ABSTRACT
The aims of Study 1 (S1) were (a) to compare the task performance of 361 typically developing (TD) children aged 7 to 12 years, according to the mode of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) administration (manual vs. computerized) and b) to examine the contributions of executive functions (EFs) (i.e., working memory [WM], shifting and inhibition) to each WCST version. The objectives of Study 2 (S2) were (a) to study the comparability of the results obtained from the manual version to the results from the computer version in 43 children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and (b) to compare task performance on both versions between children with ADHD and TD children. The effect of age was only significant for the manual WCST. Regression analyses revealed that WM and shifting contributed to manual WCST performance, whereas WM and inhibition contributed to the performance on the computer version. We observed differences depending on the WCST mode of administration, as better scores for the manual version were recorded for both TD children and children with ADHD, despite similar performance on tasks involving other EFs. Additionally, children with ADHD performed worse than TD children on both versions. Our findings suggest that verbal face-to-face interactions would play a significant role in supporting children's abilities to solve novel situations characterized by uncertainty.
Subject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/physiopathology , Child Development/physiology , Executive Function/physiology , Inhibition, Psychological , Memory, Short-Term/physiology , Psychomotor Performance/physiology , Wisconsin Card Sorting Test/standards , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/diagnosis , Child , Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted/standards , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Sleep quality not only refers to sleeping well at night, but also includes appropriate daytime functioning. Poor quality of sleep can affect a variety of attention processes. PURPOSE: The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the relationship between the perceived quality of sleep and selective focus in a group of college students. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in a group of 52 Argentinian college students of the Universidad Adventista del Plata. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Continuous Performance Test and the Trail Making Test were applied. RESULTS: The main results indicate that students sleep an average of 6.48 hours. Generally half of the population tested had a good quality of sleep. However, the dispersion seen in some components demonstrates the heterogeneity of the sample in these variables. It was observed that the evaluated attention processes yielded different levels of alteration in the total sample: major variability in the process of process and in the divided-attention processes were detected. A lower percentage of alteration was observed in the process of attention support. CONCLUSION: Poor quality of sleep has more impact in the sub processes with greater participation of corticocortical circuits (selective and divided attention) and greater involvement of the prefrontal cortex. Fewer difficulties were found in the attention-support processes that rely on subcortical regions and have less frontal involvement.
INTRODUCCIÓN: La calidad de sueño no sólo se refiere al hecho de dormir bien durante la noche, sino que incluye también un buen funcionamiento diurno. La mala calidad de sueño puede afectar distintos subprocesos de la atención. El objetivo de la presente investigación fue evaluar la relación existente entre la calidad de sueño percibida y la atención selectiva en estudiantes universitarios. MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, transversal que incluyó a un grupo de 52 estudiantes argentinos de la Universidad Adventista del Plata. Se aplicaron el Índice de Calidad de Sueño de Pittsburgh y para evaluar problemas de atención, el Continuous Performance Test y el Trail Making Test. RESULTADOS: Los principales resultados obtenidos indicaron que los alumnos duermen un promedio de 6,48 horas. En general la mitad de la población evaluada presentaba una buena calidad de sueño, aunque las dispersiones en algunos componentes demuestran la heterogeneidad de la muestra en estas variables. Se observó que los procesos atencionales evaluados arrojaron diferentes niveles de alteración en la muestra total: se detectó mayor alteración en el proceso selectivo, en forma intermedia el proceso de atención dividida y se observó un porcentaje menor de alteraciones del proceso de sostenimiento atencional. CONCLUSIONES: La mala calidad de sueño tiene mayor incidencia en los subprocesos con mayor participación de circuitos córtico-corticales (atención selectiva y dividida) y mayor participación de la corteza prefrontal. Se hallaron menores dificultades en el sostenimiento atencional que depende, mayormente, de regiones subcorticales y tiene menor participación frontal.
