Maria Carmen Usai

Improving executive function in childhood: evaluation of a training intervention for 5-year-old children.

Executive function (EF) refers to a set of higher order cognitive processes that control and modulate cognition under continuously changing and multiple task demands. EF plays a central role in early childhood, is associated and predictive of important cognitive achievements and has been recognized as a significant aspect of school readiness. This study examines the efficacy of a group based intervention for 5-year-old children that focuses on basic components of EF (working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility). The intervention included 12 sessions, lasted 1 month and used low-cost materials. Seventy-five children took part in the study. The results indicate that the children who attended the intervention outperformed controls in simple and more complex EF tasks. Specifically, these children exhibited increased abilities to delay gratification, to control on-going responses, to process and update information, and to manage high cognitive conflict. These results suggest the possibility that this intervention, which may be easily implemented in educational services, can promote EF during preschool period before the entrance in primary school.

Promoting Language and Executive Function in Educational Settings: The Drežančić Method

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of linguistic training based on the use of the Drežančić method in educational settings. It is hypothesized that characteristics of this method, based on the typical stages of linguistic and cognitive development, could influence both language competence and executive function (EF). A pretest–posttest treatment design with a control group was used to evaluate the efficacy of the method (preintervention baseline and posttraining after 6 months). A total of 41 children (ranging in age from 26 to 31 months) with a vocabulary size score lower than the 50th percentile were recruited to participate in the study and were assigned to 2 groups: an experimental group that received training or a control group that participated in normal day care center activities. The results revealed that the training had an effect: The experimental group produced a greater variety of words and more complete sentences; moreover, the linguistic training appeared to positively affect EF processes. Practice or Policy: The results highlight the efficacy of a training, applicable to educational contexts, for typically developing populations. Furthermore, the confirmation of a rich interaction between language and EF even at an early age has important implications for clinical work.

Preschool Executive Function Profiles: Implications for Math Achievement in Grades 1 and 3

ABSTRACT This longitudinal study aimed to identify specific executive function (EF) profiles in 5-year-old children and to examine the association between these profiles and later math achievement. Six EF measures were administered to 175 children who were then tested in Grades 1 and 3 on math tasks. Using a cluster analysis, four EF profiles were identified: an optimal EF profile, a typical EF profile, a weak working memory (WM)-shifting profile, and a general EF deficit profile. These groups performed differently in math. In particular, the group with a weak WM-shifting profile, whose performance was equivalent to that of the group with a typical EF profile in arithmetic facts and in math problems in Grade 1, showed difficulties similar to the group, with general EF deficits in Grade 3. The association of minor difficulties in WM at preschool ages with later math achievement and the implications for educational practices are discussed.

Response Inhibition and Interference Suppression in Individuals With Down Syndrome Compared to Typically Developing Children

The present study aims to investigate inhibition in individuals with Down Syndrome compared to typically developing children with different inhibitory tasks tapping response inhibition and interference suppression. Previous studies that aimed to investigate inhibition in individuals with Down Syndrome reported contradictory results that are difficult to compare given the different types of inhibitory tasks used and the lack of reference to a theoretical model of inhibition that was tested in children (see Bunge et al., 2002; Gandolfi et al., 2014). Three groups took part in the study: 32 individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) with a mean age of 14 years and 4 months, 35 typically developing children 5 years of age (5TD), and 30 typically developing children 6 years of age (6TD). No difference emerged among the groups in fluid intelligence. Based on a confirmatory factor analysis, two different inhibition factors were identified (response inhibition and interference suppression), and two composite scores were calculated. An ANOVA was then executed with the composite inhibitory scores as dependent variables and group membership as the between-subject variable to explore the group differences in inhibition components. The 6TD group outperformed the 5TD group in both response inhibition and interference suppression component scores. No differences were found in both inhibition components between the DS group and 5TD. In contrast, the 6TD group outperformed the DS group in both response inhibition and in the interference suppression components scores. Summarizing, our findings show that both response inhibition and interference suppression significantly increased during school transition and that individuals with DS showed a delay in both response inhibition and interference suppression components compared to typically developing 6-year-olds, but their performance was similar to typically developing 5-year-olds.

WM in Adolescence: What Is the Relationship With Emotional Regulation and Behavioral Outcomes?

Adolescence is a fundamental transition phase, marked by physical, social, cognitive and emotional changes. At this stage in development two contrasting phenomena take place: brain changes cause a sensitivity to emotional aspects (Dahl, 2004); while also control processes register as well impressive improvements (e.g., Hooper et al., 2004; Best and Miller, 2010). The study is aimed to investigate the relationship between a core cognitive feature such as working memory (WM) (Diamond, 2013) and complex abilities such as emotion regulation (ER) and behavioral self-reported outcomes using a structural equation model approach. A sample of 227 typically developed adolescents between 14 and19 years of age (148 females; mean age in months 202.8, SD 18.57) participated in this study. The following tasks and self-reports were administered in a 45-min test session at school: Symmetry Span task (Kane et al., 2004). Reading Span task (Daneman and Carpenter, 1980), Mr. Cucumber (Case, 1985); Youth Self-Report (YSR, 11–18 years, Achenbach and Rescorla, 2001); Difficulties ER Scale (DERS, Gratz and Roemer, 2004; Italian version by Giromini et al., 2012). Results showed that difficulties in ER correlated with WM: high levels of ER difficulties are associated with low WM efficiency while no significant contributions of these predictors was observed on externalizing or internalizing symptoms. This study showed a significant relationship between self-reported difficulties in ER and WM, while no significant contribution of the considered predictors was showed on the outcomes, adding knowledge about how behavioral and emotional self-reported outcomes may relate to these processes.