Memory Performance In Children Research Articles

Processing speed and its association with working memory and episodic memory 3-6 months after pediatric mild traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACT Objective Following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), children show reduced processing speed (PS). Evidence suggests that slowed PS after TBI is associated with working memory deficits. Our aim was to investigate several forms of PS and to examine its impact on working and episodic memory performance in children after mTBI. Method We included data of 64 children after mTBI and 57 healthy control children aged 8–16 years. PS (Color Naming, Coding, Symbol Search, Alertness) was compared between groups 1 week (T1) and 3–6 months (T2) after the injury; working and episodic memory outcome was compared between groups at T2. Results Alertness at T1 and Color Naming at T1 and T2 were significantly reduced following mTBI compared to controls, although most group differences in PS disappeared when patients with previous impairments and mTBI were excluded. PS was predictive for episodic and working memory performance 3–6 months after injury, whereas group was a significant predictor of working memory. Conclusions Compared to healthy controls, children after mTBI showed reduced performance in verbal PS, which was associated with working memory. In children who are symptomatic after mTBI, diagnostic screening of PS could be helpful in identifying patients that could profit from speed-improving strategies.

Examining Children’s Memory Performance: The Role of Parents’ and Children’s Metacognitive Talk During Reminiscence and Play

ABSTRACT Recent research has highlighted the critical role in children’s cognitive development of the metacognitive support parents give their children during everyday interactions. Our main goal was to examine whether parents made consistent use of metacognitive talk across different parent – child interaction contexts and to document the effect of this metacognitive talk across contexts on preschoolers’ memory. The relation between children’s and parents’ metacognitive talk was also examined, along with the link between children’s metacognitive talk and their own memory performance. 64 Belgian preschooler – parent dyads (M age = 40.3 months) were invited to play memory games together and to reminisce about a standardized event. In both contexts, parents’ and children’s utterances were analyzed for their metacognitive content. Children’s episodic memory was assessed through a story-recall task. Results revealed that, in terms of frequency of use, parents exhibited a somewhat consistent metacognitive style across contexts. The nature of the metacognitive comments that were produced, however, varied depending on the context. Moreover, parents’ consistent production of higher rates of metacognitive comments in both contexts was found to be associated with better memory performance in children. Our data also revealed that children’s tendency to make metacognitive comments was related to their parents’ metacognitive production and to their own memory performance. By documenting the relations between parents’ and children’s metacognitive talk and the effect on children’s memory, this study provides promising avenues for a better understanding of how metacognitive processes might be involved in early memory development.

The developmental path of metacognition from toddlerhood to early childhood and its influence on later memory performance.

Recently, several studies have suggested that metacognition emerges early in infancy and toddlerhood. However, to date, the developmental trajectory of these early metacognitive monitoring and control processes and their influence on children's later memory functioning remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to longitudinally document the development of metacognition between the ages of 2.5 and 4.5 years and to examine the link between these early metacognitive skills and later memory performance. To do so, 69 children initially aged 29-33 months old (NT0 = 69; 32 females; Mage = 32.3 months; SD = 1.6) were tested at three time points (12-month intervals) with a recognition memory paradigm designed to assess both metacognitive monitoring, through retrospective confidence judgment, and metacognitive control, through a cue selection task (i.e., children had the opportunity to ask for a cue to help them change their memory decision). In addition, at the last session, an episodic memory task (story recall) was also administered. Our results revealed an improvement in monitoring and control processes between 2.5 and 4.5 years with above-chance performance from around age 3.5. Mixed-effects modeling also indicated that metacognitive monitoring at ages 2.5 and 4.5, but not-unexpectedly-metacognitive control, was related to children's memory performance at age 4.5. Overall, our results provide evidence to enhance our understanding of the developmental course of metacognition from toddlerhood to early childhood and suggest that metacognitive processes are involved in memory performance much earlier than had previously been shown. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Using metacognition to understand memory performance in children

Children are often perceived as unreliable witnesses which could affect the treatment of this vulnerable group within the criminal justice system. Metacognition is a complex and higher-order skill which is used to help us reflect on whether our memory for a past event is correct or not. In this review, we consider theoretical and empirical evidence on the development of this skill and its application for improving child interview procedures.Author note:This work was supported by an ESRC grant (1001128) to M.C.

86 Memory Performance in Children with Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy

Objective:There is limited and mixed research describing the memory performance of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a progressive disorder that affects the muscle and the brain, presumably due to the absence of dystrophin; however, the literature indicates either the existence of a selective deficit in verbal working memory, or more generalized impairment in both verbal and visual memory. Far less is documented about the neurocognitive profile of boys with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), a closely related neuromuscular disorder which allows for at least some functional dystrophin protein to circulate. The Child and Adolescent Memory Profile (ChAMP) is a valid and widely used memory battery that has not been studied in either DMD or BMD. This study aimed to assess the verbal and visual memory performance in boys having either a DMD or a BMD diagnosis using the ChAMP. A working memory measure, the Digit Span subtest from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition, was also included for comparison.Participants and Methods:Twenty-one patients (Age M = 12.19 ± 3.60; 100% male; 76% DMD, 24% Becker) were selected from retrospective data collection of neuropsychological performance in children with neuromuscular disorders. Patients were recruited and assessed as part of a larger scale IRB-approved research study designed to better understand the neurocognitive and behavioral trajectories of boys with DMD or BMD with a complete neuropsychological battery.Results:Independent samples f-tests revealed no significant differences between groups across verbal (DMD M = 88.71; BMD M = 100.80; p = .08), visual (DMD M =90.36; BMD M 93.60; p = .33), and working memory (DMD M = 84.69; BMD: M 82.60; p = .40) domains. In additional analyses, a one sample f-test comparing verbal and visual memory within DMD children revealed significantly worse verbal than visual memory scores (verbal memory M = 88.71; visual memory M = 90.36; p = <.001).Conclusions:There were no significant differences between groups in verbal, visual, and working memory performance, though sample size was a significant limitation. However, based on a comparison of means, children with BMD appear to have stronger verbal memory skills than children with DMD. Furthermore, significant differences between verbal and visual memory within DMD children were observed, such that verbal memory skills were weaker. These findings add to the absence of literature on verbal and visual memory outcomes in children with DMD and BMD.

B - 60 A Comparison of Processing Speed and Impulsivity in Predicting Working Memory Ability in Children.

Our objective was to contrast two predictors of working memory performance in children. Working memory (WM) is related to processing speed and to inhibitory control in typically developing adults; however, research on this topic is relatively scarce in children. Research comparing these predictors is even more scant in children. Therefore, this study examined how well processing speed and impulsivity predict WM performance in a mixed sample in order to have a full range of functioning in these areas. Participants included 228 children from a community sample (ages 8-11years; 85.1% White; 55.6% boys) attained through NIH-funded projects (R03HD048752, R15HD065627). They were diagnosed with ADHD (35.0%), RD (14.4%), comorbid RD/ADHD (18.5%), other diagnoses (7.4%), or were typically developing (24.7%). Processing speed was assessed with the WISC-IV Coding scaled score. Items measuring impulsivity from the BASC-2 Hyperactivity scale were summed to form the impulsivity variable. The Children's Memory Scale (CMS) Sequences subtest was used to measure WM. A multiple linear regression analysis was run with Coding and impulsivity as the IVs and Sequences as the DV. The overall equation was significant (adjusted R2 = 0.097, F(2, 228) = 13.349, p < 0.001). Coding predicted WM performance (Beta = 0.317, p < 0.001). Impulsivity, however, was not significant (Beta = -0.042, p = 0.503). Results indicate that processing speed is the better statistical predictor of working memory performance in a mixed sample of children. More research on the relationship between impulsivity and WM in children is needed, as our insignificant finding on it conflicts with the limited available literature.

Fronto-parietal white matter microstructure associated with working memory performance in children with ADHD

IntroductionAttention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with many functional impairments thought to be underpinned by difficulties in executive function domains such as working memory. The superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) plays an integral role in the development of working memory in neurotypical children. Neuroimaging research suggests reduced white matter organization of the SLF may contribute to working memory difficulties commonly seen in ADHD. This study aimed to examine the relationship between white matter organization of the SLF and working memory in children with ADHD. MethodsWe examined the association of tract volume and apparent fibre density (AFD) of the SLF with working memory in children with ADHD (n = 64) and controls (n = 58) aged 9–11years. Children completed a computerized spatial n-back task and underwent diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). Constrained spherical deconvolution-based tractography was used to construct the three branches of the SLF bilaterally and examine volume and AFD of the SLF. ResultsRegression analyses revealed children with ADHD exhibited poorer working memory, and lower volume and AFD of the left SLF-II compared to healthy controls. There was also an association between reaction time and variability (RT and RT-V) and the left SLF-II. Further analyses revealed volume of the left SLF-II mediated the relationship between ADHD and working memory performance (RT and RT-V). DiscussionThese findings add to the current body of ADHD literature, revealing the potential role of frontoparietal white matter in working memory difficulties in ADHD.

Yes, no, maybe so: Caregiver autonomy support, conversation context, and children's memory performance.

The extant literature on the use of autonomy support during caregiver-child conversations has focused primarily on conversations about fun, shared experiences, with limited consideration of unshared experiences or attention toward the role of conversation context. The present study examined how autonomy support, conversation context, and child age interact to predict 3-to-5-year-old children's disclosure of accurate information when discussing an unshared past event with their caregiver and an experimenter. Dyads (N = 111) were recruited from two locations (Miami, Florida and Orange County, California) by research recruitment firms. Children completed a standardized activity alone and then discussed the activity with their caregiver. The context of the discussion was manipulated so that dyads focused on either accumulating facts (Fact condition) or having fun (Fun condition). Afterward, children discussed the activity with a neutral interviewer. Caregivers in the fact condition were less autonomy supportive when discussing the activity than those in the fun condition. During the caregiver-child interview, caregiver autonomy support was negatively associated with children's disclosure of correct event details for those in the fun condition only. Caregiver autonomy support was negatively associated with children's correct details during the experiment-child interview across both context conditions. While older children provided more correct details during both interviews, there were no other age-related effects. These results demonstrate that conversation context moderates the link between autonomy support and children's autobiographical memory performance. Past contradictory findings in the field are discussed in light of these results. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Do emotionally salient cues improve prospective memory performance in children and adolescents with autism?

BackgroundProspective memory (PM) describes the ability to initiate and perform a planned action after a delay. Previous studies suggest reduced PM in autism spectrum disorder (ASD); especially when tasks put high demands on executive control resources. Increasing cue salience by presenting emotional cues improves PM performance in non-autistic populations. AimsTo explore whether children with ASD, whose processing of emotionally connoted information might differ from that of typically developing children, may also benefit from this type of salience in PM tasks. Methods and proceduresTwenty-five children with and 25 children without ASD completed a 1-back ongoing task into which an event-based PM task was embedded. Emotional salience of PM cues was varied. Outcomes and resultsChildren with ASD performed as well as children without ASD on the PM task and equally benefited from emotionally salient cues. Specifically, negative cues increased PM performance compared to neutral cues in both groups Conclusions and implicationsThe findings are consistent with the multiprocess framework which postulates that salient PM cues increase performance by promoting automatic intention retrieval and reducing executive control demands. Children with ASD seem to show similar comprehension and accessibility to emotional cues as typically developing children.

Working Memory Performance in Children With Developmental Language Disorder: The Role of Domain.

This study examined working memory in children with developmental language disorder (DLD). The overarching goal of this work was to integrate three primary processing-based hypotheses of DLD, (a) limited verbal working memory, (b) slowed processing speed, and (c) inefficient inhibition of interference, by using the serial-order-in-a-box-complex span (SOB-CS) computational model as our theoretical framework. We also examined the role of domain in working memory performance by varying the domain of interference and recall (i.e., verbal vs. nonverbal) task demands. Participants were 55 school-age children, 21 children with DLD and 34 age-matched typically developing (TD) peers (9-13 years old). Findings indicated that verbal and nonverbal working memory performance was poorer in the DLD than TD group. There was a modest benefit of dispersing interference and recall task demands across domains relative to task demands being within one domain, yet verbal interference affected performance to a greater degree than nonverbal interference in the DLD group. Overall findings supported a role for each of the processing-based hypotheses of DLD, albeit an incomplete role. In contrast, the SOB-CS model accounted for interrelationships among these processing-based factors and provided an explanation across patterns of findings. Thus, the SOB-CS model represents a useful step forward in explaining processing in children with DLD. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.19526179.

A meta‐analysis of the relation between hippocampal volume and memory ability in typically developing children and adolescents

Memory is supported by a network of brain regions, with the hippocampus serving a critical role in this cognitive process. Previous meta‐analyses on the association between hippocampal structure and memory have largely focused on adults. Multiple studies have since suggested that hippocampal volume is related to memory performance in children and adolescents; however, the strength and direction of this relation varies across reports, and thus, remains unclear. To further understand this brain–behavior relation, we conducted a meta‐analysis to investigate the association between hippocampal volume (assessed as total volume) and memory during typical development. Across 25 studies and 61 memory outcomes with 1357 participants, results showed a small, but significant, positive association between total hippocampal volume and memory performance. Estimates of the variability across studies in the relation between total volume and memory were not explained by differences in memory task type (delayed vs. immediate; relational vs. nonrelational), participant age range, or the method of normalization of hippocampal volumes. Overall, findings suggest that larger total hippocampal volume relates to better memory performance in children and adolescents and that this relation is similar across the memory types and age ranges assessed. To facilitate enhanced generalization across studies in the future, we discuss considerations for the field moving forward.

Subject‐performed task effect on working memory performance in children with autism spectrum disorder

A previous study found that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have better recall when they perform instructions (subject-performed task [SPT]) than when they passively hear instructions (verbal task [VT]) in a working memory task for instructions, an effect that is called the SPT effect. This study explored whether the SPT effect exhibited by ASD children is caused by the movement component or by processing materials twice. More importantly, this study explored whether intelligence influences the SPT effect exhibited by ASD children. ASD children with three levels of intelligence (N=56) and a control group, children with intellectual disability (ID) who had low intelligence but did not have ASD (N=21), were asked to perform working memory tasks for instructions under VT, SPT and repeated (hearing the instruction twice) conditions. No significant difference in performance was observed between the VT and repeated conditions, regardless of the child's level of intelligence. ASD children with lower-middle intelligence exhibited a smaller SPT effect than ASD children with upper-middle intelligence. Critically, while ASD children with low intelligence did not exhibit the SPT effect, an ID group with equivalent low intelligence did show this effect. Therefore, these results show that the SPT effect for ASD children is caused by the movement component and is uniquely associated with a certain level of intelligence, namely, lower middle and higher levels of intelligence. LAY SUMMARY: In ASD children, the benefit of physically performing instructions for working memory performance is uniquely associated with a certain level of intelligence. Only ASD children with lower-middle intelligence (and higher) benefit from physically performing instructions, and higher intelligence increases this benefit; ASD children with low intelligence do not show this benefit. This benefit in ASD children is attributed to the additional motoric code generated by physical performance.

The fornix supports episodic memory during childhood.

Episodic memory relies on the coordination of widespread brain regions that reconstruct spatiotemporal details of an episode. These topologically dispersed brain regions can rapidly communicate through structural pathways. Research in animal and human lesion studies implicate the fornix-the major output pathway of the hippocampus-in supporting various aspects of episodic memory. Because episodic memory undergoes marked changes in early childhood, we tested the link between the fornix and episodic memory in an age window of robust memory development (ages 4-8years). Children were tested on the stories subtest from the Children's Memory Scale, a temporal order memory task, and a source memory task. Fornix streamlines were reconstructed using probabilistic tractography to estimate fornix microstructure. In addition, we measured fornix macrostructure and computed free water. To assess selectivity of our findings, we also reconstructed the uncinate fasciculus. Findings show that children's memory increases from ages 4 to 8 and that fornix micro- and macrostructure increases between ages 4 and 8. Children's memory performance across nearly every memory task correlated with individual differences in fornix, but not uncinate fasciculus, white matter. These findings suggest that the fornix plays an important role in supporting the development of episodic memory, and potentially semantic memory, in early childhood.

Quantitative Meta-Analyses: Lateralization of Memory Functions Before and After Surgery in Children with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Memory deficits in children with epilepsy have been reported in some but not all studies assessing the effects of side of seizures and resection from the temporal lobe on cognitive performance. This meta-analysis provides a quantitative systematic review of previous studies on this issue. A critical review and meta-analysis of the literature on memory performance in children with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) was conducted. Search identified 25 studies, 13 of which compared children with TLE to healthy age-matched controls and 12 of which compared children with TLE before and after surgery. Heterogeneity of the comparisons of children with TLE to healthy controls impeded drawing definitive conclusions. However, in 55% of the studies, verbal memory in children with left TLE (LTLE) was impaired as compared to healthy controls. Verbal memory performance slightly declines after pediatric LTLE surgery, but nonverbal memory tasks are not affected. By contrast, verbal memory performance is not affected by pediatric right TLE (RTLE) surgery. The findings suggest that side of the epileptogenic zone and resection from the temporal lobe affect verbal memory in children with LTLE. Right resection seems to be safe with respect to verbal memory performance.

Spatial working memory performance in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder

Background: Spatial working memory (SWM) is known to be impaired in children with Major depressive disorder (MDD), and, separately, Dysthymic disorder (DD) (DSM V persistent depressive disorder equivalent). Yet, it remains unclear whether MDD or DD is associated with worse SWM impairment, whether DD adds to the SWM impairments evident in MDD and whether these findings are evident in children as well as adolescents with MDD and DD. Methods: The association of SWM and its strategy and spatial span components is explored in carefully defined children and adolescents (age 6–16 years) with MDD alone (N = 29), MDD and DD (N = 130), DD alone (N = 154) compared to healthy typically developing participants (N = 107), controlling for age, gender, full scale IQ and social adversity status. The relationship between SWM and its strategy and span components and anxious/depressed and inattentive symptoms were also examined. Results: MDD was associated with worse SWM impairment than DD and there was no evidence of an additive effect of MDD and DD on SWM, strategy and spatial span deficits. Further, these findings were age-independent. Limitations: The data presented are cross sectional and limited to SWM deficits in MDD and/or DD. Conclusions: This study concurs with and extends current influential models about the cognitive effects of MDD and DD. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed.

Linking the Puzzle Pieces of the Past: A Study of Relational Memory in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Our memories are made of detailed sensory information representing the puzzle pieces of our personal past. The type of memory integrating sensory features is referred to as relational memory. The main objective of this study was to investigate whether relational memory is affected in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) since altered relational memory may contribute to atypical episodic memory observed in ASD. We also examined the association between perceptual style and relational memory abilities. Children with ASD (n = 14) and typically developed (TD) children (n = 16, 9-15 years old) completed a memory task with three conditions: two single-feature conditions measuring memory for objects and locations, and one relational memory condition measuring memory for objects and their locations combined. The Children's embedded figures test was administered to measure perceptual style. The ASD group selected more incorrect stimuli (false alarms) than the TD group, resulting in a lower proportion of correctly recognized targets across all memory conditions. The ASD group did not display a more local perceptual style than the TD group. However, perceptual style was associated with improved memory abilities across conditions. Our findings indicate that the overall memory performance of children with ASD is less stable, leading them to more incorrect responses than TD children. This may be due to the executive demands of the memory tasks, rather than specific impairments in memory binding. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1959-1969. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC LAY SUMMARY: The present study shows that children with autism have a less stable memory than typically developed children, which is reflected in a higher amount of incorrect memory responses. Overall, our results indicate that children with autism display difficulties in differentiating previously studied from novel information when solving both single-feature memory tasks and a relational memory task (requiring memory of combination of features). These difficulties may have implications for how children with autism remember episodes from their personal past.

Towards a detailed understanding of preschool children's memory-related functioning and emotion regulation: The role of parents' observed reminiscence style, memory valence, and parental gender.

This study examined the role of parents' reminiscing style in preschoolers' memory-related functioning and general emotion regulation. In 87 families, each parent rated their child's (Mage = 4.07 years, SD = 0.80) emotion regulation and discussed a positive and a negative memory with their child (resulting in 275 conversations). Multilevel analyses showed that children's rated engagement during the conversation was higher when parents were observed to use autonomy-supportive, elaborative, and positive evaluative reminiscing, while children's rated disaffection was predicted by low autonomy support, low elaboration, and negative evaluation. Parental positive evaluation also related positively to children's memory performance. With respect to emotion regulation, only parents' negative evaluation when talking about negative memories related to higher emotional lability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

The Impact of Interparental Conflict on Children's Attention and Memory Performance

BackgroundPrevious research suggests that exposure to interparental conflict may affect children's attention and memory performance, but few studies have examined this hypothesis experimentally.ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to address this gap by completing an experimental approach using audiotaped couple conflict simulations.MethodSchool classes of fifth‐ and sixth‐graders were randomly assigned to listen to one of the following three types of conversations: (a) an unresolved couple conflict, (b) a resolved couple conflict, or (c) a neutral couple conversation. Children's attention and memory performance were measured before and after stimulus exposure by performance tasks and their emotional insecurity was assessed by self‐report.ResultsChildren's emotional insecurity moderated the impact of the simulated couple conflict on their memory performance but not on attention. At low levels of emotional insecurity, children performed better in the memory task after hearing the unresolved couple conflict compared with the control group.ConclusionChildren's responses to simulated conflicts differ by a child's history of interparental conflict and conflict characteristics, such as whether arguments are resolved.ImplicationsConsideration of the family background is warranted when studying or treating child cognitive performance problems.

Association of Retinal Microvascular Characteristics With Short-term Memory Performance in Children Aged 4 to 5 Years

Neurocognitive functions develop rapidly in early childhood and depend on the intrinsic cooperation between cerebral structures and the circulatory system. The retinal microvasculature can be regarded as a mirror image of the cerebrovascular circulation. To investigate the association between retinal vessel characteristics and neurological functioning in children aged 4 to 5 years. In this cohort study, mother-child pairs were recruited at birth from February 10, 2010, to June 24, 2014, and renewed consent at their follow-up visit from December 10, 2014, to July 13, 2018. Participants were followed up longitudinally within the prospective Environmental Influence on Aging in Early Life birth cohort. A total of 251 children underwent assessment for this study. Data were analyzed from July 17 to October 30, 2019. Retinal vascular diameters, the central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE), central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE), vessel tortuosity, and fractal dimensions were determined. Attention and psychomotor speed, visuospatial working memory, and short-term visual recognition memory were assessed by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery, including the following tasks: Motor Screening (MOT), Big/Little Circle (BLC), Spatial Span (SSP), and Delayed Matching to Sample (DMS). Among the 251 children included in the assessment (135 girls [53.8%]; mean [SD] age, 4.5 [0.4] years), for every 1-SD widening in CRVE, the children performed relatively 2.74% (95% CI, -0.12 to 5.49; P = .06) slower on the MOT test, had 1.76% (95% CI, -3.53% to -0.04%; P = .04) fewer correct DMS assessments in total, and made 2.94% (95% CI, 0.39 to 5.29; P = .02) more errors given a previous correct answer in the DMS task on multiple linear regression modeling. For every 1-SD widening in CRAE, the total percentage of errors and errors given previous correct answers in the DMS task increased 1.44% (95% CI, -3.25% to 0.29%; P = .09) and 2.30% (95% CI, -0.14% to 4.61%; P = .07), respectively. A 1-SD higher vessel tortuosity showed a 4.32% relative increase in latency in DMS task performance (95% CI, -0.48% to 9.12%; P = .07). Retinal vessel characteristics were not associated with BLC and SSP test outcomes. These findings suggest that children's microvascular phenotypes are associated with short-term memory and that changes in the retinal microvasculature may reflect neurological development during early childhood.

The Effect of a Short-Term Mindfulness Program on Memory Performance in School-Aged Children

The Effect of a Short-Term Mindfulness Program on Memory Performance in School-Aged Children A one-week mindfulness-based intervention designed to improve 8- to 10-year-old children's memory performance was investigated. Seventy-three children were quasi-randomly assigned either to one of two mindfulness-based intervention groups (breathing meditation or yoga), or to an active control group. The sessions were held on six consecutive days. Prior to intervention and after completing the intervention, children's short-term and long-term memory performance were assessed. In confirmation of prior studies, breathing meditation and yoga showed positive effects on memory performance when compared with the control group. Moreover, differences in the effectiveness of breathing meditation and yoga were found: While both interventions had comparable effects on long-term memory, only breathing meditation showed improvements in short-term memory performance. The present study provides valuable evidence on the effectiveness of meditation on cognitive functions in childhood and shows that school-aged children can already benefit from short-term meditation programs.