Executive Function and Attention in Children Born Prematurely

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 150-156
Author(s):  
Celeste Beaudoin ◽  
Roxanne Bélanger
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Premature Infants ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Premature Children ◽  
The Impact

Aim - The aim of this study is to measure the abilities of premature school-aged children in tasks of attention, working memory and executive functioning in order to determine if premature newborns are more at risk to develop delays compared to children born at term. Method - The sampling will be based on a previous study where five school-age premature children from Northern Ontario will be assessed using standardized tests. Each parent will be given a standardized questionnaire designed to measure the executive functioning of his or her child. The results will be then compared to those of a control group born at term without any neonatal complications. Participants will be matched according to gender, age, language status and socio-economic status. Preliminary analysis has shown that premature infants have reduced performance in tasks such as attention and executive functioning (inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility). The influence of gestational age, birth weight and socio-economic status will be explained. Importance of the Study - Premature children are more vulnerable to developmental and behavioural delays (Taheri, Goudarzi, Shariat, Nariman, & Martin, 2017). Several studies have shown that delays in executive functions are associated with lower academic achievement (Hüning et al., 2017). This study will help us determine the nature of the impact on non-language skills in premature infants. Preliminary results will allow us to better understand the impact of prematurity on the development of attention and executive functioning (inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility), as it relates to language.

scholarly journals Executive functioning as a predictive measure of offending behaviour

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin A. Spenser ◽  
Ray Bull ◽  
Lucy Betts ◽  
Belinda Winder
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Moral Reasoning ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Screening Tests ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Empathic Understanding ◽  
The Impact

PurposeProsociality is considered important in the study of offenders and associated cognitive skills: theory of mind, empathic understanding and moral reasoning, are said to enable self-control and reduce the risk of offending behaviours. Previous research has made associations between these skills and executive functioning; however, research into a link between them, in an offending population, is limited. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approachTo further understand the practicalities of this, the present study considered the predictive abilities of the constructs believed to underpin executive functioning: working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control, in relation to theory of mind, empathic understanding and moral reasoning. In total, 200 male and female offenders completed measures in all six constructs.FindingsUsing path analysis working memory was demonstrated to be predictive of theory of mind and empathic understanding, cognitive flexibility was found to be predictive of theory of mind, and inhibitory control was found to be predictive of theory of mind, empathic understanding and moral reasoning.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focussed on offenders serving a custodial sentence of six months or less and did not differentiate between crime categories or take into consideration the socio-environmental backgrounds or ethnicity. Therefore, considering these things could further establish the generalisability of the current findings. It is noted that the more focussed the intervention is to the specific needs of an offender, the greater the impact will be. Therefore, pre-screening tests for the constructs discussed may be able to more accurately assess an offenders’ suitability for a programme, or indeed tailor it to meet the specific needs of that person.Practical implicationsThese findings may enable practitioners to more accurately assess offenders’ suitability for interventions aimed at reducing offending behaviours by improving levels of prosociality and develop more focussed programmes to meet the specific needs of individual offenders to reduce re-offending.Social implicationsAs recommended in the study, a more tailored approach to offender rehabilitation may be a potential aid to reducing levels of recidivism.Originality/valueThe present study adds to the literature as it is the first to consider whether the constructs of executive functioning can predict levels of theory of mind, empathic understanding and moral reasoning and so provide a more accurate method in assessing the cognitive abilities of offenders prior to participation in rehabilitative interventions.

scholarly journals Effects of Sport-Based Interventions on Children’s Executive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 755
Author(s):  
Falonn Contreras-Osorio ◽  
Christian Campos-Jara ◽  
Cristian Martínez-Salazar ◽  
Luis Chirosa-Ríos ◽  
Darío Martínez-García
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Impact

One of the most studied aspects of children’s cognitive development is that of the development of the executive function, and research has shown that physical activity has been demonstrated as a key factor in its enhancement. This meta-analysis aims to assess the impact of specific sports interventions on the executive function of children and teenagers. A systematic review was carried out on 1 November 2020 to search for published scientific evidence that analysed different sports programs that possibly affected executive function in students. Longitudinal studies, which assessed the effects of sports interventions on subjects between 6 and 18 years old, were identified through a systematic search of the four principal electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO. A total of eight studies, with 424 subjects overall, met the inclusion criteria and were classified based on one or more of the following categories: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. The random-effects model for meta-analyses was performed with RevMan version 5.3 to facilitate the analysis of the studies. Large effect sizes were found in all categories: working memory (ES −1.25; 95% CI −1.70; −0.79; p < 0.0001); inhibitory control (ES −1.30; 95% CI −1.98; −0.63; p < 0.00001); and cognitive flexibility (ES −1.52; 95% CI −2.20; −0.83; p < 0.00001). Our analysis concluded that healthy children and teenagers should be encouraged to practice sports in order to improve their executive function at every stage of their development.

scholarly journals Early bilingual immersion school program and cognitive development in French-speaking children: Effect of the second language learned (English vs. Dutch) and exposition duration (2 vs. 5 years)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. e0258458
Author(s):  
Sophie Gillet ◽  
Cristina Barbu ◽  
Martine Poncelet
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Fifth Grade ◽  
Second Grade ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Executive Skills ◽  
French Speaking ◽  
The Impact

The results of studies targeting cognitive and academic advantages in children frequenting early bilingual immersion school programs (CLIL) have been contradictory. While the impact of the amount of CLIL experience has already been studied, the role of the second language learned has been little studied to account for differences among study findings. The link between executive skills (EF) and scholar abilities (e.g., mathematics) in the CLIL context has also been little investigated. The purpose of the present study was to determine if the impact of CLIL on EF and academic performances varies depending on the immersion language and the duration of CLIL experience. The sample included a total of 230 French-speaking children attending second (141) and fifth (89) grade classes. Within each grade, there were three matched language groups composed of children respectively immersed in English, immersed in Dutch, and non-immersed controls. The children were administered tasks assessing executive functions [alerting, cognitive flexibility, and working memory], as well as arithmetic abilities. In second grade, we detected no difference in EF between the language groups. On the other hand, in fifth grade, the two immersed groups outperformed the non-immersed group on the cognitive flexibility task but did not differ between them. Moreover, only the Dutch immersed group outperformed the control group on the working memory task. Arithmetic performances also differed depending on the language learned; in second grade, Dutch learners performed better than the monolingual group. In fifth grade, Dutch learners outperformed the two other groups. These results suggest that the impact of CLIL on executive skills and arithmetic performances might be modulated by the amount of CLIL experience and the second language learned in immersion.

The Impact of Working Memory Training on Cognitive Abilities in Older Adults: The Role of Cognitive Reserve

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-61
Author(s):  
Sara Mičič ◽  
Marina Horvat ◽  
Karin Bakracevic
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine whether Working Memory (WM) training improves the cognitive functioning of older adults and to determine the role of cognitive reserve in WM training. Method: Twenty-one older adults, aged between 65 and 91 years were included in the study. Ten of them were in the experimental group and 11 in the passive control group. The experimental group underwent 15 training sessions of n-back training over a period of five weeks, whereas the control group remained passive. All participants (from the experimental and control group) were tested before the training, one week after the training, and three months after the training with Rey– Osterrieth/Taylor Complex Figure test (ROCF), Digit span, and TMT (part A and part B). Results and Conclusion: Results of our study suggest that although the experimental group slightly improved their performance on the trained task, the progress was not statistically significant. There was also no statistically significant transfer of training effects onto tasks of visual-spatial and verbal memory, as well as those related to executive functioning. However, the study did identify a statistically significant correlation between cognitive reserve and certain tests performed at the final testing: tasks measuring executive functioning and spatial ability. Results also revealed that the group that showed improvement in the training task was significantly better in the ROCF test in comparison with the group that had not improved their performance on the N-back task. Thus, visual-spatial abilities (visual perception, construction, and memory) were more connected with success in WM training, than other measured cognitive abilities (e.g. verbal and numerical memory).

scholarly journals The impact of parent socio-economic status on executive functioning and cortical morphology in individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 1257-1265 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Yeo ◽  
D. Martinez ◽  
J. Pommy ◽  
S. Ehrlich ◽  
S. C. Schulz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Intellectual Ability ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Executive Skills ◽  
Cortical Morphology ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundRelatively lower executive functioning is characteristic of individuals with schizophrenia. As low socio-economic status (SES) early in life (i.e. parent SES) has been linked with lower executive skills in healthy children, we hypothesized that parental SES (pSES) would be more strongly related to executive functioning in individuals with schizophrenia than in controls and have a greater impact on prefrontal cortical morphology.MethodHealthy controls (n = 125) and individuals with schizophrenia (n = 102) completed tests assessing executive functioning and intelligence. The groups were matched on pSES, which was evaluated with the Hollingshead–Redlich scale. A principal components analysis (PCA) was conducted on 10 variables from six executive tests, yielding three specific components (fluency, planning and response inhibition). Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to evaluate effects of pSES on gray matter (GM) concentration.ResultsLower pSES was associated with lower scores across the three executive functioning components, and a significant group by pSES interaction was observed such that low pSES, in particular, affected individuals with schizophrenia. These effects remained significant when intellectual ability, education and self-SES (sSES) were added as covariates. VBM revealed that lower pSES was associated with reduced GM volume in several anterior brain regions, especially the superior frontal gyrus, in patients but not in controls.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that individuals with schizophrenia may be particularly vulnerable to the adverse impact of low pSES, in terms of both lower executive skills and reduced anterior GM volumes.

scholarly journals Influence of Physical Activity and Socio-Economic Status on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Patients after Stroke

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 8058
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Paprocka-Borowicz ◽  
Mona Wiatr ◽  
Maria Ciałowicz ◽  
Wojciech Borowicz ◽  
Agnieszka Kaczmarek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Therapy ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Post Stroke ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Treatment Of Depression ◽  
Post Stroke Depression ◽  
The Impact

Stroke is a high-risk factor for depression. Neurological rehabilitation is greatly difficult and often does not include treatment of depression. The post-stroke depression plays an important role in the progress of treatment, health, and the life of the patient. The appropriate treatment of depression could improve the quality of life of the patient and their family. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of physical activity and socio-economic status of the patient on the effectiveness of recovery from depression and the severity of the symptoms of depression. The study was conducted with 40 patients after stroke aged 42–82 years, and included 10 women and 30 men who were hospitalized for two weeks. The severity of depression/anxiety (D/A) symptoms were evaluated two times; at admission and after two weeks of physical therapy. The hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) questionnaire was used for this purpose. Socio-economic status was evaluated by several simple questions. It was revealed that physical therapy has a positive influence on mental state. The severity of D/A symptoms after stroke is related to the financial status of the patients (2 = 11.198, p = 0.024). The state of health (2 = 20.57, p = 0.022) and physical fitness (2 = 12.95, p = 0.044) changed the severity of symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders. The kinesiotherapy in the group of patients with post-stroke depression had positive effects; however, economic and health conditions may influence the prognosis of the disease.

ECP02-01 - Globalisation and the impact of economic factors on psychiatric disorders

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1795-1795
Author(s):  
D. Bhugra
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Psychiatric Morbidity ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Level Of Economic Development ◽  
Migration Experiences ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

IntroductionWith the process of globalisation in full flow, the movement of people and products across the globe has brought a series of difficulties. With migration the socio-economic status of the individuals may change with the likelihood that this status will be lower rather than higher, although depending upon the reasons for migration this may change too.ObjectivesLiterature shows that low socio-economic status is associated with a higher level of psychiatric morbidity.AimsWhether migration acts as a mediator needs to be investigated further.MethodsVarious studies have shown that rates of psychosis are elevated in migrants though these rates are differentially increased in different groups indicating that factors other than migration may be at play.ResultsIn this presentation the literature and link the acculturation and cultural identity with post-migration experiences will be reviewed.ConclusionA link exists between the perceptions within cultures and level of economic development of what constitutes mental health. The state of advancement of mental health services of a country will certainly have a large impact on prevalence rates. Further investigation should be carried out to examine in greater depth the relationship between social inequality and disorder prevalence, as distinct from income inequality.

Combined cognitive and motor training improves the outcome in the early phase after stroke and prevents a decline of executive functions: A pilot study

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Mareike Eschweiler ◽  
Lara Bohr ◽  
Josef Kessler ◽  
Gereon R. Fink ◽  
Elke Kalbe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Motor Training ◽  
Set Shifting ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Motor Functioning

BACKGROUND: The negative impact of cognitive dysfunction on motor rehabilitation as a relearning-process is well known in stroke patients. However, evidence for combined cognitive and motor training (CMT) is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of combined CMT in early stroke rehabilitation. METHODS: In a controlled pilot study, 29 moderately affected stroke patients with low-level motor performance and cognitive impairment received motor therapy plus either cognitive (experimental group, EG) or low-frequency ergometer training (control group, CG) for eight days. RESULTS: Both groups improved their motor functioning significantly. After training, between-group comparison revealed significant differences for cognitive flexibility and trends for set-shifting, working memory, and reaction control in favor of the EG. Within-group effects showed improvement across all cognitive domains in the EG, which correlated with gains in bed-mobility, while the CG showed no significant improvement in cognition. Rather, a trend towards reaction control decline was observed, which correlated with less functional progression and recovery. Furthermore, a decline in cognitive flexibility, set-shifting, and working memory was descriptively observed. CONCLUSIONS: Combined CMT may enhance cognition and motor relearning early after stroke and is superior to single motor training. Further studies are needed to replicate these results and investigate long-term benefits.

scholarly journals Is socio-economic status a determinant of HIV-related stigma attitudes in Zimbabwe? Findings from Project Accept

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kudzanai Mateveke ◽  
Basant Singh ◽  
Alfred Chingono ◽  
E. Sibanda ◽  
Ian Machingura
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Low Ses ◽  
Voluntary Counseling And Testing ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Stigma And Discrimination ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
The Impact

HIV related stigma and discrimination is a known barrier for HIV prevention and care. We aimed to assess the relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and HIV related stigma in Zimbabwe. This paper uses data from Project Accept, which examined the impact of community-based voluntary counseling and testing intervention on HIV incidence and stigma. Total of 2522 eligible participants responded to a psychometric assessment tool, which assessed HIV related stigma and discrimination attitudes on 4 point Likert scale. The tool measured three components of HIVrelated stigma: shame, blame and social isolation, perceived discrimination, and equity. Participants’ ownership of basic assets was used to assess the socio-economic status. Shame, blame and social isolation component of HIV related stigma was found to be significantly associated with medium [odds ratio (OR)=1.73, P<0.01] and low SES (OR=1.97, P<0.01), indicating more stigmatizing attitudes by participants belonging to medium and low SES in comparison to high SES. For HIV related stigma and discrimination programs to be effective, they should take into account the socio-economic context of target population.

scholarly journals Advantages of Using HJ-Biplot Analysis in Executive Functions Studies

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Cadavid Ruiz ◽  
Jaime Egido ◽  
Purificación Galindo-Villardón ◽  
Pablo Del-Río
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Analysis Of Variance ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Cognitive Characteristics ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Biplot Analysis ◽  
Multiple Data ◽  
Type Of School

Abstract Executive functions (EFs) are considered a multiple system of processing, associated with different components, such as inhibition, working memory, planning, among others. The study of EFs requires the assessment of all its components, having in mind the socio-demographic and cognitive characteristics of the target population. Nowadays, analysis of variance is used to achieve this goal; nevertheless, HJ-Biplot analysis overcome its limitations by allowing simultaneous examination of multiple data, such as those generated in EFs studies. This study evaluates possible differences in the EFs of 80 8-year-old Colombian children by their sex, socio-economic status and type of school they attend, to exemplify the advantages of using HJ-Biplot analysis in neuropsychological studies.

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