Search

In the context of a pandemic that has had wide-ranging negative impacts on preschool children's socioemotional development it is important to consider uses of technology to support children re-engaging socially with peers. In this article, we review the landscape of systems to support children's face-to-face collaboration and identify an underexplored approach that could be well suited for the current context: using technology in a peripheral role to support activities where the focus is on other children and non-electronic objects and where children are free to engage with the physical space around them with the support of adults. We then present a pre-pandemic evaluation of StoryCarnival, a system with these underexplored characteristics, designed to support preschool children's sociodramatic play, for which there is evidence of numerous benefits that can positively impact children's socioemotional development. The results of the evaluation comparing sociodramatic play with and without StoryCarnival's support suggest that while not being the focus of the activity, StoryCarnival's components changed the dynamics of play for the children in the study during our observations, such that children displayed more mature play characteristics. Our discussion includes implications for child-computer interaction and considerations for the pandemic context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the association of cognitive function and process- as well product-oriented outcomes of object control skills (OCS) in boys, younger and older men. Methods: A total of 77 male participants took part in this study, including 35 primary school children (9.04 ± 0.53 years), 22 younger adults (23.5 ± 2.34 years), and 20 older adults (69.5 ± 4.43 years). We assessed the process-oriented performance of throwing, kicking, and catching performance using the component approach. For the product-oriented performance, throwing and kicking velocity was recorded with a STALKER SOLO 2.0 radar gun. For catching, the number of caught balls was assessed. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Trail-Making-Test (TMT) one day later. Results: Younger adults performed better in both domains than the other two groups. The results of the children and older adults were comparable in the motor and cognitive domains. However, the older adults yielded significantly better results for the process-oriented catching and product-oriented throwing performances. Moderate to strong correlations exist between OCS- and TMT performance, with significant correlations predominantly between product-oriented OCS results and TMT in children. Conclusion: The results of both domains support a hypothetical lifespan developmental trajectory with a progression from childhood to younger adult age and a degression in older adults. Furthermore, our results suggest that the suspected relationship between motor and cognitive function depends on age, the analyzed cognitive and motor skills, and the applied methodological approach (process-oriented vs. product-oriented). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tower of London, Drexel Version, Second Edition (TOL-DX) is purported to measure multiple aspects of executive functions, although it also possesses inherent non-executive demands. Such complexity makes it useful in detecting impairment but difficult in interpreting the neurocognitive cause of impairment, particularly in children. This study investigated the developmental, neurocognitive, and symptom correlates of the TOL-DX in children and adolescents with neuropsychiatric disorders. Two-hundred and thirty-three children and adolescents (7–21 years old) completed the TOL-DX during a neuropsychological evaluation as part of clinical care within a children’s psychiatric hospital. Pearson correlation, regression models, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses examined the association among variables. Visuospatial and executive functions (EF) were most consistently related to total moves, execution time, and violations. TOL-DX variables were associated with attention in younger participants and EF in older participants. No TOL-DX scores were related to parent-reported symptoms. The TOL-DX possesses inherent visuospatial and attention/executive demands in children and adolescents which are difficult to differentiate, differ by age group, and not associated to clinical symptoms. Taken together, the TOL-DX is complex to interpret, but psychometrically sound and sensitive to neurocognitive impairment in children and adolescents with transdiagnostic neuropsychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to adapt to the environment is linked to the possibility of inhibiting inappropriate behaviours, and this ability can be enhanced by attention. Despite this premise, the scientific literature that assesses how attention can influence inhibition is still limited. This study contributes to this topic by evaluating whether spatial and moving attentional cueing can influence inhibitory control. We employed a task in which subjects viewed a vertical bar on the screen that, from a central position, moved either left or right where two circles were positioned. Subjects were asked to respond by pressing a key when the motion of the bar was interrupted close to the circle (go signal). In about 40% of the trials, following the go signal and after a variable delay, a visual target appeared in either one of the circles, requiring response inhibition (stop signal). In most of the trials the stop signal appeared on the same side as the go signal (valid condition), while in the others, it appeared on the opposite side (invalid condition). We found that spatial and moving cueing facilitates inhibitory control in the valid condition. This facilitation was observed especially for stop signals that appeared within 250ms of the presentation of the go signal, thus suggesting an involvement of exogenous attentional orienting. This work demonstrates that spatial and moving cueing can influence inhibitory control, providing a contribution to the investigation of the relationship between spatial attention and inhibitory control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executive functions (ЕF) are complex cognitive processes that govern our behavior and thoughts. Associations between personality traits and executive functions clarify the mechanisms of a person's ability to function in everyday situations. The main goal of this study was to explore different personality dimensions relevant to the prediction of two different executive functions – Inhibition and Working Memory. The Big Five Inventory and the Adult Executive Functioning Inventory (ADEXI) were administered on a community sample comprising 549 young adults aged 18–35 years (mean age 22.10 years, SD 3.13). After controlling for age, gender and level of education, Conscientiousness and Extraversion were the most predictive personality traits, while Neuroticism and Agreeableness made specific contributions to the prediction of one of the two executive measures: Working Memory or Inhibition. Specifically, high Conscientiousness and Extraversion with low Neuroticism were significant predictors of Working Memory ability. On the other hand, high Conscientiousness and Agreeableness with low Extraversion predicted better Inhibition ability. These findings support the conclusion that these dimensions of individual differences seem to have numerous points of overlap at both psychological and neurobiological levels, but differences between these constructs are still significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: "Ecological validity" (EV) is classically defined as test's ability to predict real-world functioning, either alone or together with test's similarity to real-world tasks. In neuropsychological literature on assessment of executive functions (EF), EV is conceptualized inconsistently, leading to misconceptions about the utility of tests. The goal of this systematic review was to examine how EV is conceptualized in studies of EF tests described as ecologically valid. Method: MEDLINE and PsychINFO Databases were searched. PRISMA guidelines were observed. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, this search yielded 90 articles. Deductive content analysis was employed to determine how the term EV was used. Results: About 1/3 of the studies conceptualized EV as the test's ability to predict functional outcomes, 1/3 as both the ability to predict functional outcome and similarity to real-world tasks, and 1/3 were either unclear about the meaning of the term or relied on notions unrelated to classical definitions (e.g., similarity to real-world tasks alone, association with other tests, or the ability to discriminate between populations). Conclusions: Conceptualizations of the term EV in literature on EF assessment vary grossly, subsuming the notions of criterion, construct, and face validity, as well as sensitivity/specificity. Such inconsistency makes it difficult to interpret clinical utility of tests that are described as ecologically valid. We call on the field to require that, at minimum, the term EV be clearly defined in all publications, or replaced with more concrete terminology (e.g., criterion validity). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionMethodResultsConclusionsPrevious research has found beliefs about oneself and one’s own abilities may have the potential to affect subsequent performance on a particular task. Additionally, providing false feedback about a particular characteristic or even about overall cognitive abilities may also affect performance on later tasks. However, it is unclear to what extent false positive or negative feedback about cognition will affect subsequent executive function task performance. In the present series of studies, we examined whether receiving negative false feedback about cognition would affect subsequent decision making and other executive function task performance.In Study 1, the participants (n = 115) received false feedback that they were either high or low in creative intelligence before completing a series of decision making tasks. In Study 2, the participants (n = 146) completed a similar false feedback paradigm before completing assessments of a range of executive functions.Across studies, we found limited evidence of a consistent pattern of how false feedback affects subsequent cognitive task performance, although receiving positive and negative feedback affected specific tasks.Our results indicate that the influence of false feedback on task performance is variable and may depend on factors such as the specific task or executive function assessed. In clinical work, it is important to consider how patients may internalize feedback about their cognitive abilities, as the feedback, coupled with other factors such as level of insight, apathy, disinhibition, or prior perceptions regarding a diagnosis, may influence interpretations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interviewees' use of impression management (IM) in job interviews is clearly related to individual differences such as personality. However, research has paid less attention to how interviewee cognitive capacities (i.e., cognitive ability and executive functions) influence IM use, even though interviewees' cognitive capacities and IM are theoretically linked. The current research aimed to address this research gap through two studies. In Study 1, 166 undergraduate business students participated in mock face‐to‐face interviews with real recruiters. In Study 2, 294 job‐seeking participants recruited through Prolific completed a mock asynchronous video interview. Overall, cognitive ability was negatively related to deceptive IM while perceived incongruency (i.e., a gap between desired and perceived current impressions conveyed to others) was positively related to deceptive IM in both studies. Furthermore, cognitive ability and working memory updating, but not inhibition and shifting nor incongruency, were negatively related to honest IM in Study 2. Additionally, in both studies the relations between personality traits and interview IM were generally in line with findings from prior research. Overall, our findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of how interview IM relates to interviewee individual differences and interview performance in different forms of job interviews. Practitioner points: While interviewee personality traits have shown to highly influence their use of impression management in job interviews, the role of their cognitive capacities was less clear.Across two studies in face‐to‐face (Study 1) and asynchronous video interview (Study 2) settings, applicants lower in cognitive ability used more deceptive IM, and more honest IM in Study 2.The role of executive functions was more limited, and the relations between deceptive or honest IM and interviewee personality traits generally aligned with prior research.Organizations should design interviews so that a greater number of interviewees feel comfortable using honest IM, to even out opportunities for applicants to succeed and thereby improve the fairness of interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) present deficits in regulation of their emotions which have a great impact on their mental health and well-being. There are several studies showing the connection between executive functions deficits and emotion dysregulation in the context of an ASD diagnosis. Our study aims to investigate which among the executive functions can predict the emotional dysregulation in children with ASD, if there is an association between the ASD specific characteristics and their ability to regulate their emotions and to identify if there are possible mediators of this relationship. To reach our objective, we enrolled 60 children with ASD (mean age 8.5 years) whose parents completed standardised measurements for executive functions, emotional dysregulation, and ASD characteristics. We found a positive association between ASD characteristics' severity and emotional dysregulation, as well as some significant predictors among specific executive functions and emotional dysregulation. Moreover, executive functioning mediates the relationship between the ASD characteristics and emotion regulation. Our research provides a better understanding of the relationship between ASD characteristics, executive functions, and emotion regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Methods Results Conclusion Media use in children has exploded in the past several decades, most recently fuelled by portable electronic devices. This study aims to explore differences in functional brain connectivity in children during a story‐listening functional MRI (fMRI) task using data collected before (1998) and after (2013) the widespread adoption of media.Cross‐sectional data were collected from English‐speaking 5‐ to 7‐year‐old children at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA, of a functional MRI narrative comprehension task completed in 1998 (n = 22) or 2013 (n = 25). Imaging data were processed using a graph theory approach, focusing on executive functions, language and visual processing networks supporting reading.Group differences suggest more efficient processing in the fronto‐parietal network in the pre‐media group while listening to stories. A modulation of the visual and fronto‐parietal networks for the post‐media exposure group was found.Further studies are needed to assess effects over time in the more exposed group to discern a causal effect of portable devices on cognitive networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionsThe study aimed to carry out a cross-cultural analysis by comparing Five-Point test scores for two different countries. The Five-Point test measures design fluency, an executive function, and is an inexpensive test that makes it more accessible to assessment settings, including under-resourced settings.Adults in Argentina (n = 90) and South Africa (n = 90) with tertiary levels of education were tested on the Five-Point Test. ANOVA was applied to compare the scores of the two groups on the total number of unique designs produced (Total Unique Designs).The study found no significant differences in the Total Unique Designs scores between the two groups (p = .13; η = 0.01). Correlations between demographic variables and the Total Unique Designs scores varied slightly across both samples.Despite large cultural differences between both samples (language, race, religion, income) scores on this test did not differ significantly. These findings provide initial evidence of scalar equivalence on the test across these samples. Norms for the Five-Point Test Total Unique Designs scores might be used interchangeably between these two highly educated groups from different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of single-case experimental design (SCED) to evaluate cognitive remediation is growing. SCEDs require rigorous methodology and appropriate choice of primary outcomes. To review primary outcomes that assess executive function impairments in patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). A scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O’Malley framework and the PRISMA extension for scoping review (PRISMA-ScR). Five databases were searched resulting in the inclusion of twenty-one studies. Primary outcomes were extracted and classified according to the type of measure, ecological setting and sources of possible bias. A wide variety of primary outcomes were identified; the majority of which evaluated behavioural performance during a real-life activity or in a real-life simulated setting. The most frequent bias observed across outcomes was the coaching effect. The findings of this scoping review highlight the importance of selecting appropriate outcomes for repeated measures in SCED studies. Direct observation of the target behaviour is a potential gold standard for assessing the effectiveness of a cognitive intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Executive functions (EFs) and episodic memory are fundamental components of cognition that deteriorate with age and are crucial for independent living. While numerous reviews have explored the effect of exercise on these components in old age, these reviews screened and analyzed selected older adult populations, or specific exercise modes, thus providing only limited answers to the fundamental question on the effect of exercise on cognition in old age. This article describes the protocol for a systematic review and multilevel meta-analytic study aiming at evaluating the effectiveness of different types of chronic exercise in improving and/or maintaining EFs and long-term episodic memory in older adults. Methods and analysis: The study protocol was written in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Several databases will be searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in older adults aged ≥ 60 years providing any kind of planned, structured, and repetitive exercise interventions, and EFs and/or episodic memory measures as outcomes, published in English in peer-reviewed journals and doctoral dissertations will be included. Two independent reviewers will screen the selected articles, while a third reviewer will resolve possible conflicts. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool will be used to assess the quality of the studies. Finally, data will be extracted from the selected articles, and the formal method of combining individual data from the selected studies will be applied using a random effect multilevel meta-analysis. The data analysis will be conducted with the metafor package in R. Discussion and conclusion: This review will synthesize the existing evidence and pinpoint gaps existing in the literature on the effects of exercise on EFs and episodic memory in healthy and unhealthy older adults. Findings from this meta-analysis will help to design effective exercise interventions for older adults to improve and/or maintain EFs and episodic memory. Its results will be useful for many researchers and professionals working with older adults and their families. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42022367111. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption and maintenance of physical activity (PA) is an important health behavior. This paper presents the first comprehensive empirical test of the Physical Activity Adoption and Maintenance (PAAM) model, which proposes that a combination of explicit (e.g., intention) and implicit (e.g., habit,, affect) self-regulatory processes is involved in PA adoption and maintenance. Data were collected via online questionnaires in English, German, and Italian at two measurement points four weeks apart. The study included 422 participants (Mage= 25.3, SDage= 10.1; 74.2% women) from Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, and the U.S. The study results largely supported the assumptions of the PAAM model, indicating that intentions and habits significantly mediate the effects of past PA on future PA. In addition, the effect of past PA on future PA was shown to be significant through a mediation chain involving affect and habit. Although the hypothesis that trait self-regulation moderates the intention-behavior relationship was not supported, a significant moderating effect of affect on the same relationship was observed. The results suggest that interventions targeting both explicit and implicit processes may be effective in promoting PA adoption and maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To determine the association between neurological soft signs, executive functions, and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: Serum BDNF levels were measured in 87 drug-naive boys with ADHD, aged 7--12 years. The Revised Physical and Neurological Examination for Subtle Signs for neurological soft signs, Stroop Color-Word Test for attention functions, and Judgment of Line Orientation Test (JLOT) for visuospatial abilities were performed. Results: Age correlated negatively with dysrhythmia, total time, and total overflow in timed movements, Stroop Color-Word Time (SCWT), and serum BDNF levels. The JLOT significantly negatively correlated with Total Gaits and Stations (P1) and Total Time in Timed Movements (adjusted R2 = 0.247). In addition, SCWT maintained a significant correlation with Total Overflow in Timed Movements (adjusted R2 = 0.206). There was no correlation between serum BDNF levels and NSS. Conclusion: The association between NSS, visuospatial abilities, and selective attention may express a maturational delay in ADHD pathophysiology. Moreover, BDNF may play a role in this maturational delay. Future studies should investigate the contribution of BDNF to neuronal maturation in ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between cerebral hemodynamics and cognitive impairment has been reported in neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular disorders (CVD). However, it is still unclear whether changes occur in the acute phase of CVD. Here we investigated cognitive and hemodynamic parameters and their association in patients with CVD during the acute and subacute phases. Seventy-three patients with mild stroke, not undergoing endovascular treatment, were recruited. All subjects were devoid of intracranial or external carotid stenosis, significant chronic cerebrovascular pathology, dementia or non-compensated cardiovascular diseases. Patients were evaluated within 7 days from symptoms onset (T1) and after 3 months (T2). Clinical and demographic data were collected. NIHSS, MoCA, FAB, and Word-Color Stroop test (WCST) were used to evaluate disease severity and cognitive functions. Basal hemodynamic parameters in the middle cerebral artery were measured with transcranial Doppler. Differences between T2 and T1, correlations between cognitive and hemodynamic variables at T1 and T2, as well as correlations between the T2-T1 variation in cognitive and hemodynamic parameters were assessed. At T1, cognitive performance of MoCA, FAB, and WCST was lower compared with T2; and pulsatility index, a parameter reflecting distal vascular resistance, was higher. However, no correlations between the changes in cognitive and hemodynamic variables were found; therefore, the two seems to be independent phenomena. In the acute phase, the linear association between cerebral blood flow and cognitive performances was lost, probably due to a differential effect of microenvironment changes and vascular-specific phenomena on cognition and cerebral hemodynamics. This relationship was partially restored in the subacute phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cognitive advantage (CA) hypothesis claims that multilingualism promotes the development of several basic cognitive capacities. A large number of empirical findings support this hypothesis, but recently there have also been numerous contradictory findings and methodological objections. The present paper extends the investigation of possible cognitive advantages from basic cognitive (executive) functions to broader cognitive competencies such as cognitive flexibility. A promising candidate for this is 'flexibility of goal adjustment' (FGA), a capacity of developmental regulation that solves problems through flexible adaptation processes. In a study with N = 119 monolingual and multilingual adults we found the predicted positive correlation between multilingualism and FGA. However, the mediator function of executive capacities entailed in the CA hypothesis operationalised as Stroop and flanker tasks could not be demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detrimental effect of math anxiety on math performance is thought to be mediated by executive functions. Previous studies have primarily focused on trait‐math anxiety rather than state‐math anxiety and have typically examined a single executive function rather than comprehensively evaluating all of them. Here, we used a structural equation modeling approach to concurrently determine the potential mediating roles of different executive functions (i.e., inhibition, switching, and updating) in the relationships between both state‐ and trait‐math anxiety and math performance. A battery of computer‐based tasks and questionnaires were administered to 205 university students. Two relevant results emerged. First, confirmatory factor analysis suggests that math anxiety encompassed both trait and state dimensions and, although they share substantial variance, trait‐math anxiety predicted math performance over and above state‐math anxiety. Second, working memory updating was the only executive function that mediated the relationship between math anxiety and math performance; neither inhibition nor switching played mediating roles. This calls into question whether some general proposals about the relationship between anxiety and executive functions can be extended specifically to math anxiety. We also raise the possibility that working memory updating or general cognitive difficulties might precede individual differences in math anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive aging research has studied the influence of healthy aging on the ability to multitask. Yet, little is known about the factors that might improve or impair serial multitasking performance in older adults. Three experiments involving younger and older adults assessed the impact of interruptions and planning on a prop-based test of multitasking. In Experiment 1, 26 younger adults and 25 older adults' multitasking abilities were assessed; older adults performed significantly more poorly than younger adults. In Experiment 2, 19 younger and 22 older adults were randomly allocated to a group who experienced a one minute unexpected interruption while multitasking or a group with no interruption. The results showed that, when there was an interruption, the age difference disappeared. In Experiment 3, 32 younger and 30 older adults were randomly allocated to a group who were given 3 minutes to write an outline describing how they intended to approach the multitasking task, and another group who were given 3 minutes to label pictures of everyday objects prior to multitasking. Again, when participants were encouraged to plan, no age difference was found. These results highlight the advantage that interruptions and planning might have on serial everyday multitasking performance in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Executive function (EF) plays a crucial role in children's reading. However, previous studies were based on offline products of reading comprehension. Online research is needed to reveal the core mechanisms underlying children's reading processing. By measuring children's working memory (WM) and cognitive flexibility (CF), we investigated whether individual differences in EF could modulate sentence processing and, if so, how they exert their roles. Methods: The present study manipulated semantic congruency and the association between crucial words in a sentence. We recruited 89 Chinese children aged 9–12 years and monitored their eye movement. Results: The study revealed distinct associations between reader‐ and text‐related characteristics, as evidenced by eye‐movement patterns during reading. A significant incongruency effect was observed in reading, underscoring the children's capacity to discern incongruent information. Children's WM and CF were found to modulate this process. Specifically, high‐WM children showed more effective integration of incongruent information when the textual context was closely related during the later‐stage processing. In contrast, low‐WM children faced more challenges with incongruent words. Additionally, CF was influential during the early processing period. High‐CF children exhibited longer early‐stage reading times for incongruent words in associated contexts. Conclusions: Individual differences in EF can modulate children's online sentence processing. However, different EF components may play different roles. Highlights: What is already known about this topicA positive association exists between children's EF and reading, which often relies on offline products of reading comprehension.In children's sentence processing, sentence congruency and word association are the text features that require specific attention.The few studies investigating whether individual differences in EF modulate the processing of sentence congruency and word association have almost exclusively involved adults. What this paper addsChildren exhibit longer reading times for incongruent words, highlighting the cognitive demand of incongruencies.WM plays a modulatory role during the later stages of sentence processing.CF influences children's reading during the early processing period. Implications for theory, policy or practiceEF is a crucial cognitive basis that supports children's reading processing.WM and CF can underlie learning differences, especially when the focus of reading instruction switches from 'learning to read' to 'reading to learn'.Reading interventions that support reading‐related WM and CF may be especially beneficial for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive and linguistic factors have been incorporated into models to explain reading comprehension beyond classical models of reading. This study explores the contribution of executive functions, mainly domain‐general and reading‐specific cognitive flexibility, in reading comprehension of science texts in monolingual Spanish speaking upper elementary students. Methods: A total of 275 Chilean students from fourth to sixth grade participated in this study. They were evaluated in working memory, inhibition, reading fluency, domain‐general and reading‐specific cognitive flexibility, academic vocabulary and science reading comprehension. Results: The results show that cognitive flexibility is a variable that explains performance in science reading comprehension across elementary grades. Furthermore, reading domain‐specific cognitive flexibility was found to be the variable that explains additional performance in science reading comprehension above inhibition, reading fluency, academic vocabulary and domain‐general cognitive flexibility in Grade 4 and Grade 5, but not in Grade 6. Conclusions: These results suggest the contribution of cognitive variables such as cognitive flexibility in explaining performance in reading comprehension of science texts. The need to develop cognitive tests specific to reading domain is also discussed. Highlights: What is already known about this topic Executive functions have been included in models to explain reading comprehension.It is well known that the structure of text, narrative or expository influences the cognitive processes necessary for comprehension.Cognitive flexibility is a variable associated with reading comprehension. What this paper adds Cognitive flexibility explains science text reading comprehension from fourth to sixth grade.Reading‐specific cognitive flexibility is associated with science text reading comprehension in fourth to fifth grade.Reading‐specific cognitive flexibility explains additional variance above domain‐general cognitive flexibility. Implications for theory, policy or practice Cognitive flexibility plays a relevant role in explaining reading comprehension of scientific texts.Models of reading comprehension should be adjusted to include variables like cognitive flexibility.It is necessary to study reading specific measures of executive function assessment over general domain measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two experiments investigated the effect of sustained cognitive control engagement on syntactic ambiguity resolution. Participants heard (Experiment 1) or read (Experiment 2) garden path sentences like "Put the kiwi on the rectangle on the circle", in which "on the rectangle" could temporarily reflect either a destination of "Put" or modifier of "kiwi", and they viewed visual arrays with a kiwi on a rectangle and an empty rectangle and circle. Cognitive control was manipulated experimentally by interleaving sentence trials among either mostly incongruent or mostly congruent Stroop trials. Across both experiments, garden path mouse cursor movements to incorrect destinations were reduced when sentence trials were interleaved among mostly incongruent Stroop trials, and in Experiment 2, garden path reading time effects were also reduced in this condition. These results suggest that a high proportion of incongruent trials supports the sustained engagement of cognitive control and causally improves sentence comprehension across (i.e. spoken and written) modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The INECO Frontal Screening (IFS) and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) are executive dysfunction (ED) screening tools that can distinguish patients with neurodegenerative disorders from healthy controls and, to some extent, between dementia subtypes. This paper aims to examine the suitability of these tests in assessing early-onset cognitive impairment and dementia patients. Method: In a memory clinic patient cohort (age mean = 57.4 years) with symptom onset at ≤65 years, we analyzed the IFS and the FAB results of four groups: early-onset dementia (EOD, n = 49), mild cognitive impairment due to neurological causes (MCI-n, n = 34), MCI due to other causes such as depression (MCI-o, n = 99) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD, n = 14). Data were gathered at baseline and at 6 and 12 months. We also studied the tests' accuracy in distinguishing EOD from SCD patients and ED patients from those with intact executive functioning. Correlations with neuropsychological measures were also studied. Results: The EOD group had significantly (p <.05) lower IFS and FAB total scores than the MCI-o and SCD groups. Compared with the FAB, the IFS showed more statistically significant (p <.05) differences between diagnostic groups, greater accuracy (IFS AUC =.80, FAB AUC =.75, p =.036) in detecting ED and marginally stronger correlations with neuropsychological measures. We found no statistically significant differences in the EOD group scores from baseline up to 6- or 12-months follow-up. Conclusions: While both tests can detect EOD among memory clinic patients, the IFS may be more reliable in detecting ED than the FAB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executive functions (EFs) are related abilities, associated with the frontal lobes functions, that allow individuals to modify behavioral patterns when they become unsatisfactory. The aim of this study was to assess EFs in children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and in children with "specific language impairment" (SLI), compared with a control group of children with normal development, to identify specific skill deficits. Three groups of preschool children aged between 2 and 6 years were assessed: 19 children with normal hearing, cognitive, and language development, 10 children with SNHL, and 20 children with SLI. The FE-PS 2-6 Battery was used for the assessment of preschool EFs, supplemented with the Modified Bell Test for the analysis of selective attention. Statistically significant differences were found between the two experimental groups and the control one, regarding the investigated skills. Children with SNHL showed a clear deficit in flexibility, whereas children with SLI had greater problems in self-regulation and management of waiting for gratification. Selective attention was found to be deficient in all three groups, with no statistically significant differences. This study shows that the skills investigated were found to be deficient in both SNHL and SLI patients. It is essential to start targeted exercises based on specific deficient skills as part of the rehabilitation program. It is of great importance to understand the consequences of EF deficit in preschool children to achieve an accurate diagnosis and carry out customized rehabilitation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semantic Fluency (SF) increases with age, along with the lexicon and the strategies to access it. Among the cognitive processes involved in controlling lexical access, Executive Functions (EF) play an essential role. Nevertheless, which EF, namely inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, are specifically tapped by SF during preschool years, when these basic EF components are developing and differentiating, is still unknown. The study had a two-fold aim: 1. to analyze in preschoolers the role of EF basic components on SF; 2. to investigate if EF mediated the effect of age on SF. A total of 296 typically developing preschoolers (M age = 57.86; SD = 9.91; month range = 33--74) were assessed with an SF task and EF tasks measuring the main EF basic components. Results showed that during preschool, response inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility were significant predictors of SF, explaining 27% of its variance. Moreover, the effect of age on the SF task performance correlated with the improvement of these EF components. This study supports the importance of considering cognitive control processes in 3--6 year-old preschoolers as they underline important competencies for the child's development, such as the ability to quickly access vocabulary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short duration of sleep and poor sleep quality have been linked to poor attention and impulse control in children. We aimed to determine the longitudinal predictive value of sleep quantity and quality during early childhood on objective and caregiver-report measures of attention, impulse control, and executive function in children at age 8 years. We used data from the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment (HOME) Study, a pregnancy and birth cohort. Caregivers reported on their child's sleep at ages 2, 2.5, 3, 4, and 5 years. Analysis included 410 participants. We used longitudinal growth curve models of early childhood sleep patterns to predict neurobehavioral functioning at age 8 years. Sleep problems did not predict any of our outcome measures at age 8 years. Sleep duration trended shorter as children matured, so predictive models examined both intercept and slope. Children with the least decline in sleep duration across early childhood had fewer impulsive errors at age 8 years on a continuous performance test (unadjusted p = .013; adjusted p = .013). Children with shorter duration of sleep across early childhood had worse caregiver-reported behavioral regulation at age 8 years (unadjusted p = .002; adjusted p = .043). Neither sleep duration slope nor intercept predicted inattention or metacognitive skills at age 8 years (p > .05). Total sleep time across early childhood predicts behavior regulation difficulties in school-aged children. Inadequate sleep during early childhood may be a marker for, or contribute to, poor development of a child's self-regulatory skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to test the efficacy of a newly developed computer‐based game naming computerized executive functions (CEF) task on the reading ability of children suffering from dyslexia. Forty dyslexic school students from the fourth and fifth grades were randomized to one of the experimental and control groups. Subjects of the experimental group received 12 sessions of Computerized Executive Functions Training (CEFT), while subjects of the control group played a neutral computer game throughout the 12 sessions. All participants responded to the Reading and Dyslexia Test (NEMA) as the pre‐ and post‐test measure. Results revealed a significant improvement in the reading ability of subjects of the experimental group compared to the control group. Subjects of the experimental group indicated a greater improvement in some components of the NEMA scale including word reading, word chains reading, picture naming, text comprehension, word comprehension and letter fluency relative to the control group. CEFT had no significant effect in modifying the category fluency, phoneme elimination and rhyming components of the NEMA scale. Applying CEFT improves the reading performance of children with dyslexia by enforcing their cognitive abilities like working memory, inhibition control and cognitive flexibility which are necessary for normal reading ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some cognitive abilities are suggested to be the result of a complex social life, allowing individuals to achieve higher fitness through advanced strategies. However, most evidence is correlative. Here, we provide an experimental investigation of how group size and composition affect brain and cognitive development in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). For 6 months, we reared sexually mature females in one of 3 social treatments: a small conspecific group of 3 guppies, a large heterospecific group of 3 guppies and 3 splash tetras (Copella arnoldi)—a species that co-occurs with the guppy in the wild, and a large conspecific group of 6 guppies. We then tested the guppies' performance in self-control (inhibitory control), operant conditioning (associative learning), and cognitive flexibility (reversal learning) tasks. Using X-ray imaging, we measured their brain size and major brain regions. Larger groups of 6 individuals, both conspecific and heterospecific groups, showed better cognitive flexibility than smaller groups but no difference in self-control and operant conditioning tests. Interestingly, while social manipulation had no significant effect on brain morphology, relatively larger telencephalons were associated with better cognitive flexibility. This suggests alternative mechanisms beyond brain region size enabled greater cognitive flexibility in individuals from larger groups. Although there is no clear evidence for the impact on brain morphology, our research shows that living in larger social groups can enhance cognitive flexibility. This indicates that the social environment plays a role in the cognitive development of guppies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), if severe, is usually treated with stimulant or non-stimulant medication. However, users prefer non-drug treatments due to side effects. Alternative non-medication treatments have so far only shown modest effects. External trigeminal nerve stimulation (eTNS) is a minimal risk, non-invasive neuromodulation device, targeting the trigeminal system. It was approved for ADHD in 2019 by the USA Food and Drug administration (FDA) based on a small proof of concept randomised controlled trial (RCT) in 62 children with ADHD showing improvement of ADHD symptoms after 4 weeks of nightly real versus sham eTNS with minimal side effects. We present here the protocol of a larger confirmatory phase IIb study testing efficacy, longer-term persistency of effects and underlying mechanisms of action. Methods: A confirmatory, sham-controlled, double-blind, parallel-arm, multi-centre phase IIb RCT of 4 weeks of eTNS in 150 youth with ADHD, recruited in London, Portsmouth, and Southampton, UK. Youth with ADHD will be randomized to either real or sham eTNS, applied nightly for 4 weeks. Primary outcome is the change in the investigator-administered parent rated ADHD rating scale. Secondary outcomes are other clinical and cognitive measures, objective hyperactivity and pupillometry measures, side effects, and maintenance of effects over 6 months. The mechanisms of action will be tested in a subgroup of 56 participants using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before and after the 4-week treatment. Discussion: This multi-centre phase IIb RCT will confirm whether eTNS is effective in a larger age range of children and adolescents with ADHD, whether it improves cognition and other clinical measures, whether efficacy persists at 6 months and it will test underlying brain mechanisms. The results will establish whether eTNS is effective and safe as a novel non-pharmacological treatment for ADHD. Trial registration: ISRCTN82129325 on 02/08/2021, https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN82129325. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of executive functions (EFs) training, both in computer‐based and school‐based formats. However, there is limited research on the combined effects of these training modalities. This study aims to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an EFs training programme for primary school children. The programme includes computerized training sessions for home use and school activities with metacognitive elements. The study included a sample of 53 second‐grade children, with 21 children in the training group and 32 children in the control group. Feasibility questionnaires were completed by children, parents and teachers. The children also underwent an EFs evaluation. The results indicate that the training was enjoyable for children and feasible for parents and teachers. Furthermore, preliminary efficacy analysis revealed significant improvements in working memory. These findings suggest that the training model holds promise for enhancing EFs in children in the school context. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Individual differences in executive functions influence acquisitions, behaviours and competencies in several specific domains from infancy to adulthood. Enhancing executive functions during school‐age years can contribute to reducing or preventing academic, behavioural and social difficulties. Among interventions targeting executive functions in school‐aged children, school‐based interventions have shown the highest effectiveness, followed by metacognitive interventions and computer‐based interventions. What this paper adds This paper presents the implementation of an innovative school‐based training programme designed to improve executive functions (EFs). The programme combines metacognitive sessions conducted at school with computer‐based sessions carried out at home. The goal was to enhance the effectiveness and generalizability of the training. The training programme was found to be enjoyable for children and feasible for both parents and teachers. Preliminary efficacy data indicate promising results, suggesting that the training programme is effective in achieving its intended goals. Implications for practice and/or policy Integrating school‐based metacognitive training with computerized sessions delivered at home can provide a high‐intensity training programme that may not be achievable in the school context alone. The school activities, conducted in group settings with teachers and peers, were found to be the most appreciated by the children, indicating that computer sessions alone cannot replace the value of metacognitive sessions at school, within a meaningful social context for the child. It is crucial to actively involve families in the training process to ensure good adherence. Additionally, the availability of technological resources in each family should be evaluated before implementing the training programme. What is already known about this topic Individual differences in executive functions influence acquisitions, behaviours and competencies in several specific domains from infancy to adulthood. Enhancing executive functions during school‐age years can contribute to reducing or preventing academic, behavioural and social difficulties. Among interventions targeting executive functions in school‐aged children, school‐based interventions have shown the highest effectiveness, followed by metacognitive interventions and computer‐based interventions. What this paper adds This paper presents the implementation of an innovative school‐based training programme designed to improve executive functions (EFs). The programme combines metacognitive sessions conducted at school with computer‐based sessions carried out at home. The goal was to enhance the effectiveness and generalizability of the training. The training programme was found to be enjoyable for children and feasible for both parents and teachers. Preliminary efficacy data indicate promising results, suggesting that the training programme is effective in achieving its intended goals. Implications for practice and/or policy Integrating school‐based metacognitive training with computerized sessions delivered at home can provide a high‐intensity training programme that may not be achievable in the school context alone. The school activities, conducted in group settings with teachers and peers, were found to be the most appreciated by the children, indicating that computer sessions alone cannot replace the value of metacognitive sessions at school, within a meaningful social context for the child. It is crucial to actively involve families in the training process to ensure good adherence. Additionally, the availability of technological resources in each family should be evaluated before implementing the training programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionsThis study compares executive functioning in deaf children with cochlear implants and those with normal hearing. Individuals who lacked auditory stimulation during their early years might experience cognitive challenges that extend beyond just speech and language abilities.The executive functioning abilities of a group of 32 children who were born deaf and received cochlear implants before the age of 7 were contrasted with those of 30 children with normal hearing. Both sets of children underwent assessments using the Tower of London, BRIEF, and Stroop tests.The average score on the Tower of London task reveals that children who received cochlear implants (4.03 ± 2.53) achieved lower scores than typically hearing children (8.37 ± 2.79). This group also exhibited higher errors in the Stroop test and slightly longer response times Additionally, in terms of emotional control assessed by the BRIEF, a higher score was recorded. Notably, significant differences between the two groups were identified for organizing materials (t(62) = −4.204, p = 0.00). The tests measuring phonemic fluency, categorical fluency, and working memory also revealed significant differences.The significant differences in data between both groups suggest the influence of cochlear implantation on cognitive functions. This emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to supporting the overall development of these children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic exposure to odours (olfactory training, OT) is a method of smell loss treatment. Due to olfactory system projections to prefrontal brain areas, OT has been hypothesized to enhance cognitive functions, but its effects have been studied predominantly in adults. This study tested OT effects on working memory (WM), i.e., the ability to store and manipulate information for a short time, in healthy children aged 6-9 years. We expected OT to improve olfactory WM and establish cross-modal transfer to visual and auditory WM. Participants performed 12 weeks of bi-daily OT with either 4 odours (lemon, eucalyptus, rose, cloves; OT group) or odourless propylene glycol (placebo group). Pre- and post-training, participants’ WM was measured utilizing odours (olfactory WM) or pictures (visual WM) and a word-span task (auditory WM). 84 children (40 girls) completed the study. The analyses revealed no changes in the WM performance following OT. The olfactory WM task was the most difficult for children, highlighting the need to include olfactory-related tasks in educational programmes to improve children’s odour knowledge and memory, just as they learn about sounds and pictures. Further neuroimaging research is needed to fully understand the impact of OT on cognitive functions in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trailmaking test (TMT) has an educational bias that makes it inapplicable to people with low levels of education due to its dependence on the alphabet. The TMT standardization is the only one available in Chile, and there is a need for alternative ways of using the TMT that do not depend on the level of education for its applicability. To determine the normative scores of the TMT – black & white (TMT B&W), considering sociodemographic factors in adult and elderly Chilean population. A total sample of 227 participants (133 healthy, 94 cognitively impaired) from the Ageing Mets cohort were recruited from three areas in Chile (Antofagasta, Santiago, and Puerto Montt). The TMT B&W was administered to all participants. A multiple regression model was used to generate normative data only in the cognitively healthy group, considering the effect of age, education and sex. A significant effect of age was found in the score of the TMT B&W Parts A and B. The level of education influenced the part B of the test; however, the completion rate of the TMT B&W parts A and B was over 90% in cognitively healthy people. Norms for the number of errors were obtained, and differences between groups were found after controlling for the effect of age and education. This study is the first to provide normative data for the Chilean version of the TMT B&W and will benefit clinical neuropsychologists by improving the procedures for more accurately assessing executive functions and its impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to assess the convergence, feasibility, and acceptability of the Oxford Digital Multiple Errands Test (OxMET) and the in-person Multiple Errands Test–Home version (MET-Home). Participants completed OxMET, MET-Home, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and questionnaires on activities of daily living, depression, technology usage, mobility, and disability. Forty-eight stroke survivors (mean age 69.61, 41.67% female, and average 16.5 months post-stroke) and 50 controls (mean age 71.46, 56.00% female) took part. No performance differences were found for healthy and stroke participants for MET-Home, and only found below p = .05 for OxMET but not below the corrected p = .006. Convergent validity was found between MET-Home and OxMET metrics (most r ≥ .30, p < .006). MET-Home accuracy was related to age (B = −.04, p = .03), sex (B = −.98, p = .03), disability (B = −0.63, p = .04), and MoCA (B = .26, p < .001), whereas OxMET accuracy was predicted by MoCA score (B = .40, p < .001). Feedback indicated that the OxMET was easy and fun and more acceptable than the MET-Home. The MET-Home was more stressful and interesting. The MET tasks demonstrated good convergent validity, with the OxMET digital administration providing a more feasible, inclusive, and acceptable assessment, especially to people with mobility restrictions and more severe stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apathy is a behavioral symptom prevalent both in neuropsychiatric pathologies and in the healthy population. However, the knowledge of the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying apathy is still very limited, even if clinical and fMRI data support the existence of three forms of apathy (executive, emotional, initiative). These forms could be explained by the alteration of specific mechanisms. This present study's aim is to specify the cognitive and neuronal mechanisms of executive and emotional apathy. We used an EEG study conducted on 68 subjects comprising two groups of young people with specific executive or emotional phenotypes of apathy and one group with no apathy. Despite having symptom of apathy, participants were free of any neurological, metabolic, or psychiatric diagnoses and with high education. Two tasks were used: the DPX for cognitive control and the MID for motivation. Our results showed that distinct mechanisms underlie these two forms of apathy, and, for the first time, we specified these mechanisms. A deficit of the proactive control mode, reflected by a reduced probe-N2 amplitude in AY trials, underlies the executive form of apathy (p <.03), whereas liking motivational blunting, highlighted by a reduced LPP amplitude for financial loss, characterizes the emotional form (p <.04). The main limit of the results is that generalizability to the general population may be reduced since the apathetic samples were chosen for having a specific form of apathy. To conclude, better knowledge of these mechanisms informs new, more targeted treatments, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, necessary for reducing the debilitating consequences of apathy. [Display omitted] • Specific cognitive and neuronal mechanisms for executive and emotional apathy. • A deficit of the proactive control mode underlies the executive apathy. • The emotional apathy is characterized by liking motivational blunting. • These mechanisms inform new pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive impairment and chronic fatigue represent common characteristics of the long COVID syndrome. Different non-pharmacological treatments have been proposed, and physiotherapy has been proposed to improve the symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a dual-task augmented reality rehabilitation protocol in people with long COVID fatigue and cognitive impairment. Methods and materials: Ten non-hospitalized adults with reported fatigue and "brain fog" symptoms after COVID (7/10 females, 50 years, range 41–58) who participated in 20 sessions of a 1-h "dual-task" training, were compared to 10 long COVID individuals with similar demographics and symptoms (9/10 females, 56 years, range 43–65), who did not participate to any rehabilitation protocol. Cognitive performance was assessed with the Trail Making Test (TMT-A and -B) and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), and cardiovascular and muscular fatigue were assessed with the fatigue severity scale (FSS), six-minute walking test and handgrip endurance. Finally, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) investigated cortical excitability. Results: The mixed-factors analysis of variance found a significant interaction effect only in cognitive performance evaluation, suggesting TMT-B execution time decreased (− 15.9 s, 95% CI 7.6–24.1, P = 0.001) and FAB score improved (1.88, 95% CI 2.93–0.82, P = 0.002) only in the physiotherapy group. For the remaining outcomes, no interaction effect was found, and most parameters similarly improved in the two groups. Conclusion: The preliminary results from this study suggest that dual-task rehabilitation could be a feasible protocol to support cognitive symptoms recovery after COVID-19 and could be helpful in those individuals suffering from persisting and invalidating symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Distrophinopathies are a heterogeneous group of neuromuscular disorders due to mutations in the DMD gene. Different isoforms of dystrophin are also expressed in the cerebral cortex and Purkinje cells. Despite cognitive abnormalities in Duchenne muscular dystrophy subjects that have been described in the literature, little is known about a comprehensive cognitive profile in Becker muscular dystrophy patients. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess cognitive functioning in Becker muscular dystrophy patients by using an extensive neuropsychological battery. Our hypothesis is that the most impaired functions are the highly intentional and conscious ones, such as working memory functions, which require a prolonged state of cellular activation. Methods: We performed an extensive neuropsychological assessment on 28 Becker muscular dystrophy patients from 18 to 65 years old. As control subjects, we selected 20 patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, whose clinical picture was similar except for cognitive integrity. The evaluation, although extended to all areas, was focused on prefrontal control skills, with a distinction between inhibitory processes of selective attention and activating processes of working memory. Results and conclusions: Significant underperformances were found exclusively in the Dual Task and PASAT tests, to demonstrate a selective impairment of working memory that, while not causing intellectual disability, reduces the intellectual potential of patients with Becker muscular dystrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Impairments in episodic future thinking and anticipatory pleasure were noted to explain the depressive symptoms in adults however similar studies are not there in adolescents. This study examined whether there are impairments in episodic future thinking and anticipatory pleasure in clinically-depressed adolescents as compared to non-depressed adolescents, and their association with depression when controlled for executive functions and anxiety symptoms among the depressed adolescents. Methods: The study included 29 adolescents with major depression and 29 adolescents from local schools through convenient sampling technique. All the participants were assessed with standardized measures of depression and anxiety, episodic future thinking, anticipatory pleasure and executive functioning. Results: Depressed adolescents significantly differed from the non-depressed adolescents in autobiographical memory specificity, anticipatory pleasure, and specific dimensions of executive functions. The ANCOVAs indicated executive function slightly attenuated group differences on future specificity which were still non-significant (all p 's >.05). For memory specificity and for anticipatory pleasure, group differences were still significant at p <.05 level. Conclusion: Adolescents with major depressive episode may display similar, but less pronounced, impairments in future thinking than what is previously reported in adults. Though, autobiographical specificity is prominent. The deficits are attributable to depression than executive functioning deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Usually the central executive is considered as a single capacity in the insight studies which leads to inconsistent results on the link between the central executive of working memory and insight. We suppose a more detailed view on the process of insight solution in which various executive functions could be important at different solution stages: updating is necessary to build a problem's representation, inhibition—to overcome the impasse, shifting—to restructure the problem's representation. These assumptions were not confirmed in an experiment via dual-task paradigm and cognitive load. We did not find the relation between executive functions and solution stages, but we demonstrated that the more complexity of dual-task, the more cognitive load in problem solving. Moreover, the highest load of executive functions is observed at the end of insight solution. We speculate that the loading occurs either due to decrease of the free space in working memory storage systems, or due to a resource-intensive event (for example, representational change). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is important to address individual and interpersonal factors involved in behavioral problems to prevent their serious consequences. This study investigated the mediating role of executive functions in the correlation between intelligence and student-teacher relationship with behavioral problems. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a descriptive-correlational approach. The statistical population included the students of the first grade to third grade in Bojnord, Iran. Using the cluster sampling method, two elementary schools (first period) were selected for data collection from February 2023 to April 2023. The study participants were 351 students aged 6 to 10 years old. The parents completed the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL/6-18), and Behavioral rating inventory of executive functions (BRIEF). The teachers completed the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) for each student, and the students were tested individually by the Colored Progressive Matrices Test (CPMT). The data were analyzed using PLS version 4 and SPSS version 22 by correlation test and structural equation model. Results: The findings showed that executive functions have a significant impact on behavioral problems (β=0.43, P<0.001) and the intelligence and conflicts in the student-teacher relationship strongly affect executive functions (β=-0.44, P<0.001, and β=0.41, P<0.001, respectively). Also, our results showed that intelligence and conflicts in the student-teacher relationship indirectly through executive functions affect behavioral problems (β=-0.19, P<0.001, and β=0.17, P<0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Positive teacher-student relationships are vital for improving self-regulation skills, academic performance, and emotional and social well-being of elementary school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Executive functions (EFs) and episodic memory are fundamental components of cognition that deteriorate with age and are crucial for independent living. While numerous reviews have explored the effect of exercise on these components in old age, these reviews screened and analyzed selected older adult populations, or specific exercise modes, thus providing only limited answers to the fundamental question on the effect of exercise on cognition in old age. This article describes the protocol for a systematic review and multilevel meta-analytic study aiming at evaluating the effectiveness of different types of chronic exercise in improving and/or maintaining EFs and long-term episodic memory in older adults. Methods and analysis: The study protocol was written in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Several databases will be searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in older adults aged ≥ 60 years providing any kind of planned, structured, and repetitive exercise interventions, and EFs and/or episodic memory measures as outcomes, published in English in peer-reviewed journals and doctoral dissertations will be included. Two independent reviewers will screen the selected articles, while a third reviewer will resolve possible conflicts. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool will be used to assess the quality of the studies. Finally, data will be extracted from the selected articles, and the formal method of combining individual data from the selected studies will be applied using a random effect multilevel meta-analysis. The data analysis will be conducted with the metafor package in R. Discussion and conclusion: This review will synthesize the existing evidence and pinpoint gaps existing in the literature on the effects of exercise on EFs and episodic memory in healthy and unhealthy older adults. Findings from this meta-analysis will help to design effective exercise interventions for older adults to improve and/or maintain EFs and episodic memory. Its results will be useful for many researchers and professionals working with older adults and their families. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42022367111. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research suggests that patients with neurological disorders without overt seizures may also experience accelerated long-term forgetting (ALF). This term describes unimpaired learning and memory performance after standard retention intervals, but an excessive rate of forgetting over delays of days or weeks. The objective of this retrospective study was to investigate ALF in patients with an acquired brain injury (ABI) and to associate memory performance with executive functions. Verbal memory performance (short-term recall, 30-min recall, 1-week recall) was assessed in 34 adult patients with ABI and compared to a healthy control group (n = 54) using an auditory word learning and memory test. Repeated measure analysis showed significant effects of time and group as well as interaction effects between time and group regarding recall and recognition performance. Patients with ABI had a significantly impaired 1-week recall and recognition performance compared to the healthy control group. Correlations between recall performance and executive functions were nonsignificant. Our results demonstrate that non-epileptic patients with ABI, especially patients with frontal and fronto-temporal lesions, are prone to ALF. Additionally, our data support the assumption that ALF results from a consolidation impairment since verbal recall and recognition were impaired in patients with ABI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children with CP show deficits in executive function compared to their typically developing peers, based on the majority of the available evidence. However, the magnitude of these deficits, as well as the proportions of the shortfalls in the three main components, have not yet been examined. This is the first meta-analysis to synthesize evidence on the magnitude of differences between patients with cerebral palsy (CP) and typically developing populations in different components of executive function skills (working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility), and thus makes recommendations on which areas of executive functioning are in greatest need of intervention. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search of four databases for studies that measured executive functions in these two groups until 31 August 2023. We calculated the standardized mean difference (Hedges' g), an average effect size overall, and for the three components of executive function skills separately, we used several moderator analyses, including methodological differences between the primary studies. Results: Fifteen articles were included in the meta-analysis. The average mean difference in executive functioning overall was large (g+ = −0.82). Furthermore, large significant differences were found in working memory (g+ = −0.92) and inhibitory control (g+ = −0.82) and a moderate difference was identified in cognitive flexibility (g+ = −0.57). In addition, results of moderator analyses reveal the importance of a rigorous matching of control group participants and CP patients. Conclusions: The results demonstrate a severe impairment in all executive functions among CP patients compared to typically developing peers, which do not decrease over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problems with executive function (EF) are considered a hallmark of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, little is known about the developmental pathway of everyday EF in these two groups, and whether the two groups follow a similar or different developmental course. In this longitudinal study, children and adolescents with ADHD (n = 84, Mage = 11.6, SD = 2.0), ASD (n = 38, Mage = 12.0, SD = 2.3), and typically developing children (TDC; n = 50, Mage = 11.6, SD = 2.0) were clinically diagnosed and assessed with parent-ratings of everyday EF at baseline and at two-year follow-up (97% retention). Results showed that both individuals with ADHD and individuals with ASD displayed elevated levels of everyday EF problems relative to the TDC at baseline (Hedges g = 1.99 to 2.99). Over the two-year period, everyday EF improved in individuals with ADHD relative to the TDC, whereas individuals with ASD displayed no improvement relative to the TDC. At two-year follow-up, individuals with ADHD and individuals with ASD continued to display elevated levels of everyday EF problems relative to the TDC (Hedges g = 1.61 to 3.19). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the training package enhancement lateral domination over the components of executive functions including: initiation, working memory, planning, organizing and monitoring and visual perception components including: Visual-spatial relationship, visual form-constancy, visual sequential-memory and visual figure-ground of children with specific learning disabilities. The method of the present study was experimental with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. From elementary school children from 7 to 12 years old who were diagnosed with specific learning disabilities in psychology clinics in Tehran in 2020, 30 people were randomly selected and then randomly replaced in two groups of 15 experimental and control. The Edinburgh inventory and Delacato Neurodevelopmental Scale, TVPS-R Visual Perception Test and Brief’s Behavioral Rating Scale of Executive Functions were used to collect data. The results of the analysis of covariance showed that the training package had an effect on executive functions (p <0.01 and F = 8.47) and visual perception (F=10.20 and P<0/01) in children with specific learning disabilities in the experimental group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ketamine administration leads to a psychotomimetic state when taken in large bolus doses, making it a valid model of psychosis. Therefore, understanding ketamine's effects on brain functioning is particularly relevant. This meta-analysis focused on neuroimaging studies that examined ketamine-induced brain activation at rest and during a task. Included are 10 resting-state studies and 23 task-based studies, 9 of which were measuring executive functions. Using a stringent statistical threshold (TFCE <0.05), the results showed increased activity at rest in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and increased activation of the right Heschl's gyrus during executive tasks, following ketamine administration. Uncorrected results showed increased activation at rest in the right (anterior) insula and the right-fusiform gyrus, as well as increased activation during executive tasks in the rostral ACC. Rest-state studies highlighted alterations in core hubs of the salience network, while task-based studies suggested an impact on task-irrelevant brain regions. Increased activation in the rostral ACC may indicate a failure to deactivate the default mode network during executive tasks following ketamine administration. The results are coherent with alterations found in schizophrenia, which confer external validity to the ketamine model of psychosis. Studies investigating the neural mechanisms of ketamine's antidepressant action are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct assessments of executive functions (EFs) are increasingly used in research and clinical settings, with a central assumption that they assess "universal" underlying skills. Their use is spreading globally, raising questions about the cultural appropriateness of assessments devised in Western industrialized countries. We selectively reviewed multidisciplinary evidence and theory to identify sets of cultural preferences that may be at odds with the implicit assumptions of EF assessments. These preferences relate to motivation and compliance; cultural expectations for interpersonal engagement; contextualized vs. academic thinking; cultural notions of speed and time; the willingness to be silly, be incorrect, or do the opposite; and subject-matter familiarity. In each case, we discuss how the cultural preference may be incompatible with the assumptions of assessments, and how future research and practice can address the issue. Many of the cultural preferences discussed differ between interdependent and independent cultures and between schooled and unschooled populations. Adapting testing protocols to these cultural preferences in different contexts will be important for expanding our scientific understanding of EF from the narrow slice of the human population that has participated in the research to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a disease caused by mutations in the ATM gene (11q22.3-23.1) that induce neurodegeneration Sasihuseyinoglu AS et al. Pediatr Allergy Immunol Pulmonol 31(1):9–14, 2018, Teive HAG et al. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 46:3–8, 2018. Clinically, A-T is characterized by ataxia, mucocutaneous telangiectasia, immunodeficiency, and malignancy. Movement disorders have been the most described and well-studied symptoms of A-T. Other studies have reported visuospatial processing disorders, executive function disorders and emotional regulation disorders, which are clinical manifestations that characterize cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS) Choy KR et al. Dev Dyn 247(1):33–46, 2018. To describe the neurocognitive and emotional state of pediatric patients with ataxia-telangiectasia and to discuss whether they have cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome. This observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive study included 9 patients with A-T from May 2019 to May 2021. A complete medical history was retrieved, and tests were applied to assess executive functions, visual-motor integration and abilities, language, psychological disorders, and ataxia. Six girls and 3 boys agreed to participate. The age range was 6 to 14 years. The participants included five schoolchildren and four teenagers. Eight patients presented impaired executive functioning. All patients showed some type of error in copying and tracing (distortion) in the performance of visual perceptual abilities. Emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression were observed in six patients. Eight patients presented with dyslalia and impairments in word articulation, all patients presented with ataxia, and seven patients used a wheelchair. All patients presented symptoms consistent with CCAS and had variable cognitive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined whether atypical sensory processing (ASP) deteriorate executive function (EFs), anxiety and quality of life (QoL) of children with ADHD. Participants were 28 boys with ADHD; 31 with ADHD + ASP; 56 with typical development. Parents completed the Short Sensory Profile (SSP); BRIEF; RCMAS (anxiety) and PedsQoL. Boys with ADHD + ASP had the lowest EFs, highest anxiety and lowest QoL. ASP predicted lower social QoL; Anxiety predicted lower emotional QoL; reduced EFs predicted lower school QoL. ASP in ADHD may increase anxiety, reduce EFs and QoL. ASP should be screened with respect to child's cognitive/emotional status and daily function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executive function is an underlying mechanism linking family socioeconomic status (SES) and academic achievement. Previous studies mainly investigated either the mediating or moderating role of executive function within this relationship, which either overlook the individual differences that are independent of the environment or neglect the influence of the environment on shaping personal factors. To avoid a piecemeal approach to theory, the current study aimed to test the mediating and moderating roles of executive function in a single analytic model. Two hundred and thirty-six Chinese fifth graders (Mage = 10.70 years, SD = 0.49, range = 10.23–11.75 years, and 40.30% girls) were recruited. Their executive function performance was measured using eight different tasks, and their Chinese literacy skills and mathematics achievement were assessed by routine school evaluations. One year after the initial assessment, children's academic achievements were evaluated again. Results demonstrated that parental SES positively predicted children's academic achievement when controlling for prior academic achievement, and children's executive function mediated this relationship. Also, executive function moderated the association between SES and academic achievement in that, the negative predictive effect of low SES on academic achievement was only significant for children with lower levels of executive function, which is not shown in children with higher levels of executive function. By demonstrating the dual roles of executive function in the SES-achievement link, this work provides evidence for supporting the optimal development of children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and emphasizes the significance of developing individualized intervention strategies on executive function to mitigate the negative effect of low SES on children's academic achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]