Stressful Events and Executive Functioning in Adolescents with and without History of Grade Repetition / Eventos estresores y funcionamiento ejecutivo en adolescentes con y sin historia de repetición escolar

Abstract A number of studies have investigated the association between psychiatric disorders and alterations in cognitive development, academic performance, and learning ability. However, few studies have explored the relationship between stressful events and grade repetition. Therefore, the main goal of the present study was to compare the frequency of exposure to stressful events, academic performance, executive functioning, and performance on working memory tasks between adolescents with and without a history of grade repetition. This was a cross-sectional study. The sample was composed of 83 adolescents divided into two groups: (1) individuals with a history of grade repetition (n = 39) and (2) participants who had never repeated a grade (n = 44). Participants were administered tests to assess executive functions, intelligence, exposure to stressful events, and academic performance. Results showed that individuals with a history of grade repetition reported to experiencing a higher number of stressful events in adolescence, had worse academic performance, and obtained lower scores on executive functioning and working memory tasks than non-repeaters.

Resumen Varios estudios han investigado la asociación entre trastornos psiquiátricos y alteraciones en el desarrollo cognitivo, el rendimiento académico y la capacidad de aprendizaje. Sin embargo, pocos estudios han explorado la relación entre los eventos estresantes y la repetición escolar. Por lo tanto, el objetivo principal de este estudio fue comparar la frecuencia de exposición a eventos estresantes, el rendimiento académico, el funcionamiento ejecutivo y el desempeño en tareas de memoria de trabajo en los adolescentes con y sin antecedentes de repetición escolar. Se trata de un estudio transversal. La muestra estuvo constituida por 83 adolescentes, divididos en dos grupos: (1) los individuos con antecedentes de repetición escolar (n = 39) y (2) los participantes que nunca repitieron un año escolar (n = 44). Los participantes fueron sometidos a pruebas para evaluar las funciones ejecutivas, la inteligencia, la exposición a eventos estresantes y el rendimiento académico. Los resultados mostraron que los individuos con historia de repetición escolar relataron la ocurrencia de un mayor número de eventos estresantes durante la adolescencia, tuvieron un peor rendimiento académico y obtuvieron puntuaciones más bajas en las tareas de funcionamiento ejecutivo y memoria de trabajo que los que no repitieron.

Memória em idoso: relação entre percepção subjetiva e desempenho em testes objetivos / Memory in older adults: Relationship between subjective perception of memory and performance in objective tests

A relação entre a percepção subjetiva de memória e o desempenho em testes objetivos tem sido alvo de diversos estudos em vista de sua utilidade no diagnóstico do declínio cognitivo. Dada a ausência de consenso em relação ao tema, avaliou-se o desempenho de idosos em testes objetivos de memória, correlacionando-o com a percepção subjetiva dos participantes acerca de sua memória. Cento e cinquenta e dois idosos preencheram uma ficha de dados sociodemográficos, na qual foi incluída uma questão para avaliar a percepção subjetiva acerca de sua memória. Dados objetivos foram coletados a partir do Mini-Exame do Estado Mental, dos subtestes de Memória do Instrumento de Avaliação Neuropsicológica Breve, da Escala de Depressão Geriátrica e do Inventário Beck de Ansiedade. Correlações parciais significativas foram verificadas nas tarefas de memória de trabalho, memória episódica verbal e memória semântica de longo prazo, fornecendo evidências acerca da utilidade clínica da medida de percepção subjetiva de memória.

The relationship between subjective perception of memory and performance in objective tests has been widely investigated given its clinical relevance in the diagnosis of cognitive impairment. Considering the lack of consensus about this topic, this study investigated the performance of older adults on objective memory tests and its correlation with their subjective perception of their own memory. One hundred and fifty-two elderly volunteers participated in this study and answered a sociodemographic questionnaire, which included a question to evaluate the subjective perception of their own memory. Objective data were collected using the Mini Mental State Examination, the Geriatric Depression Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and memory subtests of the Neupsilin Brief Neuropsychological Assessment Instrument. Significant partial correlations were found in tasks related to working memory, verbal episodic memory, and long-term semantic memory providing additional evidence of the clinical relevance of the subjective perception of memory evaluation.