Neurocognitive Outcomes and Their Diffusion Tensor Imaging Correlates in Children With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

This study aimed to assess the neurocognitive outcomes and their diffusion tensor imaging correlates in children (aged 6-16 years) with mild traumatic brain injury. This prospective analysis included 74 children with mild traumatic brain injury (52 boys; mean age: 9.5 [±2.7] years). Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Indian adaptation (WISC-IV), Child Behavior Checklist, and Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire were administered for 57 cases (at 3 months postinjury) and 51 controls of similar age. The findings of diffusion tensor imaging (done within 7 days of injury) were correlated with various WISC-IV indices. The presenting features at the time of injury were loss of consciousness (53%), confusion or disorientation (47%), and post-traumatic amnesia (10%). Other features in the acute phase included drowsiness (86%), headache (78%), balance problems (62%), nausea (47%), fatigue (45%), vomiting (35%), nasal or ear bleed (12%), sensitivity to sound and light (12%), etc. At 3 months postinjury, the children with mild traumatic brain injury performed poorly in terms of Intelligence Quotient, perceptual reasoning index, and processing speed index as compared to controls. Based on the Child Behavior Checklist, 17% of children with mild traumatic brain injury had internalizing behavioral problems in comparison with 4% of controls. Prevalence of poor sleepers in the mild traumatic brain injury cohort and controls was 12.3% and 2% respectively. Headache, reduced attention span, and fatigue were common postconcussion symptoms. There was a positive correlation between right uncinate fasciculus fractional anisotropy and verbal comprehension index (r = 0.32; P < .05).

Prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936.

BACKGROUND: The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936) is a highly phenotyped longitudinal study of cognitive and brain ageing. Given its substantial clinical importance, we derived an indicator of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and amnestic and nonamnestic subtypes at 3 time points. METHODS: MCI status was derived at 3 waves of the LBC1936 at ages 76 (n=567), 79 (n=441), and 82 years (n=341). A general MCI category was derived as well as amnestic MCI (aMCI) and nonamnestic MCI (naMCI). A comparison was made between MCI derivations using normative data from the LBC1936 cohort versus the general UK population. RESULTS: MCI rates showed a proportional increase at each wave between 76 and 82 years from 15% to 18%. Rates of MCI subtypes also showed a proportional increase over time: aMCI 4% to 6%; naMCI 12% to 16%. Higher rates of MCI were found when using the LBC1936 normative data to derive MCI classification rather than UK-wide norms. CONCLUSIONS: We found that MCI and aMCI rates in the LBC1936 were consistent with previous research. However, naMCI rates were higher than expected. Future LBC1936 research should assess the predictive factors associated with MCI prevalence to validate previous findings and identify novel risk factors.

Frequency of occurrence of four- and five-factor WAIS-IV profiles.

Interpretive strategies for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) include Wechsler's four-factor structure and the five-factor Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) model. The frequency of profile occurrence and the contribution of demographic- and ability-related variables to their incidence are unknown. Current participants were 291 referrals (males = 134; female = 157) for neuropsychological evaluation with mean years for age and education of 34.94 (SD = 13.53) and 12.74 (SD = 2.46), respectively. Lichtenberger and Kaufman's guidelines for selecting each model were applied. Of the total, 67.3% were four-factor and 32.6% were five-factor profiles. The same pattern emerged when participants were subdivided by gender, education, ethnicity, IQ, and diagnosis. A noteworthy association between IQ and profile type emerged. When IQ increased, four-factor profiles declined and five-factors increased. A logistic regression, using demographics, IQ, and diagnosis as predictors, correctly classified 64.8% of participants. The average subtest intercorrelations and g saturations in the four-factor group were substantially larger than those for five-factor participants. These findings were consistent with Spearman's differentiation by ability hypothesis.

Intelligence and working memory: evidence from administering the WAIS-IV to Italian adults and elderly.

The present study took advantage of data collected on more than 2100 Italian adult and elderly individuals during the standardization of the WAIS-IV to examine the relationship between working memory (WM) components and intelligence, and how age affects this relationship. Administering the WAIS-IV enabled us to obtain five different measures for assessing different aspects of WM, and a measure of General Ability (GA) strongly loading on the g-factor. The main results were as follows: (1) age-related impairments in WM are substantial, and they are partly similar and partly different for the various WM measures; (2) the relationship between the WM measures and the General Ability Index (GAI) varies, becoming stronger when the active control required by the WM task is higher; (3) comparing the WM-GAI relationships between different age groups reveals some similar patterns, as well as some specific effects that depend on the WM task considered.

A brief report: The National Adult Reading Test (NART) is a stable assessment of premorbid intelligence across disease severity in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a widely prevalent disorder that can affect cognitive function. The relationship between cognitive function and OSA is known to be affected by an individual's premorbid cognitive ability. Tools to measure premorbid intelligence across OSA disease severity have not been validated. This brief report aims to establish if the National Adult Reading Test (NART) provides a stable estimate of premorbid intelligence across levels of OSA disease severity. We examined if NART scores varied systematically across levels of untreated OSA severity (defined according to the apnea-hypopnea index [AHI]) and mean oxygen saturation in sleep clinic (n = 121) and community samples (n = 398) using regression analysis. Simple linear regression was used to predict NART scores based on the AHI. NART-estimated premorbid IQ scores without demographics did not vary systematically with AHI (F < 1; ß = 0.01) or mean SpO2 (F < 1; ß = 0.12). NART-estimated premorbid IQ scores with added demographic information also did not vary systematically with AHI (F < 1; ß = -0.01) or mean SpO2 (F < 1; ß = 0.15). This preliminary examination shows that the NART provides a stable estimate of premorbid intelligence across untreated OSA disease severity, as demarcated by AHI or mean nocturnal SpO2 .

European and American WAIS IV norms: Cross-national differences in perceptual reasoning, processing speed and working memory subtest scores.

International comparisons of IQ test norms show differences between nations. In the present study, nonverbal reasoning, processing speed and working memory subtest scores of the US, German, French, Finnish, and Scandinavian (combined Swedish-Norwegian-Danish sample) WAIS IV standardization samples were compared. The European samples had higher scores on the reasoning subtests compared to the American sample, corroborating earlier studies. The Finnish and Scandinavian samples had lower processing speed and working memory scores than the American, German, and French samples. Mechanisms that may underlie the observed national IQ profiles include: (1) test-taking attitudes-in tests that require balancing speed and accuracy of performance Americans may prioritize fast performance while Europeans avoid mistakes; (2) differences between languages in digit articulation times; and (3) educational factors-the European advantage on reasoning subtests may be based on there being better educational systems in Europe as compared to the US.

Cognition level and change in cognition during adolescence are associated with cognition in midlife.

PURPOSE: Cognitive development during adolescence affects health long term. We investigated whether level of and change in language-based cognition during adolescence are associated with cognitive performance in midlife. METHODS: Participants were enrolled in the Child Health and Development Study and followed during midlife (47-52 years). Adolescent cognition was measured with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test at ages 9-11 years (PPVT-9) and 15-17 years (PPVT-15). We examined PPVT-9, as well as a PPVT change score (derived using the standardized regression-based method) in relation to midlife cognition measures of Wechsler Test of Adult Reading, Verbal Fluency, and Digit Symbol tests. Linear regression models were adjusted for childhood socioeconomic status, age, sex, race, and midlife marital status, education, and occupational score. RESULTS: In 357 participants (52.1% female, 25.6% African American), both PPVT-9 (ß [95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.26 [0.18, 0.34]) and PPVT change score (ß [95% CI] = 2.03 [1.27, 2.80]) were associated with Wechsler Test of Adult Reading at midlife. PPVT-9 was associated with midlife Verbal Fluency (ß [95% CI] = 0.18 [0.10, 0.25]), whereas PPVT change score was not (ß [95% CI] = -0.01 [-0.68, 0.67]). Neither PPVT-9 nor PPVT change score was associated with midlife Digit Symbol. CONCLUSIONS: Both level of and change in language-based cognition during adolescence were associated with midlife vocabulary and language function, even after controlling for midlife occupation and education.

Residential neighborhood greenery and children's cognitive development.

Children who grow up in neighborhoods with more green vegetation show enhanced cognitive development in specific domains over short timespans. However, it is unknown if neighborhood greenery per se is uniquely predictive of children's overall cognitive development measured across many years. The E-Risk Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative 1994-5 birth-cohort of children in Britain (n = 1658 urban and suburban-dwelling participants), was used to test whether residential neighborhood greenery uniquely predicts children's cognitive development across childhood and adolescence. Greenery exposure was assessed from ages 5 to 18 using the satellite imagery-based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in 1-mile buffers around the home. Fluid and crystalized intellectual performance was assessed in the home at ages 5, 12, and 18 using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, and executive function, working memory, and attention ability were assessed in the home at age 18 using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Children living in residences surrounded by more neighborhood greenery scored significantly higher, on average, on IQ measures at all ages. However, the association between greenery and cognitive measures did not hold after accounting for family or neighborhood socioeconomic status. After adjustment for study covariates, child greenery exposure was not a significant predictor of longitudinal increases in IQ across childhood and adolescence or of executive function, working memory, or attention ability at age 18. Children raised in greener neighborhoods exhibit better overall cognitive ability, but the association is likely accounted for by family and neighborhood socioeconomic factors.

Adjunctive tianeptine treatment for bipolar disorder: A 24-week randomized, placebo-controlled, maintenance trial.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of tianeptine as an adjunctive maintenance treatment for bipolar depression. METHODS: This is a multicenter double-blind randomized placebo-controlled maintenance trial of adjunctive tianeptine 37.5 mg/day. Participants ( n=161) had a Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale ⩾12 at entry. After eight weeks of open-label tianeptine treatment, those who responded to tianeptine ( n=69) were randomized to adjunctive tianeptine ( n=36) or placebo ( n=33) in addition to usual treatment. Kaplan-Meier estimates and the Mantel-Cox log-rank test were used to evaluate differences in time to intervention for a mood episode between the tianeptine and placebo groups. We also assessed overall functioning, biological rhythms, quality of life, rates of manic switch and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels. RESULTS: There were no differences between adjunctive tianeptine or placebo regarding time to intervention or depression scores in the 24-week double-blind controlled phase. Patients in the tianeptine group showed better performance in the letter-number sequencing subtest from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale at the endpoint ( p=0.014). Tianeptine was well tolerated and not associated with higher risk for manic switch compared to placebo. CONCLUSION: Tianeptine was not more effective than placebo in the maintenance treatment of bipolar depression. There is preliminary evidence suggesting a pro-cognitive effect of tianeptine in working memory compared to placebo.

Neurodevelopmental outcome at 5 years of age after general anaesthesia or awake-regional anaesthesia in infancy (GAS): an international, multicentre, randomised, controlled equivalence trial.

BACKGROUND: In laboratory animals, exposure to most general anaesthetics leads to neurotoxicity manifested by neuronal cell death and abnormal behaviour and cognition. Some large human cohort studies have shown an association between general anaesthesia at a young age and subsequent neurodevelopmental deficits, but these studies are prone to bias. Others have found no evidence for an association. We aimed to establish whether general anaesthesia in early infancy affects neurodevelopmental outcomes. METHODS: In this international, assessor-masked, equivalence, randomised, controlled trial conducted at 28 hospitals in Australia, Italy, the USA, the UK, Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, we recruited infants of less than 60 weeks' postmenstrual age who were born at more than 26 weeks' gestation and were undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy, without previous exposure to general anaesthesia or risk factors for neurological injury. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) by use of a web-based randomisation service to receive either awake-regional anaesthetic or sevoflurane-based general anaesthetic. Anaesthetists were aware of group allocation, but individuals administering the neurodevelopmental assessments were not. Parents were informed of their infants group allocation upon request, but were told to mask this information from assessors. The primary outcome measure was full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, third edition (WPPSI-III), at 5 years of age. The primary analysis was done on a per-protocol basis, adjusted for gestational age at birth and country, with multiple imputation used to account for missing data. An intention-to-treat analysis was also done. A difference in means of 5 points was predefined as the clinical equivalence margin. This completed trial is registered with ANZCTR, number ACTRN12606000441516, and ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00756600. FINDINGS: Between Feb 9, 2007, and Jan 31, 2013, 4023 infants were screened and 722 were randomly allocated: 363 (50%) to the awake-regional anaesthesia group and 359 (50%) to the general anaesthesia group. There were 74 protocol violations in the awake-regional anaesthesia group and two in the general anaesthesia group. Primary outcome data for the per-protocol analysis were obtained from 205 children in the awake-regional anaesthesia group and 242 in the general anaesthesia group. The median duration of general anaesthesia was 54 min (IQR 41-70). The mean FSIQ score was 99·08 (SD 18·35) in the awake-regional anaesthesia group and 98·97 (19·66) in the general anaesthesia group, with a difference in means (awake-regional anaesthesia minus general anaesthesia) of 0·23 (95% CI -2·59 to 3·06), providing strong evidence of equivalence. The results of the intention-to-treat analysis were similar to those of the per-protocol analysis. INTERPRETATION: Slightly less than 1 h of general anaesthesia in early infancy does not alter neurodevelopmental outcome at age 5 years compared with awake-regional anaesthesia in a predominantly male study population. FUNDING: US National Institutes of Health, US Food and Drug Administration, Thrasher Research Fund, Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, Health Technologies Assessment-National Institute for Health Research (UK), Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Anesthesiologists Society, Pfizer Canada, Italian Ministry of Health, Fonds NutsOhra, UK Clinical Research Network, Perth Children's Hospital Foundation, the Stan Perron Charitable Trust, and the Callahan Estate.

Performance discrepancies on the Boston Naming Test in African-American and non-Hispanic White American young adults.

The Boston Naming Test (BNT) is one of the most commonly used naming measures in neuropsychology. Although research in the older adult population has shown that African-American (AA) adults perform more poorly on the BNT than non-Hispanic White American (WA) adults, these findings have yet to be replicated in younger adults. The BNT and measures of word reading (WJ-Letter Word ID) and vocabulary (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence Vocabulary) were administered to 50 WA and 33 AA young adults. Performance was age-normed based on published norms and transformed into z-scores. Despite being matched on age, gender, SES, and level of education, the AA group performed more poorly on the BNT (z = - 1.01(1.09)) than the WA group (z = - .28(.92)), t(104) = 3.44, p < .01, d = 0.73. AAs (18%) were more likely to perform in the impaired range than WAs (4%) when impairment cutoff was z-score≤ - 2. Healthy AA young adults are more likely to perform poorly on the BNT despite vocabulary and word reading being well within normal limits. Average BNT performance in both groups were at least one z-score lower than average vocabulary z-scores. Clinicians should interpret poor scores on the BNT with caution, and within the context of individual vocabulary or word reading performance.

When is neuropsychological testing medically necessary for children on medicaid in New Mexico?

Healthcare for poor children, also known as Medicaid, is disproportionately relied upon by citizens of poor states such as New Mexico, where (a) there are more unintended pregnancies, (b) domestic violence during and after pregnancies occurs with regularity, (c) youth substance use is much more common, (d) crime rates are some of the worst in the country, (e) many never graduate from high school, and (f) incarceration is often inevitable. Yet, there is a dearth of research into the neuropsychological health of these children. Meanwhile, nonneuropsychologists working for managed care organizations routinely deny authorization for neuropsychological testing based on a lack of medical necessity. The present article addresses the question of neuropsychological medical necessity using community-based neuropsychological data from New Mexico collected on Medicaid and non-Medicaid youth via retroactive chart review. Downstream fiscal implications that are related to the eventual cost of mental illness and crime among those with poor neuropsychological health are discussed.

Work participation in ADHD and associations with social characteristics, education, lifetime depression, and ADHD symptom severity.

The literature refers to high rates of occupational failure in the population of adults with ADHD. The explanation for this is less known. The aim of the present study was to examine associations between social characteristics and clinical features of adults with ADHD and their occupational outcome. Out of 1050 patients diagnosed with ADHD in a specialized outpatient clinic between 2005 and 2017, 813 (77.4%) agreed to participate in the study. ADHD was diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria, and ADHD subtypes recorded accordingly. Lifetime depression was diagnosed using the specific module of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Occupational status and other social characteristics like marital status and living with children were recorded. Intelligence (IQ) and symptom severity of ADHD (ASRS score) were assessed in subsamples of participants (n = 526 and n = 567, respectively). In this sample of adults with ADHD (mean age 36.9 years, 48.5% women), 55.3% of the women and 63.7% of the men were working at the time of inclusion. Work participation was associated with being male, being married or cohabitant, or living with children, as well as a life story without major depression. Age, education, ADHD subtype, and ADHD symptom severity were not significantly associated with work participation. Neither was IQ when adjusted for other covariates. Occupational outcome in adults with ADHD appears to be more associated with social characteristics and a history of depression, rather than with IQ, ADHD subtype, or ADHD symptom severity.

Identifying atypical change at the individual level from childhood to adolescence.

Identifying change at the individual level is an important goal for researchers, educators, and clinicians. We present a set of statistical procedures for identifying individuals who depart from a normative change. Using Latent Change Scores models (LCS), we illustrate how the Individual Likelihood computed from a statistical model for change (IL) and from an alternative unrestricted model (ILsat) can be used to identify atypical trajectories in situations with several measurement occasions. Using LCS and linear regression, we also show how the observed and latent change residuals can be used to identify atypical individual change between 2 measurement occasions. We apply these methods to a measure of general verbal ability (from WISC-R), from a large sample of individuals assessed every 2 years from Grade 1 to 9. We demonstrate the efficiency of these techniques, illustrate their use to identify individual change in longitudinal data, and discuss potential applications in developmental research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Detection of Rater Errors on Cognitive Instruments in a Clinical Trial Setting.

OBJECTIVES: This study examines errors committed by raters in a clinical trial of a memory enhancement compound. BACKGROUND: Findings of clinical trials are directly dependent on the quality of the data obtained but there is little literature on rates or nature of rater errors on cognitive instruments in a multi-site setting. DESIGN: Double-blind placebo-controlled study. SETTING: 21 clinical sites in North America. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred seventy-five participants. MEASUREMENTS: MMSE, WMS-R Logical Memory I and II, WMS-R Verbal Paired Associates I, WASi Vocabulary, WASi Matrix Reasoning, GDS and MAC-Q. RESULTS: The WMS-R Logical Memory I and II and WASi Vocabulary tests were found to have the greatest number of scoring errors. Few substantive errors were detected on source document review of the MMSE, GDS, MAC-Q and WMS-R Verbal Paired Associates I. Some additional administration and scoring issues were identified during feedback sessions with the raters. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive measures used in clinical trials are prone to errors which can be detected with proper monitoring. Some instruments are particularly prone to inter-rater variably and should therefore be targets for focused training and ongoing monitoring. Areas in need of further investigation to help inform and optimize quality of clinical trial data are discussed.

Atypical language characteristics and trajectories in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

BACKGROUND: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is a genetic condition associated with a highly variable phenotypic expression. During childhood speech and language deficits are commonly observed. Findings of cross-sectional studies suggest syndrome-specific and changing language profiles, but a longitudinal approach to identify developmental changes is still lacking to date. AIMS: The present study aimed to delineate language characteristics and trajectories by comparing the performance of Dutch-speaking school-aged children with 22q11.2DS (n = 18) to those of peers with idiopathic intellectual disability (IID, n  = 19) and to those of children with IID and comorbid autism spectrum disorder (IID + ASD, n = 23). The literature shows contradictory findings regarding language comprehension difficulties in children with 22q11.2DS, we focused on the receptive-expressive language discrepancy. Given their relative strength for verbal short-term memory (VSTM) tasks, a fine-grained error categorization was included to elucidate a possible influence of VSTM on the expressive language outcomes. Finally, we suggested that the inability of children with 22q11.2DS to use contextual information could interfere with morphosyntactic measures. METHODS: All groups (22q11.2DS, IID, and IID + ASD) were matched for nonverbal fluid reasoning (Gf) using the Analogies and Categories subtests of the Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test or the Matrix Reasoning and Picture Concepts subtests of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence. Several structural language skills were measured using the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. The same instruments were re-administered after 18 to 24 months. A fine-grained error analysis of the Formulating and Recalling Sentences subtests, both measuring expressive syntax, explored factors contributing to expressive language deficits. RESULTS: In children with 22q11.2DS the relative advantage of receptive over expressive language had decreased compared to children with IID. For children with 22q11.2DS, complex sentence comprehension remained very challenging over time. Expressive language skills seemed less limited compared to children with IID, and were accompanied by less VSTM difficulties. In children with 22q11.2DS and children with IID + ASD, variable patterns of strengths and weaknesses were demonstrated, resulting in subtle differences between these groups. Error analyses indicated disregard of content-contextual cues and use of vague and elliptic language as being typical for children with 22q11.2DS. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend that in children with 22q11.2DS the impact of the receptive language impairment should be comprehensively examined and followed-up since it can have a negative effect on their social communication skills, adaptive functioning and academic achievement. Error analysis underscores that multiple measures should be used to evaluate the child's expressive language ability. Further research should focus on developmental trajectories of social communication skills and on the use of intervention strategies to improve language comprehension and pragmatics in school-aged children with 22q11.2DS.

Relationship Between Symptomatic and Functional Improvement and Remission in a Treatment Response to Stimulant Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between symptom and functional improvement and remission in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) enrolled in an 11-week open-label dose-optimization phase of an methylphenidate extended release (MPH-MLR) pivotal study. METHODS: Assessments included the Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale-Parent (WFIRS-P) and ADHD Rating Scale, Fourth Edition (ADHD-RS-IV). Definitions included the following: symptom improvement (≥30% decrease in ADHD-RS-IV total score); symptom remission (ADHD-RS-IV total score ≤18); functional improvement (decrease in WFIRS-P total score ≥0.25 [minimally important difference]); and functional remission (WFIRS-P total score ≤0.65). RESULTS: Two hundred children completed the open-label phase. At initial assessment, functional impairment was evident across all WFIRS-P domains and similar between children and adolescents. Those who were treatment naive had more functional impairment (WFIRS-P total: 0.82 vs. 0.70, p = 0.02). Significant improvements in all WFIRS-P domains were noted at open-label end (p < 0.001), with the largest improvement in Learning. At open-label end, 94% of children and adolescents demonstrated symptom improvement, of which 57% also showed functional improvement, and 75% of children and adolescents showed symptom remission, of which 81% also showed functional remission. CONCLUSIONS: Children and adolescents treated with MPH-MLR showed moderate-to-large improvement in functioning during 3 months of treatment, both overall and in specific domains. However, a significant number of those who would be considered symptomatic responders failed to show improvement in functioning or continue to have significant functional impairment. Treatment with MPH-MLR showed that both symptomatic and functional remission are achievable goals. Identification of children and adolescents who have been successfully treated for their symptoms, but continue to suffer functional impairment, will allow us to offer additional targeted treatment interventions over and above medication to address residual difficulties.

Conciencia fonológica y resolución de problemas matemáticos en educación infantil / Phonological awareness and mathematical problem solving in preschool

Introducción. Algunos estudios revelan la participación del procesamiento lingüístico en la resolución de problemas matemáticos, subrayando su papel en la representación y en el procesamiento de información. Estas investigaciones no suelen considerar población en edades tempranas. Objetivos. Este estudio tiene un doble objetivo: analizar la influencia lingüística en resolución de problemas matemáticos en la etapa de educación infantil y analizar qué habilidades lingüísticas explican significativamente por sí solas la resolución de problemas matemáticos. Método. Participaron 76 niños españoles que cursaban tercero de educación infantil. Se evaluaron habilidades semánticas, morfosintácticas y conciencia fonológica, memoria verbal y velocidad de procesamiento verbal. El rendimiento en resolución de problemas se evaluó por medio de problemas de operaciones lógicas y a través de problemas con enunciados orales con y sin apoyo visual. Resultados. Las habilidades lingüísticas correlacionaron significativamente con las habilidades de resolución de problemas que involucran el pensamiento lógico y problemas con enunciado verbal, con y sin apoyo visual. Las habilidades lingüísticas, en conjunto, se relacionan con la resolución de problemas, explicando un incremento significativo de varianza adicional a la explicada por el nivel de inteligencia. La conciencia fonológica resulta ser la habilidad lingüística que mejor predice el rendimiento en problemas con enunciados sin apoyo de material concreto. Conclusiones. La conciencia fonológica es buen indicador de la calidad de las representaciones fonológicas que permiten manipular la información lingüística contenida en problemas matemáticos a edades tempranas. Estos hallazgos tienen relevancia en procesos de aprendizaje matemático, tanto en población con desarrollo típico como con dificultades de procesamiento fonológico

Introduction. Solving mathematical problems requires a number of different skills. Several studies have highlighted the role of language processing in problem solving through its influence on mental representation and information processing in mathematical problems. However, these studies usually focus on the primary school years and less often on children at preschool level. Objectives. The objective of this study was twofold: to analyse the effect of linguistic competence on problem solving in mathematics at the kindergarten stage and to identify which specific language skills are most closely associated with problem-solving skill. Method. The sample included 76 children attending a kindergarten third grade class. Composed measures of semantic and morphosyntactic skills, phonological awareness, verbal memory and processing speed were formed from the CELF subscales. Problem-solving skill was assessed by asking children to solve a range of different mathematical problems involving Piagetian logical operations, and word problems with and without accompanying visual representations. Results. Linguistic skills correlated significantly with skill in solving problems involving logical thinking, and verbal statement problems with and without visual representation. Linguistic skills predicted children’ problem-solving skills as they accounted for additional variance beyond that accounted for by IQ. Phonological awareness was the single best predictor of scores in solving word problems without visual support. Conclusions. Phonological awareness is a good indicator of the quality of phonological representations that allow manipulation of the linguistic information contained in mathematical problems at an early age. These findings have practical consequences for helping children to achieve normative development and for children with phonological processing difficulties

Beyond the floor effect on the WISC-IV in individuals with Down syndrome: are there cognitive strengths and weaknesses?

BACKGROUND: Individuals with Down syndrome generally show a floor effect on Wechsler Scales that is manifested by flat profiles and with many or all of the weighted scores on the subtests equal to 1. METHOD: The main aim of the present paper is to use the statistical Hessl method and the extended statistical method of Orsini, Pezzuti and Hulbert with a sample of individuals with Down syndrome (n = 128; 72 boys and 56 girls), to underline the variability of performance on Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition subtests and indices, highlighting any strengths and weaknesses of this population that otherwise appear to be flattened. RESULTS: Based on results using traditional transformation of raw scores into weighted scores, a very high percentage of subtests with weighted score of 1 occurred in the Down syndrome sample, with a floor effect and without any statistically significant difference between four core Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition indices. The results, using traditional transformation, confirm a deep cognitive impairment of those with Down syndrome. Conversely, using the new statistical method, it is immediately apparent that the variability of the scores, both on subtests and indices, is wider with respect to the traditional method. CONCLUSION: Children with Down syndrome show a greater ability in the Verbal Comprehension Index than in the Working Memory Index.

[Effects of Bilingualism on Cognitive Functions in Early Childhood]. / Auswirkungen von Bilingualität auf kognitive Funktionen im Vorschulalter.

Effects of Bilingualism on Cognitive Functions in Early Childhood Studies have revealed advantages in cognitive functions among children with bilingualism. In this study we investigate cognitive functions in monolingual and bilingual preschool children taking socioeconomic status into account. The study population consists of 40 monolingual (German) children (Mage = 5.0 ± 0.4) and 23 bilingual (German/English) children (Mage = 5.1 ± 0.6). A neuropsychological test battery was conducted. The analyses revealed better performance for bilingual children. However, significant group differences were only found with respect to phonological short-term memory. Controlling for socioeconomic status, intelligence and balanced bilingualism, only slight advantages in cognitive performance were found for bilingual children. Due to high socioeconomic status in both groups, we suppose a ceiling effect. Children's development might be extensively promoted in upper class families and therefore bilingualism may not have additional impact on cognitive functions in these children.