Tracking Changes in Frontal Lobe Hemodynamic Response in Individual Adults With Developmental Language Disorder Following HD tDCS Enhanced Phonological Working Memory Training: An fNIRS Feasibility Study

Purpose This study examined whether monolingual German-speaking preschool children with developmental language disorder (DLD) were facilitated by the presence of case-marking cues in their interpretation of German subject and object welcher (“which”)-questions, as reported for their typically developing peers. We also examined whether knowledge of case-marking and/or phonological working memory modulated children's ability to revise early assigned interpretations of ambiguous questions. Method Sixty-three monolingual German-speaking children with and without DLD aged between 4;0 and 5;11 (years;months) participated in an offline picture selection task targeting the comprehension of welcher -questions in German. We manipulated question type (subject, object), case-marking transparency, and case-marking position within the question (sentence-initial/-final). Results The typically developing children outperformed the children with DLD across conditions, and all children performed better on subject than on object wh -questions. Transparent and early cues elicited higher accuracy than late-arriving cues. For the DLD children, their working memory capacity explained their inability to revise early assigned interpretations to ambiguous questions, whereas their knowledge of case did not. Conclusions The results suggest that disambiguating morphosyntactic cues can only partly facilitate comprehension of German welcher -questions in children with DLD, whose poor phonological working memory rather than their knowledge of case-marking mediates performance on these structures.

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Attention and working memory training: A feasibility study in children with neurodevelopmental disorders

Applied Neuropsychology Child ◽

10.1080/21622965.2015.1109513 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 120-137 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Kimberly A. Kerns ◽

Sarah Macoun ◽

Jenny MacSween ◽

Jacqueline Pei ◽

Marnie Hutchison

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽

Working Memory Training ◽

Memory Training

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A feasibility study of working memory training for individuals with paediatric-onset multiple sclerosis

Neuropsychological Rehabilitation ◽

10.1080/09602011.2017.1372786 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (8) ◽

pp. 1177-1192 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Christine Till ◽

Bravina Kuni ◽

Elisea De Somma ◽

E. Ann Yeh ◽

Brenda Banwell

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Working Memory ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Working Memory Training ◽

Memory Training

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Working memory training enhances complex syntax in children with Developmental Language Disorder

Applied Psycholinguistics ◽

10.1017/s0142716421000369 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-35

Author(s):

Hélène Delage ◽

Emily Stanford ◽

Stephanie Durrleman

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Potential Benefit ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Memory Training ◽

Typical Development ◽

Direct Effects ◽

Developmental Language Disorder ◽

Syntactic Structures ◽

Complex Syntax ◽

Sentence Repetition

Abstract Linguistic deficits attested in children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) have been explained in terms of limitations in working memory (WM). The goal of this research is to assess whether a tailored WM program can improve the syntactic abilities of children with DLD and those with typical development (TD). We created a novel iPad application consisting of five activities specifically designed to train the components of WM that have been shown to be the most predictive of performance on tests assessing complex syntax. Thirty-two children with DLD (M = 9;0) and 18 with TD (M = 8;5) followed the WM training (lasting 12 hours). Results show significant improvement in verbal WM (direct effects) in both TD and DLD groups, and in sentence repetition (transfer effects) in the DLD group, with the most pronounced improvements observed for complex syntactic structures. This progression is not observed for 38 age-matched children of the same age who followed an alternative, global scholastic training (20 DLD, 18 TD), which proves the specific efficacy of our WM training. The logical next step will be to incorporate the training into the therapy of children with DLD in order to reinforce the potential benefit of their interventions.

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The Impact of Phonological Awareness and Phonological Working Memory Training on the Reading Disabilities of Children during their Early Years of Elementary School

Special Education Research ◽

10.18541/ser.2019.05.18.2.5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 5-28

Author(s):

Ji Yoon Kim ◽

Min Kyung Kang ◽

Young Tae Kim

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Elementary School ◽

Phonological Awareness ◽

Reading Disabilities ◽

Early Years ◽

Working Memory Training ◽

Memory Training ◽

Phonological Working Memory ◽

The Impact

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Do Children With Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Have Difficulties With Interference Control, Visuospatial Working Memory, and Selective Attention? Developmental Patterns and the Role of Severity and Persistence of DLD

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2020_jslhr-20-00012 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (9) ◽

pp. 3036-3050

Author(s):

Elma Blom ◽

Tessel Boerma

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Selective Attention ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Developmental Language Disorder ◽

Visuospatial Working Memory ◽

Interference Control ◽

Developmental Patterns ◽

Search Tasks ◽

The Impact

Purpose Many children with developmental language disorder (DLD) have weaknesses in executive functioning (EF), specifically in tasks testing interference control and working memory. It is unknown how EF develops in children with DLD, if EF abilities are related to DLD severity and persistence, and if EF weaknesses expand to selective attention. This study aimed to address these gaps. Method Data from 78 children with DLD and 39 typically developing (TD) children were collected at three times with 1-year intervals. At Time 1, the children were 5 or 6 years old. Flanker, Dot Matrix, and Sky Search tasks tested interference control, visuospatial working memory, and selective attention, respectively. DLD severity was based on children's language ability. DLD persistence was based on stability of the DLD diagnosis. Results Performance on all tasks improved in both groups. TD children outperformed children with DLD on interference control. No differences were found for visuospatial working memory and selective attention. An interference control gap between the DLD and TD groups emerged between Time 1 and Time 2. Severity and persistence of DLD were related to interference control and working memory; the impact on working memory was stronger. Selective attention was unrelated to DLD severity and persistence. Conclusions Age and DLD severity and persistence determine whether or not children with DLD show EF weaknesses. Interference control is most clearly impaired in children with DLD who are 6 years and older. Visuospatial working memory is impaired in children with severe and persistent DLD. Selective attention is spared.

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