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Developmental transformations in the structure of executive functions.

ABSTRACT: Comparisons of results from studies of executive function (EF) in early childhood to those of EF in middle and late childhood suggest that individual differences in EFs may differentiate from a unitary factor in early childhood to an increasingly multidimensional structure in middle childhood and adolescence. We tested whether associations among EFs strengthened from middle childhood to adolescence using cross-sectional data from a population-based sample of 1019 children aged 7-15?years (M?=?10.79?years). Participants completed a comprehensive EF battery consisting of 15 measures tapping working memory, updating, switching, and inhibition domains. Moderated factor analysis, local structural equation modeling, and network modeling were applied to assess age-related differences in the factor structure of EF. Results from all three approaches indicated that working memory and updating maintained uniformly high patterns of covariation across the age range, whereas inhibition became increasingly differentiated from the other three domains beginning around 10?years of age. However, consistent with past research, inhibition tasks were only weakly intercorrelated. Age-related differences in the organization of switching abilities were mixed.

SUBMITTER: Hartung J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6851482 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Developmental transformations in the structure of executive functions.

Hartung Johanna J Engelhardt Laura E LE Thibodeaux Megan L ML Harden K Paige KP Tucker-Drob Elliot M EM

Journal of experimental child psychology 20191021

Comparisons of results from studies of executive function (EF) in early childhood to those of EF in middle and late childhood suggest that individual differences in EFs may differentiate from a unitary factor in early childhood to an increasingly multidimensional structure in middle childhood and adolescence. We tested whether associations among EFs strengthened from middle childhood to adolescence using cross-sectional data from a population-based sample of 1019 children aged 7-15 years (M = 10 ...[more]

PMID: 31648081

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Project description:Main objectivesExecutive functions are frequently a weakness in children born preterm. We examined associations of executive functions and general cognitive abilities with brain structure in preterm born adolescents who were born with appropriate weight for gestational age and who have no radiological signs of preterm brain injury on neuroimaging.MethodsThe Stockholm Neonatal Project (SNP) is a longitudinal, population-based study of children born preterm (<36 weeks of gestation) with very low birth weight (<1501g) between 1988-1993. At age 18 years (mean 18 years, SD 2 weeks) 134 preterm born and 94 full term participants underwent psychological assessment (general intelligence, executive function measures). Of these, 71 preterm and 63 full term participants underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) at mean 15.2 years (range 12-18 years), including 3D T1-weighted images for volumetric analyses and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) for assessment of white matter microstructure. Group comparisons of regional grey and white matter volumes and fractional anisotropy (FA, as a measure of white matter microstructure) and, within each group, correlation analyses of cognitive measures with MRI metrics were carried out.ResultsSignificant differences in grey and white matter regional volumes and widespread differences in FA were seen between the two groups. No significant correlations were found between cognitive measures and brain volumes in any group after correction for multiple comparisons. However, there were significant correlations between FA in projection fibres and long association fibres, linking frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes, and measures of executive function and general cognitive abilities in the preterm born adolescents, but not in the term born adolescents.Overall significance of the studyIn persons born preterm, in the absence of perinatal brain injury on visual inspection of MRI, widespread alterations in regional brain tissue volumes and microstructure are present in adolescence/young adulthood. Importantly, these alterations in WM tracts are correlated with measures of executive function and general cognitive abilities. Our findings suggest that disturbance of neural pathways, rather than changes in regional brain volumes, are involved in the impaired cognitive functions.

Project description:There is growing evidence indicating positive, causal effects of acute physical activity on cognitive performance of school children, adolescents, and adults. However, only a few studies examined these effects in kindergartners, even though correlational studies suggest moderate relationships between motor and cognitive functions in this age group. One aim of the present study was to examine the correlational relationships between motor and executive functions among 5- to 6-year-olds. Another aim was to test whether an acute coordinative intervention, which was adapted to the individual motor functions of the children, causally affected different executive functions (i.e., motor inhibition, cognitive inhibition, and shifting). Kindergartners (N = 102) were randomly assigned either to a coordinative intervention (20 min) or to a control condition (20 min). The coordination group performed five bimanual exercises (e.g., throwing/kicking balls onto targets with the right and left hand/foot), whereas the control group took part in five simple activities that hardly involved coordination skills (e.g., stamping). Children's motor functions were assessed with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 (Petermann, 2009) in a pre-test (T1), 1 week before the intervention took place. Motor inhibition was assessed with the Simon says task (Carlson and Wang, 2007), inhibition and shifting were assessed with the Hearts and Flowers task (Davidson et al., 2006) in the pre-test and again in a post-test (T2) immediately after the interventions. Results revealed significant correlations between motor functions and executive functions (especially shifting) at T1. There was no overall effect of the intervention. However, explorative analyses indicated a three-way interaction, with the intervention leading to accuracy gains only in the motor inhibition task and only if it was tested directly after the intervention. As an unexpected effect, this result needs to be treated with caution but may indicate that the effect of acute coordinative exercise is temporally limited and emerges only for motor inhibition, but not for cognitive inhibition or shifting. More generally, in contrast to other studies including older participants and endurance exercises, no general effect of an acute coordinative intervention on executive functions was revealed for kindergartners.

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Developmental transformations in the structure of executive functions.

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Developmental transformations in the structure of executive functions.

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