Children's verbal working memory: Relative importance of storage, general processing speed, and domain-general controlled attention

2012 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
pp. 196-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beula M. Magimairaj ◽  
James W. Montgomery
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Controlled Attention

Basic numerical processing, calculation, and working memory in children with dyscalculia and/or ADHD symptoms

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 365-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg-Tobias Kuhn ◽  
Elena Ise ◽  
Julia Raddatz ◽  
Christin Schwenk ◽  
Christian Dobel
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Cognitive Profiles ◽  
Adhd Symptoms ◽  
Memory Processing ◽  
Numerical Processing ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Neurocognitive Measures

Abstract. Objective: Deficits in basic numerical skills, calculation, and working memory have been found in children with developmental dyscalculia (DD) as well as children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This paper investigates cognitive profiles of children with DD and/or ADHD symptoms (AS) in a double dissociation design to obtain a better understanding of the comorbidity of DD and ADHD. Method: Children with DD-only (N = 33), AS-only (N = 16), comorbid DD+AS (N = 20), and typically developing controls (TD, N = 40) were assessed on measures of basic numerical processing, calculation, working memory, processing speed, and neurocognitive measures of attention. Results: Children with DD (DD, DD+AS) showed deficits in all basic numerical skills, calculation, working memory, and sustained attention. Children with AS (AS, DD+AS) displayed more selective difficulties in dot enumeration, subtraction, verbal working memory, and processing speed. Also, they generally performed more poorly in neurocognitive measures of attention, especially alertness. Children with DD+AS mostly showed an additive combination of the deficits associated with DD-only and A_Sonly, except for subtraction tasks, in which they were less impaired than expected. Conclusions: DD and AS appear to be related to largely distinct patterns of cognitive deficits, which are present in combination in children with DD+AS.


Decreased processing speed might account for working memory span deficit in schizophrenia, and might mediate the associations between working memory span and clinical symptoms

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 473-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Brébion ◽  
C. Stephan-Otto ◽  
E. Huerta-Ramos ◽  
J. Usall ◽  
M. Perez del Olmo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Memory Impairment ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Memory Span ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Motor Speed ◽  
Speed Measure ◽  
Cognitive Speed

AbstractObjectiveVerbal working memory span is decreased in patients with schizophrenia, and this might contribute to impairment in higher cognitive functions as well as to the formation of certain clinical symptoms. Processing speed has been identified as a crucial factor in cognitive efficiency in this population. We tested the hypothesis that decreased processing speed underlies the verbal working memory deficit in patients and mediates the associations between working memory span and clinical symptoms.MethodForty-nine schizophrenia inpatients recruited from units for chronic and acute patients, and forty-five healthy participants, were involved in the study. Verbal working memory span was assessed by means of the letter-number span. The Digit Copy test was used to assess motor speed, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test to assess cognitive speed.ResultsThe working memory span was significantly impaired in patients (F(1,90) = 4.6, P < 0.05). However, the group difference was eliminated when either the motor or the cognitive speed measure was controlled (F(1,89) = 0.03, P = 0.86, and F(1,89) = 0.03, P = 0.88). In the patient group, working memory span was significantly correlated with negative symptoms (r = –0.52, P < 0.0001) and thought disorganisation (r = –0.34, P < 0.025) scores. Regression analyses showed that the association with negative symptoms was no longer significant when the motor speed measure was controlled (β = –0.12, P = 0.20), while the association with thought disorganisation was no longer significant when the cognitive speed measure was controlled (β = –0.10, P = 0.26).ConclusionsDecrement in motor and cognitive speed plays a significant role in both the verbal working memory impairment observed in patients and the associations between verbal working memory impairment and clinical symptoms.

scholarly journals An Auditory Stroop Test to Implement in Cognitive Hearing Sciences: Development and Normative Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 37-51
Author(s):  
Katrien Kestens ◽  
Sofie Degeest ◽  
Marijke Miatton ◽  
Hannah Keppler
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Normative Data ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Stroop Test ◽  
Good Test ◽  
Interference Score ◽  
Effect Of Age

Objective: This study developed and gained insight in an auditory Stroop test, implementable in cognitive hearing sciences. Methods: An auditory Stroop test was developed and performed in 178 participants, aged between 18 and 69 years. This Auditory Stroop test consisted of two tests: Stroop-tones and Stroop-words whereby the pitch of pure-tones and spoken words (i.e., the words high and low) had to be identified by high or low, respectively. An interference score was calculated as a measure of verbal executive functioning. Regression models were conducted to examine the effect of age, sex, education, awakeness, hearing, as well as visual and verbal working memory, and processing speed on the auditory Stroop scores. Normative data were obtained per age decade. Results: Compared to the visual counterparts, the auditory Stroop outcomes were better predicted by verbal working memory and processing speed. A trend was observed showing a decrease in performances with increasing age. No other participant-related variables had a significant relationship with the auditory Stroop test. Conclusion: This auditory Stroop test was considered a good test for measuring executive functioning using auditory stimuli. Implementing this auditory Stroop test within cognitive hearing sciences will contribute to unravel the auditory-cognitive perspective of speech understanding.

scholarly journals F84. ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN INTELLIGENCE, VERBAL WORKING MEMORY AND PROCESSING SPEED IN PARENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA OR BIPOLAR DISORDER AND THEIR 7-YEAR OLD OFFSPRING

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. S252-S252
Author(s):  
Aja Greve ◽  
Jens Richardt Møllegaard Jepsen ◽  
Erik Lykke Mortensen ◽  
Rudolf Uher ◽  
Lynn Mackenzie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Verbal Working Memory

Language-Specific Attention Treatment for Aphasia: Description and Preliminary Findings

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (01) ◽  
pp. 005-016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Peach ◽  
Meghana Nathan ◽  
Katherine Beck
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Visual Selective Attention ◽  
Moderate Degree ◽  
Attentional Deficits ◽  
Specific Skill ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

The need for a specific, language-based treatment approach to aphasic impairments associated with attentional deficits is well documented. We describe language-specific attention treatment, a specific skill-based approach for aphasia that exploits increasingly complex linguistic tasks that focus attention. The program consists of eight tasks, some with multiple phases, to assess and treat lexical and sentence processing. Validation results demonstrate that these tasks load on six attentional domains: (1) executive attention; (2) attentional switching; (3) visual selective attention/processing speed; (4) sustained attention; (5) auditory-verbal working memory; and (6) auditory processing speed. The program demonstrates excellent inter- and intrarater reliability and adequate test–retest reliability. Two of four people with aphasia exposed to this program demonstrated good language recovery whereas three of the four participants showed improvements in auditory-verbal working memory. The results provide support for this treatment program in patients with aphasia having no greater than a moderate degree of attentional impairment.

scholarly journals Cognitive Impairments of Children with SevereArithmetic Difficulties: Cognitive Deficit orDevelopmental Lag?

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek H Berg
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Cognitive Deficit ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
Matched Design

An age-matched/achievement-matched design was utilized to examine the cognitive functioning of children with severe arithmetic difficulties. A battery of cognitive tasks was administered to three groups of elementary aged children: 20 children with severe arithmetic difficulties (SAD), 20 children matched in age (CAM) to the children with SAD, and 20 younger children matched in arithmetic achievement (AAM) to the children with SAD. Measures were related to processing speed, short-term memory, verbal working memory, and visual-spatial working memory. Results suggest three important fi ndings. First, in contrast to previous studies, children with SAD did not show a processing speed impairment. Second, children with SAD were impaired in short-term memory for numerical and non-numerical information. And third, while children with SAD displayed working memory impairments, these impairments were not uniform within verbal working memory or visualspatial working memory. Taken together, findings indicate that previous studies that have reported differences between children with SAD and their normally achieving peers might have overestimated or mischaracterized the differential cognitive functioning of these groups. Results are discussed within a framework that views the cognitive functioning impairments of children with SAD as representative of a developmental lag rather than a cognitive deficit.

scholarly journals Visual and Verbal Working Memory and Processing Speed Across the Adult Lifespan: The Effect of Age, Sex, Educational Level, Awakeness, and Hearing Sensitivity

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrien Kestens ◽  
Sofie Degeest ◽  
Marijke Miatton ◽  
Hannah Keppler
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Visual Working Memory ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Educational Level ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Stepwise Multiple Regression ◽  
Hearing Sensitivity ◽  
Effect Of Age ◽  
Sequencing Task

Objective: To strengthen future methodological choices regarding the measurement of cognition within the field of audiology, the current study aimed to examine the effect of, among other things, hearing sensitivity on the backward corsi tapping task (i.e., visual working memory and processing speed) and the letter-number sequencing task (i.e., verbal working memory and processing speed).Design and Study Sample: The backward corsi tapping task and the letter-number sequencing task were administered to 184 participants, aged between 18 and 69 years. The effect of age, sex, educational level, awakeness, and hearing sensitivity on verbal and visual working memory and processing speed was assessed using stepwise multiple regression analyses.Results: For all outcome variables, a decrease in performance was observed with increasing age. For visual and verbal working memory, males outperformed females, whereas no clear sex effect was observed for visual and verbal processing speed. Hearing sensitivity had only a significant impact on visual processing speed.Conclusion: The importance to evaluate cognitive construct validity within audiological research was highlighted. Further research should focus on investigating the associations between speech understanding on the one hand and the backward corsi tapping task and letter-number sequencing task on the other hand.

scholarly journals Verbal Working Memory in Older Adults: The Roles of Phonological Capacities and Processing Speed

2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 1520-1532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Nittrouer ◽  
Joanna H. Lowenstein ◽  
Taylor Wucinich ◽  
Aaron C. Moberly
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Phonological Awareness ◽  
Serial Recall ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Age Related

Purpose This study examined the potential roles of phonological sensitivity and processing speed in age-related declines of verbal working memory. Method Twenty younger and 25 older adults with age-normal hearing participated. Two measures of verbal working memory were collected: digit span and serial recall of words. Processing speed was indexed using response times during those tasks. Three other measures were also obtained, assessing phonological awareness, processing, and recoding. Results Forward and reverse digit spans were similar across groups. Accuracy on the serial recall task was poorer for older than for younger adults, and response times were slower. When response time served as a covariate, the age effect for accuracy was reduced. Phonological capacities were equivalent across age groups, so we were unable to account for differences across age groups in verbal working memory. Nonetheless, when outcomes for only older adults were considered, phonological awareness and processing speed explained significant proportions of variance in serial recall accuracy. Conclusion Slowing in processing abilities accounts for the primary trajectory of age-related declines in verbal working memory. However, individual differences in phonological capacities explain variability among individual older adults.

Exploring Expressive Vocabulary Variability in Two-Year-Olds: The Role of Working Memory

2015 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 1761-1772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayne Newbury ◽  
Thomas Klee ◽  
Stephanie F. Stokes ◽  
Catherine Moran
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Spoken Word Recognition ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Expressive Vocabulary ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Unique Variance ◽  
Unique Predictor

Purpose This study explored whether measures of working memory ability contribute to the wide variation in 2-year-olds' expressive vocabulary skills. Method Seventy-nine children (aged 24–30 months) were assessed by using standardized tests of vocabulary and visual cognition, a processing speed measure, and behavioral measures of verbal working memory and phonological short-term memory. Results Strong correlations were observed between phonological short-term memory, verbal working memory, and expressive vocabulary. Speed of spoken word recognition showed a moderate significant correlation with expressive vocabulary. In a multivariate regression model for expressive vocabulary, the most powerful predictor was a measure of phonological short-term memory (accounting for 66% unique variance), followed by verbal working memory (6%), sex (2%), and age (1%). Processing speed did not add significant unique variance. Conclusions These findings confirm previous research positing a strong role for phonological short-term memory in early expressive vocabulary acquisition. They also extend previous research in two ways. First, a unique association between verbal working memory and expressive vocabulary in 2-year-olds was observed. Second, processing speed was not a unique predictor of variance in expressive vocabulary when included alongside measures of working memory.

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