children With Reading Disabilities. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 2019; 2019:25-54. [PMID: 31046202 PMCID: PMC6522302 DOI: 10.1002/cad.20292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The role of executive function (EF) in the reading process, and in those with reading difficulties, remains unclear. As members of the Texas Center for Learning Disabilities, we review multiple perspectives regarding EF in reading and then summarize some of our recent studies of struggling and typical readers in grades 3-5. Study 1a found that a bi-factor structure best represented a comprehensive assessment of EF. Study 1b found that cognitive and behavioral measures of EF related independently to math and reading. Study 1c found that EF related to reading, above and beyond other variables, but Study 1d found no evidence that adding an EF training component improved intervention response. Study 1e found that pretest EF abilities did not relate to intervention response. Neuroimaging studies examined EF-related brain activity during both reading and nonlexical EF tasks. In Study 2a, the EF task evoked control activity, but generated no differences between struggling and typical readers. The reading task, however, had group differences in both EF and reading regions. In Study 2b, EF activity during reading at pretest was related to intervention response. Across studies, EF appears involved in the reading process. There is less evidence for general EF predicting or improving intervention outcomes.
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Jacobson LA, Kalb LG, Mahone EM. When theory met data: Factor structure of the BRIEF2 in a clinical sample. Clin Neuropsychol 2019; 34:243-258. [PMID: 30773993 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2019.1571634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Objective: The BRIEF2 is the recent revision of a frequently employed measure of executive behaviors; however, no research has yet addressed the validity of the new measure's theoretical design.Method: The present study examined the factor structure of the BRIEF2 in 5212 clinically referred youth (66% male, 5-18 years) via exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses of item-level responses.Results: Results from the EFA suggested the BRIEF2 has fewer factors than would be suggested by the nine theoretically derived scales. While the theoretical CFA model, that omitted item-level information, demonstrated the best fit, when the item-level information was employed there was a decrement in model fit statistics and several extremely high loadings suggested scale-level redundancy in measurement. When the scales were omitted, and the items were loaded directly onto the indices, there was very little change in item-level factor loadings.Conclusions: Findings suggest fewer than nine scales are needed and that clinical interpretation of the BRIEF2 may be more appropriate at the index, rather than scale, level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa A Jacobson
- Department of Neuropsychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Luther G Kalb
- Department of Neuropsychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - E Mark Mahone
- Department of Neuropsychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Miciak J, Cirino PT, Ahmed Y, Reid E, Vaughn S. Executive Functions and Response to Intervention: Identification of Students Struggling with Reading Comprehension. LEARNING DISABILITY QUARTERLY : JOURNAL OF THE DIVISION FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES 2019; 42:17-31. [PMID: 31130770 PMCID: PMC6532999 DOI: 10.1177/0731948717749935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Inadequate responders demonstrate significant risk for learning disabilities. Previous investigations of the cognitive profiles of inadequate and adequate responders have not included measures of executive functions (EF), which have well-documented associations to reading comprehension. We evaluated EF performance on a common factor comprised of shared variance across tasks as well as five separable EF factors in the context of an intensive reading intervention for struggling fourth graders. To determine if EF performance at pretest is associated with subsequent responder status, we compared EF performance of three subgroups of students: inadequate and adequate responders and typical students not at-risk for reading disabilities. Results of discriminant function analyses and linear regression models comparing groups were largely null; EF performance at pretest demonstrated only small associations with responder status. These results suggest that the assessment of EF may have limited value in predicting which individual students will respond to intensive reading interventions.
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28
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Nugiel T, Roe MA, Taylor WP, Cirino PT, Vaughn SR, Fletcher JM, Juranek J, Church JA. Brain activity in struggling readers before intervention relates to future reading gains. Cortex 2019; 111:286-302. [PMID: 30557815 PMCID: PMC6420828 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Neural markers for reading-related changes in response to intervention could inform intervention plans by serving as a potential index of the malleability of the reading network in struggling readers. Of particular interest is the role of brain activation outside the reading network, especially in executive control networks important for reading comprehension. However, it is unclear whether any intervention-related executive control changes in the brain are specific to reading tasks or reflect more domain general changes. Brain changes associated with reading gains over time were compared for a sentence comprehension task as well as for a non-lexical executive control task (a behavioral inhibition task) in upper-elementary struggling readers, and in grade-matched non-struggling readers. Functional MRI scans were conducted before and after 16 weeks of reading intervention. Participants were grouped as improvers and non-improvers based on the consistency and size of post-intervention gains across multiple post-test measures. Engagement of the right fusiform during the reading task, both before and after intervention, was related to gains from remediation. Additionally, pre-intervention activation in regions that are part of the default-mode network (precuneus) and the fronto-parietal network (right posterior middle temporal gyrus) separated improvers and non-improvers from non-struggling readers. None of these differences were observed during the non-lexical inhibitory control task, indicating that the brain changes seen related to intervention outcome in struggling readers were specific to the reading process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tehila Nugiel
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Mary Abbe Roe
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - W Patrick Taylor
- Department of Psychology, The University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paul T Cirino
- Department of Psychology, The University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sharon R Vaughn
- Meadows Center for Prevention of Educational Risk, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jack M Fletcher
- Department of Psychology, The University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jenifer Juranek
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jessica A Church
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Biomedical Imaging Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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Roe MA, Martinez JE, Mumford JA, Taylor WP, Cirino PT, Fletcher JM, Juranek J, Church JA. Control Engagement During Sentence and Inhibition fMRI Tasks in Children With Reading Difficulties. Cereb Cortex 2018; 28:3697-3710. [PMID: 30060152 PMCID: PMC6132278 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent reading research implicates executive control regions as sites of difference in struggling readers. However, as studies often employ only reading or language tasks, the extent of deviation in control engagement in children with reading difficulties is not known. The current study investigated activation in reading and executive control brain regions during both a sentence comprehension task and a nonlexical inhibitory control task in third-fifth grade children with and without reading difficulties. We employed both categorical (group-based) and individual difference approaches to relate reading ability to brain activity. During sentence comprehension, struggling readers had less activation in the left posterior temporal cortex, previously implicated in language, semantic, and reading research. Greater negative activity (relative to fixation) during sentence comprehension in a left inferior parietal region from the executive control literature correlated with poorer reading ability. Greater comprehension scores were associated with less dorsal anterior cingulate activity during the sentence comprehension task. Unlike the sentence task, there were no significant differences between struggling and nonstruggling readers for the nonlexical inhibitory control task. Thus, differences in executive control engagement were largely specific to reading, rather than a general control deficit across tasks in children with reading difficulties, informing future intervention research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Abbe Roe
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Joel E Martinez
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Jeanette A Mumford
- Center for Healthy Minds, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Paul T Cirino
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Jenifer Juranek
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jessica A Church
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Imaging Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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