Development Of Executive Functions Research Articles

Цифровые устройства в жизни современных дошкольников

Today, preschoolers actively use digital devices. Therefore, we investigated how digital devices potentially affect significant predictors of preschoolers’ social-emotional and cognitive development, executive functions, and speech. The results obtained revealed that 5-6-year-old children who used digital devices for less than 1.5 hours per day demonstrated an improvement in cognitive flexibility level within a year, while 2.5 hours of screen time caused a decrease in cognitive flexibility. Passive screen time negatively affects children’s phonemic hearing. Opposite to that, active screen time does not affect it. The study revealed that 5-6-year-old children who usually played digital games and watched video content together with their siblings demonstrated more noticeable positive dynamics in inhibitory control than those who did it alone. Moreover, if it was the parents who determined what digital content would be available to their children, the latter demonstrated an increment in inhibitory control compared to the children who made the choice themselves. Junior school children who used digital devices in a cultural way at preschool age had higher level of executive functions development than the children who used the devices only in a natural way. Thus, digital devices are multidimensional tools and, depending on how they are used, the impact on a child’s development may be different.

Investigating the relationship between self-regulated learning, metacognition, and executive functions by focusing on academic transition phases: a systematic review

The importance of self-regulated learning (SRL) for academic learning and achievement is already well established. In terms of developing a comprehensive understanding of SRL, executive functions (EFs), which are seen as an important influential factor for learning and goal-oriented behavior, should be taken into consideration. Some authors have linked SRL and EF via metacognition (MC), which forms a fundamental component of SRL, and like EF, represents higher-level cognitive processes. Therefore, this systematic review searched education and psychology databases to determine the natural development and current state of research on the three constructs. Academic transitional periods were brought into focus because of their influence on learners’ well-being and academic achievement. An evaluation of 30 publications indicated that strong development of simple EFs occurs before the transition from preschool to primary school. Moreover, there is a decrease in the motivational component of SRL and the use of metacognitive SRL strategies during the transition from primary to secondary education but an increase in metacognitive awareness. Simple as well as complex EFs also increase during this transition, with a later developmental peak for complex EF. The transition from secondary to tertiary education is accompanied by positive developments in the cognitive and metacognitive components of SRL, with small increases for simple EFs, and larger increases for complex EFs. In conclusion, the findings suggest there is an early developmental maximum for EFs compared to SRL and MC, which supports the theory that EFs are the foundation for SRL and MC.

Development of Executive Functions in Preschoolers with Different Sibling Positions

The development of the executive functions in older preschoolers largely determines their subsequent successful adaptation and schooling. The purpose of the research is to identify the developmental features of the executive functions in older preschoolers with different sibling positions. The relevance of the theme is due to the growing number of children with insufficient development of self-regulation. The study involved 393 preschoolers attending senior groups of kindergartens: 153 - single children in the family, 99 - oldest, 21 - middle, 110 - youngest children, 10 - twins). The levels of development of the participants’ executive functions were determined using three subtests of the neuropsychological complex NEPSY II (“Inhibition”, “Sentences Repetition” and “Memory for Design”) as well as the “Dimensional Change Card Sort” technique by F. Zelazo. It was revealed that auditory-speech memory is best developed in the oldest children in the family. The results obtained make it possible to suggest a different structure of connections between different components of executive functions in children with different sibling positions. The level and structure of the developed executive functions in the single and youngest children in the family are more similar to each other than in the oldest and single children or in the oldest and youngest ones.

Preschoolers’ Executive Function Development and Maternal Birth Experience: The Moderating Role of Depression and the Mode of Delivery

Early executive functioning is a crucial precursor to the future cognitive and behavioral development of children. Given that the mother is typically the child’s primary caregiver, her maternal behavior may be an important factor that either facilitates or hinders the child’s cognitive development, especially if the mother suffers from depression. It is important to analyze these effects, taking into consideration the mother’s birth experience. This study focuses on assessing the child’s executive functions, the mother’s concomitant depression and her birth experience, including the mode of delivery. The results obtained have shown no significant relationship between the executive function performance and the mother’s concomitant depression. However, significant relationships have been found between the child’s executive function performance and complications during the mother’s pregnancy, birth and mode of delivery. The regression analysis shows that cesarean birth reduces the child’s overall executive function performance by 1 point, while the data of the moderation analysis including the mode of delivery and mother’s depression are not statistically significant. The total executive performance score is largely related to the mother’s educational level. The mother’s perinatal depression may have a stronger adverse effect on the child’s development than her concomitant depression. A higher level of the mother’s education may be a protective factor that could potentially offset the cesarean birth effect.

Playing with a Doll Family: Key Characteristics of Junior Preschoolers’ Play Behaviour

The age of 3-4 years is the initial stage in the development of pretend play, or play involving an imaginary situation. In this process, the leading role belongs to dramatic play with toys, the importance of which for children’s development cannot be underestimated. The qualitative analysis of children’s play presented in this research forms part of a large study aimed at identifying the features of children’s play and the toy preferences throughout the entire preschool age. Ten 3-4-year-old children during five play sessions were asked to play a story with a doll family. Before and after the play sessions, all children were tested to assess the level of development of executive functions, imagination, and the type of attachment was determined for each child using a survey of teachers and mothers. The video recordings of the play sessions were then analyzed. The purpose of the analysis was to identify the characteristics of 3-4-year-old children’s play behavior and to explore the relationship of the play features with the indicators of individual development. The experimental setting with a series of play sessions also made it possible to assess the dynamics in play development for each child. To evaluate the play, the following indicators were used: the theme and content of play, spatial substitution, the extent of elaborateness and stability of the play idea, the level of play actions with a toy, and the elaborateness of role-play interactions. The results showed that the level of development of free play involving an imaginary situation for 3-4-year-old children could be defined as generally low, regardless of the level of individual development indicators. A comparison of the first and the fifth play sessions did not reveal any positive dynamics in the level of play development. These results indicate the important role of adult participation in the support and development of children’s play. They can form the basis for the practical recommendations for teachers and parents how to scaffold the playing process of 3-4 years old children.

Socioeconomic Status and its Impact on Receptive Vocabulary and Executive Function in Young Children

This article examines the impact of Socioeconomic Status (SES) on the development of receptive vocabulary and executive function in young children. Integrating current research, the paper highlights the challenges faced by children from low SES backgrounds in terms of language comprehension and executive functioning. Studies indicate a close relationship between SES and a child's receptive language abilities and executive functions, which are crucial for overall learning and development. The article also explores how SES influences cognitive development in children through various pathways, such as home language environment, stress levels, and access to resources. Additionally, the paper discusses early intervention measures and policy recommendations for children from low SES backgrounds to bridge the developmental gap associated with SES.

Do screen-based activities affect the development of executive function? A brief report

Do screen-based activities affect the development of executive function? A brief report

Specificity of executive functions development in children with autism spectrum disorders

Specificity of executive functions development in children with autism spectrum disorders

Sustained benefits of early childhood education and care (ECEC) for young children’s development during COVID-19

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings faced significant disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic, compromising the continuity, stability and quality of provision. Three years on from the first UK lockdown as pandemic-era preschoolers enter formal schooling, stakeholders are concerned about the impact of the disruption on children’s cognitive and socioemotional development, especially those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Using parent-report data from 171 children aged 5 to 23 months ( M = 15 months) in March to June 2020 living in the UK, we investigate whether previously attested positive associations between ECEC attendance and the development of language and executive functions was maintained as early years settings navigated operational challenges over the first full year of the pandemic. In response to concerns about ‘school readiness’, we analyse the relationship between ECEC attendance and children’s communication, problem-solving and personal-social development. ECEC was associated with greater growth in receptive vocabulary over the 12-month period. In children from less advantaged backgrounds, ECEC was also associated with greater growth in expressive vocabulary. Our data suggest a similarly positive association between ECEC attendance and the communication and problem-solving skills of children from less advantaged backgrounds and between ECEC and the personal-social development of all children. Overall, results suggest that ECEC had sustained learning benefits for children growing up during the pandemic despite ongoing disruption to settings, with specific benefits for children from less affluent home environments. As pandemic-era children progress to primary school, we discuss the importance of adapting their learning conditions and adjusting the expectations placed on them.

Skin-deep Resilience and Early Adolescence: Neighborhood Disadvantage, Executive Functioning, and Pubertal Development in Minority Youth.

Skin-deep resilience, in which youth overcome adversity and achieve success in psychological and academic domains but at a cost to their physiological well-being, has been documented in late adolescence and adulthood. However, its potential to emerge at earlier developmental stages is unknown. To address this gap, secondary data analyses were executed using waves 1 and 2 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (n = 7712; ages 9-10 years at baseline [mean: 9.92; SD = 0.63]; 47.1% female; 66.1% White, 13.4% Black, and 20.6% Hispanic). The results indicated high levels of executive functioning were associated with improved psychological and behavioral outcomes at one-year follow-up. However, for racial and ethnic minority (i.e., Black or Hispanic) youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods, high levels of executive functioning were also associated with accelerated pubertal development. No significant interaction was observed among White youth. The findings suggest the skin-deep resilience pattern may be evident in early adolescence.

Attachment to teacher, internalizing and externalizing symptoms: the mediating role of executive functions

ABSTRACT Attendance at preschool represents an important transition, as it is often here that children have their first experience with unfamiliar adults. In this context, several factors can affect children’s adjustment. Two important protective factors are the attachment relationship with the teacher and the level of executive functions. We investigate this interaction in order to reduce the occurrence of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. The results show that both the quality of the attachment relationship with the teacher and executive functions are related to a lower occurrence of internalizing and externalizing behaviours, and that executive functions play a mediating role between the attachment to the teacher and children’s behaviours. Therefore, from the perspective of promoting children’s adjustment to preschool and, more generally, children’s well-being, it is critical at this age to promote the development of executive functions within a secure attachment relationship with the preschool teacher.

40 Metamemory performance of children with ADHD in comparison to typically developing children.

Objective:Metamemory is an aspect of metacognition that is one's knowledge of memory and understanding of their own memory performance (Kreutzer et al., 1975). Executive function skills are foundational skills required for the development of metamemory in early school-age children (Lockl & Schneider, 2007; Lecce et al., 2015). Previous studies have suggested children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may have weaker study and organizational strategies, suggesting weaker metamemory skills (O'Neill & Douglas, 1991; Voelker et al., 1989). The current study aimed to examine the metamemory knowledge of typically developing (TD) children and children with ADHD on a novel declarative metamemory questionnaire. We hypothesized that the ADHD group would have worse metamemory performance than the TD group and that executive functioning skills would be significantly associated with metamemory for all groups.Participants and Methods:The current study recruited a total of 93 English-speaking children between the ages of 6 to 12 years old, including 70 typically developing (TD) children (M age=9.1+1.92; females 49%), and 23 children with diagnoses of ADHD (M age=9.56+1.27; females 57%). Fifty-seven percent of the ADHD group reported daily use of stimulant medication, but no participants took medication on the day of testing. The participant groups did not significantly differ regarding age or sex. Participants completed the Measure of Metamemory (MoM-10) which included 10 multiple choice questions (i.e., Accuracy) and asked participants to explain their multiple-choice answer (i.e., Explanation). This provided three scores: Accuracy (max 10 points), Explanation (max 20 points), and Total (max 30 points). Additionally, participants' parents completed the 12-item Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, 2nd Edition (BRIEF-2) Screening form, evaluating the child's executive functioning, which provided a percentile based on age and sex.Results:Within the ADHD group, BRIEF-2 percentiles and MoM-10 scores did not differ between those who were medicated and those who were not. As previous literature has shown, the TD and ADHD groups significantly differed on the BRIEF-2 screening score percentiles (t(91)=-5.78, p<0.001; TD M=52.89+26.1; ADHD M=85.26+13.82). The TD and ADHD groups did not significantly differ on either the MoM-10 Accuracy (p=0.13; TD M=7.22+1.84; ADHD M=7.87+1.32), the Explanation (p=0.08; TD M=9.34+3.80; ADHD M=10.57+2.92), or Total (p=0.13). There was a trend towards a significant correlation between the Explanation scores and BRIEF-2 for TD participants (r=-0.23, p=0.06), but there was no significant correlation between Explanation, Accuracy, or Total scores and the BRIEF-2 for the ADHD group.Conclusions:Our results tentatively suggest a possible association between metamemory and parent reported executive functioning for TD children, supporting the expected association between the development of executive functioning and the development of metamemory. However, there was no association between metamemory and executive functioning for children with ADHD, likely due to the restricted range of executive functioning scores for this group (i.e., M=85.25+13.82; Range 55-99). Additionally, metamemory did not significantly differ between diagnostic groups. Children with ADHD may have comparable metamemory knowledge to TD children as a result of executive functioning instruction and support they have received. Rather, there may be group differences in the application of metamemory judgement and strategies.

89 A Pilot Study of a Parent-Delivered Game-Based Cognitive Intervention in Children Born Preterm

Objective:Preterm birth (gestational age < 37 weeks) is associated with delays in the development of executive functions and their precursors, including controlling attention and retaining task-relevant information. In the current study, we aim to examine the potential therapeutic effects of a novel cognitive tablet game, Dino Island (DI), and its implementation through a parent-delivered intervention program on cognitive development in preterm children.Participants and Methods:In total, 34 participants (M = 4.99 years old) were recruited from a perinatal follow-up clinic or through the community in Calgary, AB. Participants were randomly assigned to either the DI intervention (n = 20) or tablet-based educational control games (C; n = 14). Parents completed a 2-hour training program that included information about how to support their child through the intervention using behavioural supports and metacognitive strategies. Neuropsychological assessment was done prior to beginning the intervention and after 12 weeks of intervention. Various tests were used to assess near transfer measures of sustained attention, shifting attention, executive function, verbal working memory and inhibition, and to assess far transfer measures of language skills and early numeracy. Families tracked weekly progress using journals, with the goal of 3-4 30-minute sessions per week. Multiple ANCOVA analyses were run to analyze quantitative data using the pre-test score as a covariate.Results:A total of 21 participants completed the 12 weeks of intervention (DI: n = 11 and C: n = 10). Those who did not complete the intervention withdrew from the study or were unable to make a follow-up assessment due to COVID-19 restrictions. Groups did not significantly differ in age (DI: M = 4.92, C: M = 4.61), sex (DI: Female = 6, C: Female = 6), or in weeks preterm (DI: M = 29.49 weeks, C: M = 32.7 weeks).Multiple ANCOVAs were run to determine the effect of either the DI or Control intervention on the cognitive measures after controlling for the pre-intervention score of participants. As compared to the Control group, the DI intervention group showed near transfer gains in sustained attention (F(1,7) = 5.1, p = 0.043), and executive functions (F(2,18) = 5.41, p = 0.014), as well as far transfer gains in phonetic awareness (F(2,16) = 11.63, p = 0.001), vocabulary and oral language skills (F(2,7) = 5.54, p = 0.014), and number identification fluency (F(2,17) = 11.37, p = 0.001). Detailed analyses will be discussed in the poster.Conclusions:This study provides preliminary support for the potential efficacy of the DI intervention when delivered by parents to children born preterm. Pre-post testing after 12 weeks of intervention indicated both near and far transfer gains. These results highlight the benefits of utilizing a tablet game format to facilitate collaborative parent-child interactions in cognitive intervention. This intervention provides a potential affordable and engaging alternative to existing cognitive interventions. Further investigation with a larger and more diverse sample is required.

87 The Cumulative and Unique Effect of Competitive Youth Participation in the United States’ Most Popular Sports on Executive Function

Objective:Engagement in sporting activities has shown improvement in executive function among youth (Contreras-Osorio et al., 2021). Additionally, participation in specific sports such as soccer has been shown to enhance executive function in youth athletes compared to same-aged non-athletes (Yongtawee et al., 2021). The present study aimed to examine the effects of competitive participation in the United States’ four most popular sports on executive function among youth athletes. The most popular sports, as defined by viewership, revenue, and youth participation in the U.S. are American football, basketball, baseball, and soccer (Injai, 2022; Aspen Institute, 2020).Participants and Methods:Data from the following three executive functioning subtests were analyzed in a sample of youth athletes (n=76), aged 8-18 years (mean age=11.94): Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Trail Making Letter-Number Sequencing (cognitive flexibility), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fourth Edition Working Memory Index, and Golden Stroop Color-Word Inhibition. Participants completed these measures as part of a larger neuropsychological baseline assessment. Multivariate General Linear Model (GLM) regression was used to examine the influence of total cumulative years playing in one or more of the four most popular sports on executive functioning. A multivariate GLM regression also investigated the unique contributions of total years playing soccer (n=40; mean age=12.40) and total years playing American football (n=32; mean age=12.03) on subtest performance. The unique contributions of basketball (n=14) and baseball (n=21) were not analyzed due to small sample size.Results:Total cumulative years playing > one of the four most popular sports significantly predicted cognitive flexibility (p=.007) and working memory (p=.002), but not inhibition (p=0.639). Total years playing soccer also significantly predicted cognitive flexibility (p=.029) and working memory (p=0.05), but not inhibition (p=.310). Total years playing American football did not significantly predict performance on tasks requiring cognitive flexibility (p=.186), working memory (p=0.150), or inhibition (p=0.277).Conclusions:In congruence with previous research, sports participation predicted enhanced cognitive flexibility and working memory on certain executive tasks. Among youth athletes, prolonged competitive participation in one or more of the four most popular sports in the U.S. predicted better performance on measures of cognitive flexibility and working memory. Furthermore, protracted participation in soccer predicted enhanced performance on measures of cognitive flexibility and working memory, whereas extended participation in American football did not. Future research should examine this effect in larger samples within all four sports. Examining the cumulative length of competitive participation in these popular sports on executive function could present a favorable developmental outcome of youth participation if competitive participation is sustained. Additionally, the present data on executive function performance between lasting soccer participation and lasting American football participation suggests that executive function development and performance may be influenced by the sport played. The direction of this possible influence is unclear. More research is needed to establish this observed difference, and to better understand its existence and directionality.

38 Fine Motor Skills in Pediatric Frontal Lobe Epilepsy are Associated with Executive Dysfunction and ADHD Symptomatology

Objective:Pediatric patients with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) have higher rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as executive functioning (EF) and fine motor (FM) challenges. Relations between these constructs have been established in youth with ADHD and are supported by FM and EF skill involvement in frontal-subcortical systems. Still, they are not well understood in pediatric FLE. We hypothesized that poorer FM performance would be related to greater executive dysfunction and ADHD symptomatology in this group.Participants and Methods:47 children and adolescents with FLE (AgeM=12.47, SD=5.18; IQM=84.07; SD=17.56; Age of Seizure OnsetM=6.85, SD=4.64; right-handed: n=34; left-handed: n=10; Unclear: n=3) were enrolled in the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Consortium dataset as part of their phase I epilepsy surgical evaluation. Participants were selected if they had unifocal FLE and completed the Lafayette Grooved Pegboard (GP). Seizure lateralization (left-sided: n=19; right-sided: n=26; bilateral: n=2) and localization were established via data (e.g., EEG, MRI) presented at a multidisciplinary team case conference. Patients completed neuropsychological measures of FM, attention, and EF. Parents also completed questionnaires inquiring about their child’s everyday EF and ADHD symptomatology. Correlational analyses were conducted to examine FM, EF, and ADHD relations.Results:Dominant hand (DH) manual dexterity (GP) was related to parent-reported EF (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition [BRIEF-2]-Global Executive Composite [GEC]: r(15) =-.70, p<.01, d=1.96). While not statistically significant, medium to large effect sizes were found for GP DH and parent-reported inattention (Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition [BASC-3]-Attention Problems: r(12)=-.39, p=.17, d=.85) and hyperactivity/impulsivity (BASC-3-Hyperactivity: r(11)= -.44, p=.13, d=.98), as well as performance-based attention (Conners Continuous Performance Test, Third Edition -Omission Errors: r(12)=-.35, p=.22, d=.41), working memory (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth Edition [WISC-V]-Digit Span [DS]: r(19)=.38, p=.09, d=.82) and cognitive flexibility (Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Verbal Fluency Category Switching: r(13)=.46, p=.08, d=1.04); this suggests that these relations may exist but that our study was underpowered to detect them. Non-dominant hand (NDH) manual dexterity was related to performance-based working memory (WISC-V-DS: r(19)=.50, p<.01, d=1.12) and cognitive flexibility (D-KEFS-Trails Making Test Number-Letter Switching: r(17)=.64, p<.01, d=1.67). Again, while underpowered, medium to large effect sizes were found for GP NDH and parent-reported EF (BRIEF-2 GEC: r(15) =-.45, p=.07, d=1.01) and performance-based phonemic fluency (D-KEFS-Letter Fluency: r(13)=.31, p=.20, d=.65).Conclusions:Our findings suggest that FM, EF, and ADHD are related in youth with FLE; however, these relations appear to vary by skill and hand. We posit that our findings are due in part to the frontal-cerebellar networks given their anatomic proximity between frontal motor areas and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex - as well as their shared functional involvement in these networks. Future studies should evaluate the predictive validity of initial FM skills for later executive dysfunction and ADHD symptomatology in FLE. If such relations emerge, contributions of early FM interventions on EF development should be examined. Further replication of these findings with a larger sample is warranted.

57 Executive Functioning Correlates with Adaptive Behaviors in Wiedemann-Steiner Syndrome

Objective:Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome (WSS) is a rare Mendelian disorder of epigenetic machinery caused by a mutation in KMT2A, with hallmark features that include intellectual disability and developmental delay. Animal models have helped identify the critical roles KMT2A plays in prefrontal neuron maturation and executive function (i.e. working memory) development. However, the neurobehavioral phenotype of individuals with WSS, including executive functioning, remains poorly characterized. Accordingly, this study aimed to 1.) examine the neurobehavioral profile (adaptive, psychosocial, and executive functioning) associated with WSS and 2.) the correlations between executive functioning and these domains.Participants and Methods:A total of 25 mothers of individuals with WSS (13 females, Mean age=12.78 years, SD=7.88) completed a combination of parent-informant questionnaires. The caregivers completed the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System 3rd Edition (ABAS-3), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and a version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine proportion of the sample with clinically significant concerns on the BRIEF and SDQ, and low to very low adaptive skills based on ratings on the ABAS-3. Partial correlations were computed to examine the relationships between overall executive functioning (BRIEF General Executive Composite, GEC) with adaptive domains (ABAS-3 Conceptual, Practical, Social), and psychosocial functioning (SDQ Emotional Problems, Conduct Problems, Hyperactivity, Peer Relations, Prosocial Behaviors) while accounting for age. Associations that survived Benjamin Hochberg correction are reported.Results:Of our sample, 64% were rated in the very elevated range for executive functioning problems (BRIEF GEC), with a greater proportion endorsing clinically significant concerns with behavior regulation (68%) relative to cognitive regulation (48%). Majority of participants was rated in the low or very low range for ABAS-3 General Adaptive Composite (72%), with a greater proportion showing problems in Practical (64%) and Conceptual Domains (64%) relative to Social Domain (44%). Among those who completed the SDQ, caregiver ratings implicate elevated Total Problems (90%) with greater concerns observed in Emotional Problems (62%), Hyperactivity (81%) and Peer Relationship difficulties (95%). After controlling for age, executive functioning difficulties were associated with weaker skills in the Conceptual (r=-0.56, p=0.003), Social (r=-0.44, p=0.028) and Practical domains (r=-0.51, p=0.009); as well as more Hyperactivity (r=0.49, p=0.025) and Conduct problems (r=0.58, p=0.007). Specifically, day-to-day challenges with executive functions were related to weaker adaptive skills in Self-Care (r=-0.54, p=0.006), Self-Direction (r=-0.53, p=0.007), and Communication (r=-0.49, p=0.01).Conclusions:Individuals with WSS are at risk for executive functioning deficits, which in turn may impact the development of and/or day-today application of adaptive skills and behavior regulation. Future clinical research should further explore the development and neurophysiology of executive functions among those with WSS with multidisciplinary methods, including behavioral, cognitive and neurobiological metrics. Those working with individuals with WSS may consider executive functioning interventions, which may yield indirect benefits to self-regulation and daily use of life skills.

33 Osteopontin as a Blood Biomarker for Executive Function Outcomes in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

Objective:Executive function (EF) is a self-regulatory construct well-established as a predictor of long-term academic achievement and socioemotional functioning in children (Best et al., 2009; Diamond, 2013; Zelazo & Carlson, 2020). Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in childhood frequently results in EF deficits (Beauchamp & Anderson, 2013; Levin & Hanten, 2005). In comparison to adults (Okonkwo et al., 2013), there is an absence of viable blood biomarkers for pediatric TBI to assist in diagnosis and prognosis. Osteopontin (OPN), an inflammatory cytokine, has recently been identified as a putative pediatric TBI blood biomarker (Gao et al., 2020). However, more work is needed to establish OPN’s utility in predicting functional outcomes. Thus, the present study aimed to test relations between OPN measured during the first 72 hours of hospitalization and EF 6-12 months post injury among a sample of pediatric TBI patients.Participants and Methods:Sample consisted of 38 children (age at injury = 4.60-16.67 years, M age = 10.61 years, 65.8% male, lowest Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score = 3-15, M gcs= 9.97) with TBI whose parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition (BRIEF-2; Gioia et al., 2015) 6-12 months post injury. Plasma OPN was measured at hospital admission, 24 hours after admission, 48 hours after admission, and 72 hours after admission. 7-scores for each BRIEF-2 clinical scale (Inhibit, Self-Monitor, Shift, Emotional Control, Initiate, Working Memory, Plan/Organize, Task-Monitor, Organization of Materials) and composite index (Behavior Regulation Index, Emotion Regulation Index, Cognitive Regulation Index, Global Executive Composite) were used in analyses.Results:Correlation analyses revealed large positive associations (rs = .50-.73, ps = <.001.039) between 48-hour OPN and all BRIEF-2 scales/indices except Initiate. OPN at 24 hours positively correlated with Task-Monitor (r = .40, p = .037). Bivariate logistic regression analyses testing whether OPN predicted at least mildly elevated BRIEF-2 t-scores (>60) did not yield significant associations. Additional supplementary analyses testing whether alternative injury markers - glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), ubiquitin C-terminal Hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1), S100 calcium binding protein B (S100B) - measured at all time points as well as lowest GCS score correlated with EF revealed the following: admission S100B positively correlated with Inhibit (r = .34, p = .045), 48-hour UCH-L1 negatively correlated with Initiate (r = -.49, p = .041) and Cognitive Regulation Index (r = -.48, p = .044), and 72-hour UCH-L1 negatively correlated with Initiate (r = -.47, p = .048).Conclusions:Findings showed higher OPN at 48 hours post admission was broadly related to worse parent-reported EF 6-12 months later, with 24-hour OPN also showing limited associations. Higher levels of alternative injury markers likewise showed limited associations with EF outcomes. Null logistic regression findings may be due to few participants having elevated BRIEF-2 scores. Disrupted EF development may be more noticeable after longer time periods as children age and self-regulatory demands increase. Overall, OPN was found to more consistently predict EF outcomes than GCS score and other injury markers. This could be because OPN is a marker of inflammation, which may be particularly predictive of TBI cognitive outcomes.

A canonical trajectory of executive function maturation from adolescence to adulthood

Theories of human neurobehavioral development suggest executive functions mature from childhood through adolescence, underlying adolescent risk-taking and the emergence of psychopathology. Investigations with relatively small datasets or narrow subsets of measures have identified general executive function development, but the specific maturational timing and independence of potential executive function subcomponents remain unknown. Integrating four independent datasets (N = 10,766; 8–35 years old) with twenty-three measures from seventeen tasks, we provide a precise charting, multi-assessment investigation, and replication of executive function development from adolescence to adulthood. Across assessments and datasets, executive functions follow a canonical non-linear trajectory, with rapid and statistically significant development in late childhood to mid-adolescence (10–15 years old), before stabilizing to adult-levels in late adolescence (18–20 years old). Age effects are well captured by domain-general processes that generate reproducible developmental templates across assessments and datasets. Results provide a canonical trajectory of executive function maturation that demarcates the boundaries of adolescence and can be integrated into future studies.

Teachers matter in early childhood: The relation between teacher behaviours and executive function development in toddlerhood

AbstractThe current study investigates the role of teacher behaviors in toddlers' executive function development. Teachers' (N = 215) emotional and behavioral support and instructional support were observed through classroom observations when children were 2 years old. Selective attention, verbal short‐term memory, and visuospatial working memory of children (N = 876, 48.4% female) were assessed at age 2 (Mage = 28.60 months, SD = 2.83) and 3 (Mage = 42.38 months, SD = 2.47). Teachers' instructional support positively predicted growth in selective attention, but not verbal short‐term memory or visuospatial working memory. Teachers' emotional and behavioral support did not predict the growth in executive function measures. Findings have implications for understanding the role of teacher‐child interactions in executive function development in toddlerhood.

How does sensitivity influence early executive function? A critical review on hot and cool processes

There is compelling evidence that the quality of caregiver-child interactions during toddlerhood and the preschool years supports the development of executive function (EF) (Bernier et al., 2010; 2015; 2016; Fay-Stammbach et al., 2014; Geeraerts et al., 2021). Based on such findings, we make the case herein that sensitivity may be one of the most important dimensions of parenting contributing to early EF. In the present article, we will review empirical evidence, integrating findings from a wide range of scientific disciplines – cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and developmental psychopathology – and present theoretical ideas about how two contexts of sensitive caregiving – i.e. sensitivity to distress and non-distress cues - may be contributing differently to hot and cool EF development. Implications for future investigations on the environmental contributors of early EF, and its mechanisms, are discussed.