Development of working memory and inhibitory control in early childhood: Cross-sectional analysis by age intervals and gender in Ecuadorian preschoolers.

Working memory (WM) and inhibitory control (IC) play a crucial role in learning during early childhood. The literature suggests a non-linear developmental trajectory of executive functions (EFs) with varied results according to gender, usually attributed to environmental factors. However, there is insufficient and inconclusive data on whether this pattern is reproduced in the Latin American preschool population since most studies have been conducted in English-speaking, European, and Asian environments. Thus, objectively comparing children's executive performance across diverse international geographical contexts becomes challenging. This study aimed to conduct a cross-sectional analysis of the performance in WM and IC of 982 Ecuadorian preschoolers aged between 42 and 65 months (M = 53.71; SD = 5.714) and belonging to medium-high, medium, and low-medium socioeconomic strata. The participants consisted of 496 boys (M = 53.77; SD = 5.598) and 486 girls (M = 53.65; SD = 5.834), representing nine cities in Ecuador. To assess the effect of age and gender on performance in these two domains, the sample was divided into four 6-month age intervals. Two tests were administered to the participants, and a survey was conducted with 799 of their usual caregivers. Viewing the cross-sectional mean scores of the WM and IC tests as a temporal continuum reveals an upward trend in each age interval studied. Girls outperformed boys on the IC test, showing statistically significant differences in the earliest age interval. The gender differences in executive performance reported in the literature emphasize the need to explore the modulating effect of environmental variables on early childhood development. This information could offer valuable insights for adapting and optimizing cognitive and didactic strategies in early childhood tailored to the characteristics and needs of the preschool population.

Influence of age, education, and blast exposure on the Test of Memory Malingering in an active-duty military sample.

Neuropsychologists use performance validity tests (PVT) to detect performance invalidity across various populations. Unexpected scores for normative and clinical populations on PVT performance could invalidate the assessment if the poor performance does not have a reasonable explanation. One of the most well-validated and frequently used PVT is the Test of Memory Malingering, whose usefulness has been analyzed in various populations, including the military. Studies on the influence of demographic variables and blast exposure on the performance of military samples have yielded inconclusive results. The current study investigates the influence of age, education, and blast exposure on the TOMM Trial 2 in a military sample that is representative of their demographics. The total sample size was 872 participants between 18-62 years of age (M = 26.35, SD = 6.63), divided into 832 males and 40 females. All participants were on active duty, and they had been deployed in war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq. They were referred to Carolina Psychological Health Services from the Naval Hospital of Camp LeJeune for psychological and/or neurological complaints, such as cognitive difficulties. The results show that age, education, and blast exposure variations do not affect TOMM performance. Further studies on the relationship between these variables should be pursued to elucidate how they are associated with the normative or clinical cognitive functioning of military populations.