Impact of Distractors on Sustained Attention and Inhibition in Children With ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the impact of visual and auditory distractors on attention and inhibition in children with and without ADHD. METHOD: The study used the MOXO d-CPT child version. The sample consisted of 208 children aged 8 to 12 years, including 64 with ADHD and 144 controls. RESULTS: Children with ADHD and controls differed in their reaction to distracting stimuli; visual distractors cause a higher decrease in sustained attention and inhibitory control in the ADHD group. Moreover, auditory distractors generate improved performance in the control group but not in the ADHD group. In addition, age-related effects were found in both sustained attention and inhibitory control in all children, regardless of whether the ADHD condition was present. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that children with ADHD performed poorer compared to controls, and that distractors differently affected the performance of the two groups.

Executive functions in children with specific learning disorders: Shedding light on a complex profile through teleassessment.

Executive Functions (EFs) are high-order cognitive processes relevant to learning and adaptation and frequently impaired in children with specific learning disorders (SLDs). This study aimed to investigate EFs in children with SLD and explore the role of specific EF-related subprocesses, such as stimuli processing and processing speed. Fifty-seven SLD and 114 typically developing (TD) children, matched for gender and age, completed four tasks measuring response inhibition, interference control, shifting, and updating on a web-based teleassessment platform. The results show that SLD children performed lower in all EF tasks than TD children, regardless of stimulus type and condition. Mediation analyses suggested that differences between the SLD and TD groups are mediated by EF-related subprocesses, offering an interpretative model of EF deficits in children with SLD.

Inhibitory control and verb inflection in Italian preschool children.

The study investigates whether Italian verbal inflectional morphology is associated with inhibitory control skills after controlling for receptive vocabulary and verbal working memory. A sample of Italian preschoolers aged 4;0 to 6;0 was assessed using a standardized inhibitory control task tapping two different inhibitory skills (response inhibition and interference suppression), and a morphological task requiring simple and complex inflections of verbs. The hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that working memory and the interference suppression scores were significantly associated with complex inflections but not with simple inflections of the verbs.

[Formula: see text] Executive functions and psychosocial impairment in children following arterial ischemic stroke.

This study examined the executive function (EF) of children with a history of arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) and preserved intellectual abilities, with reference to age at stroke onset, lesion characteristics, language, and motor functioning. In addition, the associations between EF and emotional and behavioral functioning were investigated. A battery of standardized neuropsychological tests was administered to children with previous AIS aged 7-12 in order to assess EF, including inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and attention. Parents rated questionnaires regarding real-life emotional and behavioral functioning. Finally, clinical and neuroradiological data were also gathered. Thirty patients were enrolled. Eight children fall in the lower end of the normative range or below in more than half of the EF measures, with working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility equally impaired, and attention relatively better preserved. Larger lesion size and language deficits were significantly associated with higher EF impairment. Emotional and behavioral functioning was lower in children with weaker EF. Children with a history of AIS, even those with preserved intellectual functioning, have a high risk of showing poor EF, mostly regardless of clinical features or functional impairment. EF difficulties are in turn associated with emotional and behavioral problems. Therefore, a standardized evaluation of EF in this population is mandatory as part of the follow-up, in order to ensure an early intervention and prevent related difficulties.

Emotional and social functioning after stroke in childhood: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: To provide an overview of the effects of pediatric stroke on emotional and social functioning in childhood. METHODS: A literature review was completed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews. A systematic search of studies on internalizing problems and social functioning after pediatric stroke in PsycInfo, PsycArticles, and PubMed databases was conducted from inception to November 2021. A total of 583 studies were identified, and 32 met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: The review suggests that children after stroke are at risk of developing internalizing problems and a wide range of social difficulties. Internalizing problems are often associated with environmental factors such as family functioning and parents' mental health. In addition, a higher risk of developing psychosocial problems is associated with lower cognitive functioning and severe neurological impairment. CONCLUSIONS: The assessment of psychological well-being and social functioning after pediatric stroke is helpful to provide adequate support to children and their families. Future studies are needed to better investigate these domains and to develop adequate methodologies for specific interventions.Implication for rehabilitationThis paper reviews research concerning emotional and social functioning following pediatric stroke in order to provide helpful information to clinicians and families and to improve rehabilitation pathways.Emotional and social functioning should be addressed during post-stroke evaluation and follow-up, even when physical and cognitive recovery is progressing well.Care in pediatric stroke should include volitional treatment and address emotional and social issues.

The relationship of working memory and inhibition with different number knowledge skills in preschool children.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the contribution of specific executive function (EF) components to different number knowledge skills. A sample of 143 children attending the last year of preschool educational services (Mage = 65.01 months, SD = 3.57) were tested on five number knowledge tasks from the Numerical Intelligence Battery and four EF tasks assessing working memory (WM) and inhibition. First, we examined the interrelationship between different number skills; the results suggested that the relationship between basic informal skills (set comparison and number sequence) and formal skills (seriation of Arabic numerals and number comparison) was mediated by the ability to link sets to numerals. Next, we explored the contribution of WM and inhibition to different number knowledge skills. The structural equation model showed that WM and inhibition were differentially related to specific number knowledge skills. Specifically, WM predicted most components of number knowledge, including the two basic informal skills and the number comparison, whereas inhibition contributed to the seriation of Arabic numerals. The ability to link sets to numerals was predicted only by number sequence, not by EF components.

[Formula: see text] Executive function following pediatric stroke. A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Pediatric strokes are rare events that can lead to neuropsychological impairment or disability. While motor deficits are relatively easy to identify and investigate, cognitive outcomes after stroke are more complex to define. Many studies have focused on global cognitive outcomes, while only a few recent studies have focused on specific cognitive processes. The aims of the present review were to provide an overview of the effects of pediatric strokes on executive function and to investigate the relations between executive functioning and clinical factors. METHOD: Studies concerning executive functioning after pediatric stroke were identified using PsycInfo, PsycArticles and PubMed. A total of 142 studies were identified, and 22 met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: The review of the 22 studies included clearly indicates that childhood and perinatal strokes can affect executive function, and in particular inhibition. In contrast, the results concerning clinical factors related to EF outcomes are inconsistent. DISCUSSION: Our results highlight the importance to assess EF following pediatric stroke. Early identification of difficulties in EF is crucial to provide adequate training to the children and to prevent the development of other correlated difficulties, such as behavioral problems or learning difficulties. Methodological issues regarding the heterogeneity of samples and measurement difficulties limit the conclusions that can be made about the clinical predictors of the outcomes. Studies are needed to better understand this aspect and to develop adequate EF interventions for children following stroke.

The relationship between temperamental dimensions and inhibitory control in early childhood: Implications for language acquisition.

The present study investigates the latent organization of inhibitory control in children aged between 2;3 and 3;0 years. In addition, it explores the relationships between temperament dimensions - social orientation, motor activity, and attention -, inhibitory control and language. One-hundred-twelve typically developing children were evaluated with tasks for inhibitory control and lexical skills, while ratings of temperament and language were collected from their caregivers. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis reveals that inhibitory control seems to be best described by a unitary dimension. A Structural Equation Model suggests that 78 % of the variance in vocabulary is explained by a model considering the language observed measures, the three temperamental dimensions, and inhibitory control and in which both temperamental attention and the latent dimension of inhibitory control are significantly related to vocabulary. In addition, inhibitory control does not mediate the relationship between temperament and language.

Effectiveness of an Executive Function Training in Italian Preschool Educational Services and Far Transfer Effects to Pre-academic Skills.

In this study we examine the effectiveness and far transfer effects of a training that was found to be effective in promoting Executive Function (EF) in a sample of 5-year-old children (Traverso et al., 2015). By contrast with Traverso et al. (2015), the intervention was administered by regular teachers to verify its ecological validity. Far transfer was assessed by evaluating the training effects on pre-academic skills. 126 children attending the last year of Italian preschool educational services took part in the study (mainly 5-year-old children). Pre- and post-test assessments were conducted using a large EF and pre-academic skill task battery. The results indicate that the experimental group outperformed the control group in an interference suppression composite score. Moreover, significant far transfer effects to pre-academic skills in literacy domain were found. In addition, we found that the improvement in the pre academic skills (in both literacy and math domains) was mediated by the improvement in the interference suppression score. The results suggest the possibility that this intervention, which may be easily implemented in the context of educational services, can promote EF during the preschool period before entry to primary school.

Are maternal reflective functioning and attachment security associated with preadolescent mentalization?

This study investigated the impact of maternal reflective functioning (RF) and attachment security on children's mentalization. The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was administered to mothers in a sample of 41 mother-preadolescent dyads. AAI transcripts were rated in terms of the Berkeley AAI System (Main and Goldwyn, 1998) and the Reflective Functioning Scale (RFS; Fonagy et al., 1998). Preadolescent mentalization was assessed using a semi-structured interview adapted from O'Connor and Hirsch (1999) and also by analyzing mental-state talk produced during an autobiographical interview. Relationships between maternal RF and children's mentalization were analyzed, with consideration given to the different RFS markers and references to positive, negative, and mixed-ambivalent mental states. Children's mentalization was positively correlated with the mother's RF, particularly the mother's ability to mentalize negative or mixed-ambivalent mental states. No significant differences in mentalization were observed between children of secure and insecure mothers.

How preschool executive functioning predicts several aspects of math achievement in Grades 1 and 3: A longitudinal study.

This longitudinal study analyzes whether selected components of executive function (EF) measured during the preschool period predict several indices of math achievement in primary school. Six EF measures were assessed in a sample of 5-year-old children (N = 175). The math achievement of the same children was then tested in Grades 1 and 3 using both a composite math score and three single indices of written calculation, arithmetical facts, and problem solving. Using previous results obtained from the same sample of children, a confirmatory factor analysis examining the latent EF structure in kindergarten indicated that a two-factor model provided the best fit for the data. In this model, inhibition and working memory (WM)-flexibility were separate dimensions. A full structural equation model was then used to test the hypothesis that math achievement (the composite math score and single math scores) in Grades 1 and 3 could be explained by the two EF components comprising the kindergarten model. The results indicate that the WM-flexibility component measured during the preschool period substantially predicts mathematical achievement, especially in Grade 3. The math composite scores were predicted by the WM-flexibility factor at both grade levels. In Grade 3, both problem solving and arithmetical facts were predicted by the WM-flexibility component. The results empirically support interventions that target EF as an important component of early childhood mathematics education.

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.

Inhibitory processes in toddlers: a latent-variable approach.

The aim of this study was to investigate the nature of inhibitory processes in early childhood. A confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the latent structure of inhibitory processes in day-care center children aged 24-32 months and in preschool children aged 36-48 months. The best fit to the data for the younger sample was a single undifferentiated inhibition factor model; in older children, a two-factor model was differently identified in which response inhibition and interference suppression were distinguished.

Temperamental profiles and language development: a replication and an extension.

Individual differences in child temperament are associated with individual differences in language development. The present study examined the relationship between temperament and language ability in 109 twenty-four- to 30-month-old children. Parents and day-care teachers completed two questionnaires: the Primo Vocabolario del Bambino (Caselli & Casadio, 1995) and the Questionari Italiani del Temperamento (Axia, 2002). Researchers administered the First Language Test (Axia, 1993) to assess productive and receptive language in each child. Replicating previous research (Usai, Garello, & Viterbori, 2009), day-care teachers identified three temperamental profiles: most of the children fit into the first profile, typical of the Italian population; another profile was made up of easily distractible and not very persistent children, with a poor capacity to modulate motor activity; and the third profile of children were inhibited in new situations. A relationship was found between temperament assessed by day-care teachers and different levels of linguistic competence. In particular, the groups of "inattentive" and "inhibited" children showed poorer lexical and morphological abilities and a more immature vocabulary, characterised by the presence of more primitive components of the lexical repertory compared to the group of "typical" children. Unlike the results from day-care teachers, temperament questionnaires completed by parents revealed a 4-cluster-solution. Also, for parents, the "typical" profile is characterised by the largest vocabulary (productive and receptive) and the most mature semantic production.

Phonology and language development in Italian children: an analysis of production and accuracy.

PURPOSE: The principal aims of this study were to detect phonetic measures (consonant inventory, intelligibility, frequency, and types of phonological errors) associated with lexical and morphosyntactic ability and to analyze the types of phonological processes in children with different language skills. METHOD: The sample was composed of 30 children between the ages of 36 and 42 months. Two tests were administered, one investigating phonological ability and one investigating general linguistic ability. RESULTS: A strong relationship between phonetic measures and language performance was found. The proportion of unintelligible productions and simplified words correlated with all the linguistic measures considered. A comparison of the phonological processes used by children with low, average, and high linguistic performance showed that phonotactic structure errors discriminated better than did system errors between the three groups. In particular, the less competent talkers were more likely to delete weak syllables, omit consonants and vowels, reduce diphthongs, and make consonant harmony errors. CONCLUSIONS: The results emphasize the importance of phonetic measures in explaining differences in language performance and suggest the possibility of identifying children with low linguistic competence on the basis of phonetic measures, such as the level of intelligibility and the type of errors committed.

Temperamental profiles and linguistic development: differences in the quality of linguistic production in relation to temperament in children of 28 months.

The temperamental constellations that can be found in the infant population may influence the development trajectories of single domains of knowledge, such as that relative to language. The main objective of this study is to identify temperamental profiles to which one associates different levels of linguistic competence and to identify the profile associated with the highest risk for language acquisition. The temperamental characteristics of a sample of 106 children of 28 months attending day-care centres were surveyed and three temperamental profiles were highlighted: a profile typical of the Italian population which grouped most of the children; another made up of easily distractible and not very persistent children, who show a poor capacity to modulate motor activity and finally, the third with children inhibited in new situations. A comparison of the three groups on the basis of the level of linguistic competence revealed important differences regarding certain indices such as the vocabulary size and composition: in particular, the group of "inattentive" children has a more "immature" vocabulary composition, characterised by the presence of more primitive components of the lexical repertory.

Prevalence of pain in Italian hospitals: results of a regional cross-sectional survey.

The aims of this study were to quantify the prevalence of pain among hospitalized Italian patients and to describe the potential determinants of pain in this population. All patients older than 18 years and hospitalized for at least 24 hours in one of the 30 public hospitals of the Liguria region (n = 4709) were eligible for pain assessment. Using the Brief Pain Inventory, patients with pain during the last 24 hours were asked to score the intensity of pain at the time of the interview, and the worst pain and average pain during the previous 24 hours on 0-10 rating scales. Overall, 87% (4121 / 4709) of inpatients were interviewed, and 56.6% suffered pain during the last 24 hours. Among patients with pain, the median (interquartile range) score of the worst and of the average pain during the last 24 hours was 7 (5-9) and 5 (3-6), respectively. At the time of interview, 43.1% evaluated patients suffered pain, with a median (interquartile range) of 5 (3-7). Although significant heterogeneity in the distribution of pain was observed among the hospitals, pain prevalence was unacceptably high in most cases. Age, sex, education, diagnosis, and days from surgery were significantly related to pain prevalence in univariate analyses. In a multivariable ordinal regression logistic analysis, only sex, diagnosis, days from surgery, and hospitals remain significantly associated with increased pain prevalence.