Comparison of five commercial kits for isolation of total RNA in samples of WSSV-infected shrimp.

Viral diseases are the most serious threat to the expansion and development of shrimp aquaculture. Rapid diagnosis of the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), a lethal shrimp pathogen, is essential to restrict its spread and reduce the mortality of infected shrimp. This virus has globally affected the shrimp farming industry, with a devastating economic impact. Several studies have focused on the expression of WSSV transcripts to understand the molecular mechanisms governing the pathological development of the disease. Since gene expression studies and molecular diagnostics at the early stages of infection depend on the efficient isolation of high-quality RNA, the extraction methods should be carefully selected. However, previous comparisons of the performance of RNA isolation kits have yet to be systematically investigated. In this study, 5 commercial RNA extraction methods were compared in WSSV-infected shrimp. The highest total RNA yield (ng mg-1 tissue) was obtained using TRIzol. Even though the 260/280 nm absorption ratios showed significant differences, the methods showed good purity values (>2.0). RNA integrity was evaluated in a denaturing agarose gel electrophoresis, and degradation was observed after the total RNA samples were treated with DNase I. Finally, the method that allowed the earlier detection of WSSV transcripts by qRT-PCR was the Zymo Direct-zol RNA MiniPrep kit. This study shows that the amount of observed (or estimated) WSSV transcripts might be affected because of the RNA isolation method. In addition, these results may contribute to improve the accuracy of the results obtained in gene expression studies, for more sensitive and robust detection of WSSV.

PROTOCOL: Problem solving before instruction (PS-I) to promote learning and motivation in child and adult students.

This is the protocol for a Campbell systematic review. The objectives are as follows: The purpose of this review is to synthesize the evidence about the efficacy of problem solving before instruction (PS-I) to promote learning and motivation in students. Specifically, this review is designed to answer the following questions: To what degree does PS-I affect learning and motivation, relative to alternative learning approaches? To what extent is the efficacy of PS-I associated with the use of different design features within it, including the use of group work, contrasting cases, and metacognitive guidance in the initial problem-solving activity, and the use of explanations that build upon students' solutions in the explicit instruction phase? To what extent is the relative efficacy of PS-I associated with the contextual factors of activities used as control, age of students, duration of the interventions, and learning domain? What is the quality of the existent evidence to evaluate these questions in terms of number of studies included and potential biases derived from publication and methodological restrictions?

Relationship between Executive Functions and Creativity in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.

(1) Background: Executive functions and creativity could play an important role in children's education. To date, research on the relationship between these constructs has focused on adults. The objective of this systematic review was to analyze the relationship between executive functions (EFs) and creativity in children to provide teachers with tools to improve students' abilities. (2) Methods: A total of 12 studies were identified using WOS, SCOPUS and PsycINFO, which matched the following criteria: (i) empirical studies with measures of executive functions and creativity; (ii) a sample of children or adolescents (3 to 18 years old); and (iii) in the previous decade (2012-2021). (3) Results: The results indicated a clear relationship between flexibility and creativity. Flexibility is positively correlated and inhibition is negatively correlated with creativity. There is no clear evidence that the remaining EFs, such as working memory, correlate with creativity. There was insufficient evidence on the relationship between intelligence, executive functions and creativity in a sample of children for the results to be generalized. (4) Conclusion: Future studies should consider the variability of standardized tests that measure these two constructs in order to be able to compare measurements and obtain generalizable results.

Validation of the Shortened Version of the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory in Spanish Uiversity Students.

BACKGROUND: The Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) is used all over the world to identify metacognitive components that are relevant to learning. However, there is not enough evidence confirming its factorial structure or the suitability of its Shortened Version, proposed by various authors. Also, to date, the MAI has not been validated in the Spanish context. METHOD: After adapting the MAI to Spanish, it was administered to 1076 university students from different regions of Spain. Different structures of the MAI Shortened Version, with 19 items, were compared with the structures of the original 52-item MAI. Indexes of validity and reliability were analyzed, considering the factorial structure and relationships to other validated questionnaires. RESULTS: Only the MAI Shortened Version that differentiates between knowledge and regulation of cognition achieved a good fit. These two scales showed good convergent and divergent validity, high criterion validity in relation to academic achievement, high test- retest reliability, and high internal reliability. CONCLUSIONS: results support the traditional differentiation between knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition, but only for the Shortened Version of the MAI. This instrument allows quick evaluations and identification of these components in Spanish contexts with adequate metric properties.

Simultaneous production of carotenoids and chemical building blocks precursors from chlorophyta microalgae.

Replacement of fossil fuels has to be accompanied by the incorporation of bio-based procedures for the production of fine chemicals. With this aim, the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was selected for its ability to accumulate starch, an environmentally-friendly alternative source of chemical building blocks, such as 5'-hydroxymethylfurfural or levulinic acid. The content of appreciated lipophilic coproducts was assessed in the selected microalga cultured at different nutritional conditions; and the parameters for the acidic hydrolysis of the algal biomass, obtained after pigments extraction, were optimized using a Central Composite Design. Response Surface Methodology predicted that the optimal hydrolysis conditions were elevated temperature, high DMSO % and short hydrolysis time for glucose. LA was favored at long times and high acid % and 5'-HMF at lower acid % and high DMSO %. Chlamydomonas can therefore be used as a sustainable feedstock for the simultaneous production of high-added value lipophilic compounds and platform chemicals.

Effect of functional diets on intestinal microbiota and resistance to Vibrio parahaemolyticus causing acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) of Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei).

AIMS: The present study evaluated the effect of four functional diets and a reference diet on the survival and intestinal bacterial community of shrimp Penaeus vannamei infected with acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND). METHODS AND RESULTS: After 42 days of feeding trail, shrimp were inoculated with a Vibrio parahaemolyticus (CIB-0018-3) carrying the plasmid encoding for the PirAB toxins responsible for AHPND. After 120 h postinfection (hpi), shrimp fed with a diet containing 2% of a mix with Curcuma longa and Lepidium meyenii (TuMa) and a diet containing 0.2% of vitamin C (VitC) showed a significantly higher survival (85%) compared to the remaining treatments (50%-55%) (p < 0.05). Infected shrimp fed with TuMa diet, showed a significant reduction of Vibrionales, and VitC diet promoted an increase of Alteromonadales. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the TuMa diet conferred protection against AHPND and could be attributed to a combined effect of antibacterial properties against Vibrionales, and promoting a desirable bacterial community in the shrimp intestine, while the VitC diet protection could be attributed to their antioxidant capacity and in a lower proportion to a bacterial modulation in shrimp gut. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease is a devastating disease that significantly affects aquaculture production of shrimps. Therefore, the use of functional diets that promote resistance to AHPND represents a valuable tool to reduce the mortality of farmed shrimp.

Validation of the Shortened Version of the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory in Spanish University Students / Validación de la Versión Abreviada del Inventario de Conciencia Metacognitiva en Estudiantes Universitarios Españoles

Background: The Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) is used all over the world to identify metacognitive components that are relevant to learning. However, there is not enough evidence confirming its factorial structure or the suitability of its Shortened Version, proposed by various authors. Also, to date, the MAI has not been validated in the Spanish context. Method: After adapting the MAI to Spanish, it was administered to 1076 university students from different regions of Spain. Different structures of the MAI Shortened Version, with 19 items, were compared with the structures of the original 52-item MAI. Indexes of validity and reliability were analyzed, considering the factorial structure and relationships to other validated questionnaires. Results: Only the MAI Shortened Version that differentiates between knowledge and regulation of cognition achieved a good fit. These two scales showed good convergent and divergent validity, high criterion validity in relation to academic achievement, high test- retest reliability, and high internal reliability. Conclusions: results support the traditional differentiation between knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition, but only for the Shortened Version of the MAI. This instrument allows quick evaluations and identification of these components in Spanish contexts with adequate metric properties.(AU)

Antecedentes: El Inventario de Conciencia Metacognitiva (MAI) se utiliza internacionalmente para identificar componentes metacognitivos relevantes para el aprendizaje. Sin embargo, hay escasa evidencia sobre su estructura factorial y la validez de su Versión Reducida, propuesta por diversos autores. Asimismo, hasta el momento, no ha sido validado en el contexto español. Método: Tras adaptar los ítems del MAI al español, se administró a 1076 estudiantes universitarios de diferentes regiones de España. Se compararon varias estructuras de la Versión Reducida del MAI, con 19 ítems, y del MAI original, con 52 ítems. Se analizaron la validez y fiabilidad, considerando las estructuras factoriales y las relaciones con otros cuestionarios ya validados. Resultados: Sólo la Versión Reducida del MAI que diferencia conocimiento y regulación de la cognición alcanzó un ajuste aceptable. Estas dos escalas mostraron buena validez convergente y divergente, alta validez de criterio en relación al rendimiento académico, alta fiabilidad test-retest y alta consistencia interna. Conclusiones: los resultados apoyan la diferenciación tradicional entre conocimiento de la cognición y regulación de la cognición, pero solo con la adaptación al español de la Versión Reducida del MAI. Este instrumento permite evaluaciones cortas y la identificación de estos componentes con propiedades métricas adecuadas en contextos españoles.(AU)

Neurodevelopmental disorders: An innovative perspective via the response to intervention model.

Neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of conditions classified together by the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders which include intellectual disability, communication disorders, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, specific learning disorder (SLD), and motor disorders. SLD is present in many students, who exhibit significant difficulties in the acquisition of reading, written expression, and mathematics, mostly due to problems with executive functions (EF). The present study is a review of the current situation of neurodevelopmental disorders and SLD focusing on the benefits of the response to intervention model (RtI), which allows the combination of evaluation and intervention processes. It also addresses the key role of EF. The importance of adapting RtI to new possibilities such as the use of virtual reality is discussed and a theoretical framework for carrying that out is provided.

Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities.

Nowadays, how to encourage students' reflective thinking is one of the main concerns for teachers at various educational levels. Many students have difficulties when facing tasks that involve high levels of reflection, such as on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) courses. Many also have deep-rooted anxiety and demotivation towards such courses. In order to overcome these cognitive and affective challenges, researchers have suggested the use of "Problem-Solving before Instruction" (PS-I) approaches. PS-I consists of giving students the opportunity to generate individual solutions to problems that are later solved in class. These solutions are compared with the canonical solution in the following phase of instruction, together with the presentation of the lesson content. It has been suggested that with this approach students can increase their conceptual understanding, transfer their learning to different tasks and contexts, become more aware of the gaps in their knowledge, and generate a personal construct of previous knowledge that can help maintain their motivation. Despite the advantages, this approach has been criticized, as students might spend a lot of time on aimless trial and error during the initial phase of solution generation or they may even feel frustrated in this process, which might be detrimental to future learning. More importantly, there is little research about how pre-existing student characteristics can help them to benefit (or not) from this approach. The aim of the current study is to present the design and implementation of the PS-I approach applied to statistics learning in undergraduate students, as well as a methodological approach used to evaluate its efficacy considering students' pre-existing differences.

Coping with stress in parents of children with developmental disabilities

Abstract Background/Objective: Previous findings indicated that parents of children with developmental disabilities face greater care giving demands and report higher levels of stress. This study explores the styles and strategies of coping with stress among parents of children with developmental disabilities compared to parents of children with typical development. Method: 167 parents of children with developmental disabilities and 103 parents of typical development children participated as a voluntary. The CISS and the COPE Inventory were used to assess the coping styles and strategies in rearing a child. Results: The results from Multivariate Analysis indicated significant differences between parents of children with and without developmental disabilities in one of three coping styles and one of eight coping strategies. Parents of children with developmental disabilities less often used the avoidance-oriented style and emotional support strategy. The task-oriented style and strategies were the dominant approach in both groups of parents. In stressful situations connected with rearing a child, parents of children with developmental disabilities do not use as dominant strategies connected with seeking emotional support and religion, which occur in the parents of typical development children. Conclusions: The results suggest areas where coping may be different than in families of children without DD. (AU)

Resumen Antecedentes/Objetivo: Investigaciones previas muestran que los padres con hijos que padecen trastornos del desarrollo deben hacer frente a mayores demandas de atención y reportan mayor estrés. El presente estudio compara los estilos y estrategias de afrontamiento del estrés utilizados de los padres de hijos con trastornos del desarrollo con los utilizados por padres de hijos con desarrollo típico. Método: Participaron 167 padres de niños con trastornos del desarrollo y 103 padres de niños que muestran un desarrollo típico. Los inventarios CISS y COPE se utilizaron para evaluar los estilos y estrategias de afrontamiento. Resultados: Los resultados indicaron diferencias significativas entre los padres de hijos con y sin trastornos del desarrollo en uno de los tres estilos de afrontamiento y una de las ocho estrategias, utilizando con menos frecuencia el estilo orientado a la evitación y la estrategia de apoyo emocional, siendo los orientados a la tarea el enfoque dominante. En situaciones estresantes, los padres de niños con trastornos del desarrollo no utilizaron las estrategias de búsqueda de apoyo emocional o la religión. Conclusiones: Los resultados sugieren un afrontamiento diferente al de las familias con hijos sin discapacidades. (AU)

Coping with stress in parents of children with developmental disabilities.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Previous findings indicated that parents of children with developmental disabilities face greater care giving demands and report higher levels of stress. This study explores the styles and strategies of coping with stress among parents of children with developmental disabilities compared to parents of children with typical development. METHOD: 167 parents of children with developmental disabilities and 103 parents of typical development children participated as a voluntary. The CISS and the COPE Inventory were used to assess the coping styles and strategies in rearing a child. RESULTS: The results from Multivariate Analysis indicated significant differences between parents of children with and without developmental disabilities in one of three coping styles and one of eight coping strategies. Parents of children with developmental disabilities less often used the avoidance-oriented style and emotional support strategy. The task-oriented style and strategies were the dominant approach in both groups of parents. In stressful situations connected with rearing a child, parents of children with developmental disabilities do not use as dominant strategies connected with seeking emotional support and religion, which occur in the parents of typical development children. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest areas where coping may be different than in families of children without DD.

RESUMEN ANTECEDENTES/OBJETIVO: Investigaciones previas muestran que los padres con hijos que padecen trastornos del desarrollo deben hacer frente a mayores demandas de atención y reportan mayor estrés. El presente estudio compara los estilos y estrategias de afrontamiento del estrés utilizados de los padres de hijos con trastornos del desarrollo con los utilizados por padres de hijos con desarrollo típico. MÉTODO: Participaron 167 padres de niños con trastornos del desarrollo y 103 padres de niños que muestran un desarrollo típico. Los inventarios CISS y COPE se utilizaron para evaluar los estilos y estrategias de afrontamiento. RESULTADOS: Los resultados indicaron diferencias significativas entre los padres de hijos con y sin trastornos del desarrollo en uno de los tres estilos de afrontamiento y una de las ocho estrategias, utilizando con menos frecuencia el estilo orientado a la evitación y la estrategia de apoyo emocional, siendo los orientados a la tarea el enfoque dominante. En situaciones estresantes, los padres de niños con trastornos del desarrollo no utilizaron las estrategias de búsqueda de apoyo emocional o la religión. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados sugieren un afrontamiento diferente al de las familias con hijos sin discapacidades.

[Empirically Supported Psychological Treatments for Children and Adolescents: State of the Art].

Empirically Supported Psychological Treatments for Children and Adolescents: State of the Art. BACKGROUND: The empirical evidence accumulated on the efficacy, effectiveness, and efficiency of psychotherapeutic treatments in children and adolescents calls for an update. The main goal of this paper objective was to carry out a selective review of empirically supported psychological treatments for a variety of common psychological disorders and problems in childhood and adolescence. METHOD: A review was carried out of the psychological treatments for different psychological disorders and problems in social-emotional or behavioral adjustment in the child-adolescent population according to the Spanish National Health System (Clinical Practice Guidelines) levels of evidence and degrees of recommendation. RESULTS: The findings suggest that psychological treatments have empirical support for addressing a wide range of psychological problems in these developmental stages. The degree of empirical support ranges from low to high depending on the phenomenon analyzed. The review suggests unequal progress in the different fields of intervention. CONCLUSIONS: From this update, psychologists will be able to make informed decisions when implementing those empirically supported treatments to address the problems that occur in childhood and adolescence.

The Influence of State and Trait Anxiety on the Achievement of a Virtual Reality Continuous Performance Test in Children and Adolescents with ADHD Symptoms.

The three types of presentations of ADHD often co-occur with other disorders, anxiety being one of the most prevalent. For this reason and because there are few studies that have examined the influence of anxiety on attentional activities, this study aims to determine how internalizing difficulties (anxiety levels) can influence performance in a virtual reality continuous performance test. The study used a non-probabilistic clinical sample comprising 68 boys (66%) and 35 girls (34%) aged between 6 and 16 (M = 12.24; SD = 2.45) who had been referred to clinical services for the evaluation of ADHD symptoms. Once informed consent was given, the children were administered the STAI-C scale and a virtual reality continuous performance test by expert researchers. Hierarchical regression models showed that only state anxiety demonstrated significant explanatory power over attentional variables. These findings confirm how important it is for children to feel relaxed when they undergo psychological evaluation tests, as otherwise the individual's intervention design would be based on biased data. Similarly, the findings also suggested an effect of IQ in the interpretation of continuous performance scores.

Retrospective symptoms and learning difficulties predicting ADHD in adults: Differences between prison inmates and the clinical population.

People who suffer from ADHD in their childhood are more likely to be involved in criminal acts in late adolescence and adulthood. This study analyses the association between retrospective ADHD symptoms and associated problems (somatic and learning difficulties), and current symptoms in a sample of adults from imprisoned and clinical populations. Four hundred and fifty-seven participants, aged between 17 and 69 years, were divided into four groups: ADHD prison group without clinical history of symptoms (n = 61), prison group (n = 162), ADHD clinical group (n = 176) and clinical group (n = 58). The ADHD-IV scale and Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) were administered to the four groups and demonstrated high rates of persistence of ADHD symptoms into adulthood. ADHD groups reported significantly higher impairment both during childhood (symptoms, somatic and learning difficulties) and at present, with the ADHD clinical group being the most severely impaired. Finally, current symptoms of ADHD, along with childhood ADHD symptoms and learning difficulties, significantly predicted current impairments, but only in the clinical group. These findings represent some initial steps into the identification of predictors of ADHD symptomatology in adulthood in order to elucidate its etiopathogenesis and better identify high-risk groups for targeted prevention.

What Predicts Life Satisfaction in Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? A Study from Parent and Child/Adolescent Perspectives.

The aim of this study was to analyze life satisfaction in a sample of 70 children and adolescents (M = 12.21, SD = 2.85) with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to parents' and children's/adolescents' reports. In addition, we examined the influence of a series of child/adolescent variables (ADHD presentation, and Conduct Disorder (CD) symptoms, age, gender, and pharmacological support status) on their levels of life satisfaction. Results indicated moderate correlations between children's/adolescents' and parents' perceptions of life satisfaction (r = .40; p < .01), with school being the area with the lowest levels of satisfaction. Also, 44.3% of the sample of parents reported that ADHD drastically interferes negatively in this context. Examining the effects of child/adolescent variables, only the variables age and CD symptoms generated statistically significant differences, showing that as children/adolescents grow up and/or present associate symptoms of CD, perceptions of life satisfaction tend to be more negative. These variables explained 34.5% of the variance of a composite score of life satisfaction, demonstrating a negative effect over the dependent variable. These results might have important implications for diagnosis and intervention in ADHD, as they highlight the relevance of considering life satisfaction as an important aspect to consider in both processes. Further studies must look more deeply into the mechanisms that explain these findings.

New virtual reality tool (Nesplora Aquarium) for assessing attention and working memory in adults: A normative study.

Attentional and working memory (WM) processes undergo significant changes during different stages of development. However, currently there are not many continuous performance tools based on virtual reality (VR) for measuring attentional capacity in adults. The present study aimed to obtain normative data for the Nesplora Aquarium VR test in a Spanish population, looking at sex and age variables. In addition, this study also aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the tool such as scale, internal consistency, and item difficulty and discrimination indices. A total of 1,469 participants from different regions of Spain (57.6% female) with ages ranging from 16 to 90 years old took part in this normative study. Nesplora Aquarium was developed in order to support clinicians in the assessment of attentional processes and WM in adults over 16 years old. It is an 18-minute individual test performed through a VR system. The system provides better visual and auditory immersion in the task than computerized CPTs. This study revealed that the new VR tool, designed to measure adult attention and working memory levels, exhibited good psychometric properties related to reliability and internal consistency. In addition, item difficulty and discrimination values were also acceptable.

Predicting Mathematics Achievement in Secondary Education: The Role of Cognitive, Motivational, and Emotional Variables.

Academic achievement in general, and in mathematics in particular, is positively associated not only with cognitive abilities, but also with emotional and motivational skills. The objective of this study was to analyze the prediction strength of cognitive, motivational, and emotional variables in mathematics achievement throughout high school, considering students' gender and age. A large sample of 2,365 Spanish students from the 4 years of high school (12-16 years old) participated in the study. Students provided information about their intellectual skills, perceived competence in mathematics, perceived utility of mathematics, intrinsic interest in learning, mathematics anxiety, and their causal attributions (for failure and for success), and of their achievement in mathematics. Data showed differences according to gender and the school grade level. The motivational and affective variables did not seem to play an important role in this relationship as predicted in the current study. The results of this study are discussed in light of previous research.

The Contribution of Executive Functions in Predicting Mathematical Creativity in Typical Elementary School Classes: A Twofold Role for Updating.

The goal of the current study was to investigate the role of executive functions in mathematical creativity. The sample included 278 primary school children (ages 8-13). Two models were compared: the starting model tested whether executive functions (shifting, updating, and inhibition), domain-general creativity, and mathematical ability directly predicted mathematical creativity. The second model, which fitted the data best, included the additional assumption that updating influences mathematical creativity indirectly through mathematical ability and domain-general creativity. Updating was positively related to mathematical creativity. Additionally, updating was positively related to mathematical ability and domain-general creativity. Inhibition, shifting, domain-general creativity and mathematical ability did not have a significant contribution to either model but did positively correlate with mathematical creativity. This study reports the first empirical evidence that updating is a predictor of mathematical creativity in primary school children and demonstrates that creativity is a higher order cognitive process, activating a variety of cognitive abilities.

Attention, inhibitory control and early mathematical skills in preschool students / Atención, control inhibitorio y habilidades matemáticas tempranas en estudiantes de Educación Infantil

BACKGROUND: Early mathematical skills may be important indicators of school success. Executive Functions (EFs) such as attention and inhibitory control may be related to the development of early mathematical skills. METHOD: This study is aimed at understanding the relationship between two EFs (attention and inhibitory control) and low and high relational and numerical mathematical skills in preschool students (143 children between 4 and 6 years old). Participants completed the Early Numeracy Test Revised and a continuous performance test which assessed attention (omissions and response time [RT]) and inhibitory control (commissions and variability). RESULTS: Logistic Binomial Regression Analysis was carried out showing that in 4 to 6-year olds there are differences in omissions, RT and variability between the groups (low and high relational and numerical mathematical skills). However, once the effect of the age was controlled for, only RT predicted numerical mathematical skills. CONCLUSIONS: the results highlight the importance of attention in the numerical skills of preschool students, with a greater weight of response time which is better in students with higher numerical mathematics skills

ANTECEDENTES: las habilidades matemáticas tempranas pueden ser importantes indicadores del éxito escolar. Por otro lado, las Funciones Ejecutivas (FE) como la atención y el control inhibitorio se han relacionado con el desarrollo de habilidades matemáticas tempranas. MÉTODO: este estudio está dirigido a analizar la relación entre dos FEs (atención y control inhibitorio) y la baja y alta habilidad matemática relacional y numérica de 143 estudiantes de entre 4 y 6 años. Los participantes realizaron el Test de Competencia Matemática Temprana Revisado y un test de ejecución continua dirigido a evaluar la atención (omisiones y tiempo de respuesta [TR]) y el control inhibitorio (comisiones y variabilidad). RESULTADOS: el análisis de regresión logística binomial mostró que en estudiantes de entre 4 y 6 años hay diferencias en las variables omisiones, TR y variabilidad entre los grupos de baja y alta habilidad matemática relacional y numérica. Sin embargo, una vez controlada la edad, solo el TR predijo la habilidad matemática numérica. CONCLUSIONES: los resultados mostraron la importancia de la atención en las habilidades numéricas de estudiantes de Educación Infantil, con un mayor peso del TR que fue mejor en estudiantes con mejor habilidad matemática numérica

Attention, inhibitory control and early mathematical skills in preschool students.

BACKGROUND: Early mathematical skills may be important indicators of school success. Executive Functions (EFs) such as attention and inhibitory control may be related to the development of early mathematical skills. METHOD: This study is aimed at understanding the relationship between two EFs (attention and inhibitory control) and low and high relational and numerical mathematical skills in preschool students (143 children between 4 and 6 years old). Participants completed the Early Numeracy Test Revised and a continuous performance test which assessed attention (omissions and response time [RT]) and inhibitory control (commissions and variability). RESULTS: Logistic Binomial Regression Analysis was carried out showing that in 4 to 6-year olds there are differences in omissions, RT and variability between the groups (low and high relational and numerical mathematical skills). However, once the effect of the age was controlled for, only RT predicted numerical mathematical skills. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the importance of attention in the numerical skills of preschool students, with a greater weight of response time which is better in students with higher numerical mathematics skills.