Tower Of London Task Research Articles

Effectiveness of a game-based high-intensity interval training on executive function and other health indicators of children with ADHD: A three-arm partially-blinded randomized controlled trial

BackgroundChildren with ADHD demand for effective intervention with minimum side effect to improve executive function (EF) and health well-being. MethodThis study used a three-arm partially-blinded randomized controlled trial to test the effects of two different kinds of 8-week game-based training programs (game-based HIIT program, GameHIIT; and game-based structured aerobic exercise program, GameSAE) on EF and other health indicators of children with ADHD, which was compared with a non-treatment control group. ResultsA total of 49 children with ADHD completed the program. Analyses of EF tests and parental survey indicated that (i) there is no significant intragroup difference among all measures between pre-/post-intervention tests for two game-based intervention groups. The only significant intergroup difference was observed in self-monitor score of parent-reported child's EF between GameSAE group and the control (large effect). Similarly, cerebral hemodynamic responses also found no significant group effect for all EF tests. However, the time effects were observed in several channels in the GameHIIT group in two EF tests (Color Words Stroop Test and Tower of London Test). No significant change of participants' overall ADHD symptoms was found in the pre-/post-tests for three groups. Nonetheless, further analyses revealed that both of two game-based training programs exhibited the significant positive effects on child's PA levels and the large effects on levels of physical fitness, when they were compared to the control. ConclusionBy this study, a significant enhancement in physical fitness and PA levels were found in both game-based PA interventions when they were compared with control group. However, the effectiveness of game-based PA interventions on improving EF or reducing ADHD symptoms remains unclear. This implies that a larger intervention dosage or a tailored intervention design may be warranted to improve the EF of children with ADHD.

Evaluation of cognitive deficits and limit of stability in chronic low back pain patients with and without fear-avoidance beliefs

ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare the cognitive performance and limit of stability parameters between chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients with and without fear-avoidance beliefs (FABs) and healthy control subjects. MethodsThirty-four CLBP patients with and without FABs and 17 healthy controls were recruited into the study. Three cognitive components, including working memory, attention, and problem-solving, were assessed using Wechsler's Digit Span subtest, the Tower of London test, and the Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVACPT), respectively.The study assessed the limit of stability using MARS software. One-way ANOVA with Bonferroni-corrected post-hoc comparisons revealed between-group differences. Additionally, Hedge's g effect size was calculated. ResultsThere was no significant difference between CLBP patients with and without FABs in Wechsler's Digit span and the Tower of London test. However, CLBP patients with FABs had lower scores and slower reaction times in the IVACPT(p < 0.05).The statistical analysis of movement velocity during the limit of stability (LOS) tasks revealed no significant difference between chronic low back pain patients with and without fear-avoidance beliefs in all directions. However, CLBP patients with FABs exhibited significantly slower reaction times in the forward (p = 0.001), backward (p = 0.001), and right (p = 0.001) directions. ConclusionThe study indicates that chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients with FABs experience more pronounced cognitive impairments and balance disturbances compared to CLBP patients without FABs. These results underscore the significance of considering psychological factors when assessing the functional abilities of individuals with chronic low back pain.

TMS-induced plasticity improving cognitive control in OCD II: Task-based neural predictors of treatment response

ObjectiveRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has the potential to increase the clinical effect of exposure with response prevention (ERP) psychotherapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We investigated the use of task-based functional MRI (tb-fMRI) for predicting clinical outcomes to different rTMS protocols combined with ERP in OCD. Method61 adults with OCD underwent rTMS and ERP and were randomized to different high frequency rTMS conditions: left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC; n=19), left pre-supplementary motor area (preSMA; n=23), and control stimulation at the vertex at low intensity (n=19). The Tower of London task and Stop-Signal Task were used to assess pretreatment activation during planning and inhibitory control, respectively. We adopted a Bayesian region-based approach to test whether clinical improvement can be predicted by tb-fMRI-derived measures of task-related brain activation or functional connectivity between task-relevant regions and the bilateral amygdala. ResultsFor the vertex group, but not the DLPFC/preSMA rTMS conditions, higher activation in several task-relevant regions during planning and response inhibition, and lower error-related activation, corresponded with better short-term clinical improvement. Lower precuneus activation with increased planning taskload correlated with symptom reduction in the DLPFC group. In the preSMA group, higher error-related activation and lower inhibition-related insular-amygdalar connectivity was associated with symptom reduction. ConclusionsPretreatment tb-fMRI-derived measures of activation and connectivity during planning and inhibition-related processes are associated with clinical response for specific rTMS conditions in OCD. Future placebo-controlled trials with larger sample sizes should combine clinical information and neural correlates to improve prediction of clinical outcome.

Functional MRI-guided repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in cognitive impairment in cerebral small vessel disease

Introduction. Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is one of the leading causes of vascular and mixed cognitive impairment (CI). Treatment options for CSVD-associated CI are limited. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a promising non-drug treatment option. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of 10 rTMS sessions of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on cognitive functions in CSVD patients. Materials and methods. The study included 30 patients with CSVD and moderate CI randomized to the active (DLPFC stimulation; n = 20) and control (vertex stimulation; n = 10) groups. Both groups received 10 sessions of high-frequency rTMS. The DLPFC target was selected based on the individual paradigm fMRI data with a focus on executive functions. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), the Trail Making Test (TMT), the Tower of London Test, and the Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test before, immediately after, and 3 months after the stimulation. Adverse events were assessed using standardized questionnaires. Results. The active group showed a significantly better effect compared to the control group according to MoCA, TMT A and B, The Tower of London Test, delayed recall on the Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test immediately after the stimulation and MoCA, TMT A and B and The Tower of London 3 months after the stimulation. Adverse events in the study were mild and did not affect treatment adherence. Conclusion. rTMS is a promising, safe, and well-tolerated treatment option for mild cognitive impairment in CSVD. However, additional research is needed to make recommendations for its clinical use.

Effects of a cognitive rehabilitation training program in school-aged children with specific learning disorder

ABSTRACT Objective This study investigated the effect of Cognitive Rehabilitation Training (CRT) on executive functions, problem solving, and attention in students with a specific learning disorder (SLD). Method Forty-two SLD students from the third to sixth grade (8–12 years old) were randomly assigned to 16 sessions of CRT (n = 21) or to a control (n = 21) group. Executive functions were assessed by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (2nd ed.), problem solving by the Tower of London test, and attention by the Stroop test. Results Analyses of variance and post-hoc analyses revealed that there were significant improvements in the CRT group in most aspects of executive functions, problem solving, and attention, and these improvements were maintained over a two-month follow-up. Conclusion These findings suggest that a CRT program may have positive implications for cognitive functioning and may provide preliminary support for alternative therapeutic interventions for use in children with SLD.

The Tower of London task in children and adolescents with neuropsychiatric disorders

ABSTRACT The Tower of London, Drexel Version, Second Edition (TOL-DX) is purported to measure multiple aspects of executive functions, although it also possesses inherent non-executive demands. Such complexity makes it useful in detecting impairment but difficult in interpreting the neurocognitive cause of impairment, particularly in children. This study investigated the developmental, neurocognitive, and symptom correlates of the TOL-DX in children and adolescents with neuropsychiatric disorders. Two-hundred and thirty-three children and adolescents (7–21 years old) completed the TOL-DX during a neuropsychological evaluation as part of clinical care within a children’s psychiatric hospital. Pearson correlation, regression models, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses examined the association among variables. Visuospatial and executive functions (EF) were most consistently related to total moves, execution time, and violations. TOL-DX variables were associated with attention in younger participants and EF in older participants. No TOL-DX scores were related to parent-reported symptoms. The TOL-DX possesses inherent visuospatial and attention/executive demands in children and adolescents which are difficult to differentiate, differ by age group, and not associated to clinical symptoms. Taken together, the TOL-DX is complex to interpret, but psychometrically sound and sensitive to neurocognitive impairment in children and adolescents with transdiagnostic neuropsychiatric disorders.

Psychophysiological wellbeing in a class of dental students attending dental school: anxiety, burnout, post work executive performance and a 24 hours physiological investigation during a working day

AimTo the best of our knowledge, dental school students have never been evaluated for stress, anxiety, burnout, physiological indexes during a 24-h working day, and executive function performance post-work and post-work after returning from vacation; therefore, this research has been conducted.MethodsData were acquired at the Dental School of the University of Padua on 16 students in their 4th year, far from the exam session. While performing clinical activity on the dental chair and during a working day, electrodermal activity (EDA), heart rate variability (HRV), and heart rate (HR) were recorded. Participants’ stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10 scale) and anxiety with the General Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7) and State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y-2), while burnout with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS). Executive functions were evaluated using the Tower of London test (TOL-R).ResultsThree students (2F/1M) had a GAD-7 score ≥ 10. Five students (4F/1M) showed trait anxiety. Moderate levels of perceived stress were reported in 85% of participants. MBI-HSS showed that 7 participants scored high on emotional exhaustion and 7 on depersonalization. TOL-R performance (M = 15.85, SD = 4.01) was below the normative value p &amp;lt; 0.00001. A second test, after the holidays, showed normal values. EDA was higher during children’s treatment (p &amp;lt; 0.05), ANOVA showed high HR during working time (p &amp;lt; 0.001), and HRV was higher in males (p &amp;lt; 0.001).ConclusionBased on the sample size evaluated, it is reported that being a dental student has a moderate impact on stress, anxiety, and burnout while a strong impact on executive functions buffered by rest.

Impact of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Cognitive and Psychiatric Dysfunction in Patients with Fibromyalgia: A Double-Blinded, Randomized Clinical Trial.

Few randomized controlled trials have reported that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has controversial results for managing multiple domains of fibromyalgia-related symptoms. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of low-frequency rTMS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal area (DLPFC) on the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) concerning psychiatric and cognitive disorders. Forty-two eligible patients with fibromyalgia (FM) were randomized to have 20 sessions of active or sham rTMS (1 Hz, 120% of resting motor threshold with a total of 1200 pules/session) over the right DLPFC. All participants were evaluated at baseline, post sessions, and 3 months after sessions with the FIQ, Hamilton depression, and anxiety rating scales (HDRS and HARS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Tower of London test (TOL), the Trail Making, and Digit Span Tests. Both groups showed improvement in most rating scales at 1 and 3 months follow-up, with greater improvement in the active group, with significant correlation between FIQ cognitive rating scales, including RAVLT and TOL. Twenty sessions of low-frequency rTMS over the right DLPFC can improve FIQ scores regarding the psychiatric and cognitive symptoms of medicated patients with FM to a greater extent than sham. Changes in RAVLT and TOL correlated with changes in FIQ results.

Cognitive functioning of patients with borderline personality disorder

IntroductionThe neurocognitive deficit model as a characteristic of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been the focus of research for the past 20 years. However, no such studies have been performed in Russia.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to investigate the neurocognitive profile of patients with BPD.MethodsFifty patients with BPD (according to DSM-V criteria) in stable mental state (72% women; mean age 22.44±4.32) were examined. BPD symptom severity was assessed using the Borderline Personality Disorder Questionnaire (PBQ-BPD), which was validated in the Russian population (34 points or more indicated a higher probability of BPD diagnosis). The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) was used to assess cognitive function (in order to use these data for differential diagnosis with schizophrenia spectrum disorders). The study was approved by the ethical committee of Saint Petersburg State University.ResultsOn the PBQ-BPD results, 38% of patients (n=19) scored over 34 points, despite being stable. BACS subscales T-scores (presented as median [Q1; Q3]) were within normal limits (Verbal memory - 49.81 [46.56; 53,06]; Working memory - 43.73 [38.0; 47.50]; Motor function - 44.08 [41.0; 47.25]; Coding - 45.56 [42.50; 48.63]; Verbal fluency - 48.14 [46.0; 52.0]; Tower of London test - 52.33 [47.0; 57.0]). A number of patients had low scores on the BACS subscales (T-score &lt; 40), particularly working memory (33.3%), coding (20.8%), and verbal memory (18.8%). The BACS Composite T Score (46.02 [43.65; 48.39]) correlated with the PBQ-BPD score (32.00 [27.00; 36.00]; r=-0.316; p=0.028). To better characterize the cognitive functioning of patients with BPD, patients were divided into two groups: those who scored less than 34 on the PBQ-BPD (group 1) and those who scored more than 34 on the PBQ-BPD (group 2). Group 2 patients had a lower BACS Composite T-score (42.32 [38.06; 46.58]; 48.45 [45.87; 51.03]; p=0.009) and nominally lower mean scores on all BACS subscales, compared with Group 1 patients. We found significant differences in T-scores values on the Working Memory subscale (Group 1 - 45.0 [41.0; 49.0]; Group 2 - 38.0 [33.0; 43.5], p=0.003), Verbal Fluency (49.0 [47.25; 53.75]; 48.0 [44.0; 49.0]; p=0.047), Tower of London Test (57.0 [52.0; 57.0]; 48.0 [42.0; 57.0]; p=0.036).ConclusionsNeurocognitive impairment was detected in 33.3% of patients with BPD. The dominant cognitive impairments in the patients were decreased working and verbal memory and information processing speed. The severity of BPD symptoms has been confirmed to correlate with the neurocognitive functioning of these patients.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Team Sports and Executive Functions: A Comparative Observational Pilot Study

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the executive functional ability among participants regularly practicing and participating in four different sports, including Cricket, Volleyball, Kho-Kho, and Kabaddi, and the active control group.METHODS: This pilot study included 125 university youths aged 19-25 years. Twenty-five participants were selected for each of the four different sports disciplines, including Cricket, Volleyball, Kho-Kho, and Kabaddi, to meet the purpose of the study. Twenty-five active, healthy male participants served as the control group. Moreover, participants in the control group did not regularly engage in organized sports; however, they were all recreationally active and healthy. The Executive Functions (EFs) of all sampled participants were assessed using the Tower of London (TOL) and Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT). Mean, standard deviation, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tukey’s honest significant difference (HSD) post-hoc tests were used for data analysis and interpretation.RESULTS: One-way ANOVA demonstrated significant differences among groups in both tests; thus, the post-hoc Tukey’s HSD test was conducted, which gave pairwise comparisons between and within groups. Pairwise comparison of the TOL test indicated significantly higher EFs in Kabaddi players than those in the Volleyball (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;&lt;.01), Kho-kho (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;&lt;.05), and the control (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;&lt;.001) groups; however, there was no significant difference between the Kabaddi and Cricket groups. The Cricket group demonstrated higher EFs than the control group (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;&lt;.05). The pairwise comparison results of the SCWT test indicated significantly higher EFs in Volleyball (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;&lt;.001) and Khokho (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;&lt;.05) players than those in the control group.CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that people involved in regular physical and team sports activities have higher EFs than nontrainer active control individuals.

Duration of mood effects following a Japanese version of the mood induction task.

Researchers have employed a variety of methodologies to induce positive and negative mood states in study participants to investigate the influence that mood has on psychological, physiological, and cognitive processes both in health and illness. Here, we investigated the effectiveness and the duration of mood effects following the mood induction task (MIT), a protocol that combines mood-inducing sentences, auditory stimuli, and autobiographical memory recall in a cohort of healthy Japanese adult individuals. In Study 1, we translated and augmented the mood-inducing sentences originally proposed by Velten in 1968 and verified that people perceived the translations as being largely congruent with the valence of the original sentences. In Study 2, we developed a Japanese version of the mood induction task (J-MIT) and examined its effectiveness using an online implementation. Results based on data collected immediately after induction showed that the J-MIT was able to modulate the mood in the intended direction. However, mood effects were not observed during the subsequent performance of a cognitive task, the Tower of London task, suggesting that the effects did not persist long enough. Overall, the current results show that mood induction procedures such as the J-MIT can alter the mood of study participants in the short term; however, at the same time, they highlight the need to further examine how mood effects evolve and persist through time to better understand how mood induction protocols can be used to study affective processes more effectively.

The Effectiveness of Teaching Metacognitive Strategies on Processing Speed and Organizational Planning in Elementary School Boys with Mathematical Disorder

Background and Objective: Mathematical disorder can lead to decreased processing speed and organizational planning in elementary school students. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of teaching metacognitive strategies on processing speed and organizational planning in elementary school boys with mathematical disorder. Methods and Materials: This research is applied in terms of its objective and is a quasi-experimental study with experimental and control groups, utilizing a pre-test, post-test, and a two-month follow-up design. The study population consisted of elementary school boys with mathematical disorder in Tehran. A total of 30 boys were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two equal groups. The experimental group received 8 sessions of 60 minutes each on metacognitive strategies, while the control group received no training during this period. The research instruments included the Processing Speed Test (Oswald &amp; Roth, 1978) and the Tower of London Test (Shallice, 1982). The data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc test in SPSS software. Findings: The findings showed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of processing speed and organizational planning in elementary school boys with mathematical disorder (P &lt; 0.001). In other words, teaching metacognitive strategies increased processing speed and organizational planning in elementary school boys with mathematical disorder, and the results were maintained at the follow-up stage (P &lt; 0.001). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, metacognitive strategy training can be used to improve processing speed and organizational planning in individuals with mathematical disorder.

Частотно-зависимый эффект транскраниальной стимуляции тета-вспышками префронтальной коры на когнитивные функции

Theta-burst stimulation (TBS) is widely used due to induction of the long-lasting effects with short protocol duration. To reduce the variability of the effect, approaches to personalize it, such as using theta-gamma coupling frequencies (TGC), are being investigated. The study was aimed to develop the personalized protocol of navigated intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS-ind) based on TGC, and to compare this protocol with the standard one (iTBS-5/50) and sham stimulation (iTBS-sham). The study involved 16 healthy volunteers (М — 7; 29.6 years), who were randomized to receive one session of each protocol of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex iTBS. The effects were estimated using the n-back test with simultaneous presentation of verbal and spatial stimuli (n = 2, 3), Digit Span test, Corsi blocks task, Tower of London test; testing was performed immediately before, immediately after and 60 min after stimulation. No severe adverse events were reported. Significant effect was obtained when performing assessment after 60 min for iTBS-5/50 in the n-back test with spatial stimuli (n = 3) (pcorr = 0.018), for all protocols in the Tower of London test (pcorr = 0.039 for iTBS-5/50, pcorr = 0.045 for iTBS-ind, pcorr = 0.003 for iTBS-sham). The iTBS-5/50 effect was significantly higher compared to iTBS-sham in the spatial n-back test (n = 3) (pcorr = 0.039), but lower compared to iTBS-ind and iTBS-sham in the Corsi blocks task (pcorr = 0.038 and 0.048, respectively). Thus, we failed to confirm the personalized protocol efficacy and superiority to the standard protocol and sham stimulation. Considering the effect of standard protocol, its further investigation can be promising.

26 The Importance of Executive Functioning for Academic Achievement Among a National Sample of Children with Epilepsy

Objective:Children with epilepsy are at greater risk of lower academic achievement than their typically developing peers (Reilly and Neville, 2015). Demographic, social, and neuropsychological factors, such as executive functioning (EF), mediate this relation. While research emphasizes the importance of EF skills for academic achievement among typically developing children (e.g., Best et al., 2011; Spiegel et al., 2021) less is known among children with epilepsy (Ng et al., 2020). The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of EF skills on academic achievement in a nationwide sample of children with epilepsy.Participants and Methods:Participants included 427 children with epilepsy (52% male; MAge= 10.71), enrolled in the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Consortium (PERC) Epilepsy Surgery Database who had been referred for surgery and underwent neuropsychological testing. Academic achievement was assessed by performance measures (word reading, reading comprehension, spelling, and calculation and word-based mathematics) and parent-rating measures (Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS) Functional Academics and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) School Performance). EF was assessed by verbal fluency measures, sequencing, and planning measures from the Delis Kaplan Executive Function System (DKEFS), NEPSY, and Tower of London test. Rating-based measures of EF included the 'Attention Problems’ subscale from the CBCL and 'Cognitive Regulation’ index from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-2). Partial correlations assessed associations between EF predictors and academic achievement, controlling for fullscale IQ (FSIQ; A composite across intelligence tests). Significant predictors of each academic skill or rating were entered into a two-step regression that included FSIQ, demographics, and seizure variables (age of onset, current medications) in the first step with EF predictors in the second step.Results:Although zero-order correlations were significant between EF predictors and academic achievement (.29 &lt; r’s &lt; .63 for performance; -.63 &lt; r’s &lt; -.50 for rating measures), partial correlations controlling for FSIQ showed fewer significant relations. For performance-based EF, only letter fluency (DKEFS Letter Fluency) and cognitive flexibility (DKEFS Trails Condition 4) demonstrated significant associations with performance-based academic achievement (r’s &gt; .29). Regression models for performance-based academic achievement indicated that letter fluency (ß = .22, p = .017) and CBCL attention problems (ß = -.21, p =.002) were significant predictors of sight-word reading. Only letter fluency (ß = .23, p =.006) was significant for math calculation. CBCL Attention Problems were a significant predictor of spelling performance (ß = -.21, p = .009) and reading comprehension (ß = -.18, p =.039). CBCL Attention Problems (ß = -.38, p &lt;.001 for ABAS; ß = -.34, p =.002 for CBCL School) and BRIEF-2 Cognitive Regulation difficulties (ß = -.46, p &lt; .001 for ABAS; ß = -.46, p =.013 for CBCL School) were significant predictors of parent-rated ABAS Functional Academics and CBCL School Performance.Conclusions:Among a national pediatric epilepsy dataset, performance-based and ratings-based measures of EF predicted performance academic achievement, whereas only ratings-based EF predicted parent-rated academic achievement, due at least in part to shared method variance. These findings suggest that interventions that increase cognitive regulation, reduce symptoms of attention dysfunction, and promote self-generative, flexible thinking, may promote academic achievement among children with epilepsy.

Cortical thickness in the right medial frontal gyrus predicts planning performance in healthy children and adolescents.

The ability to plan is an important part of the set of the cognitive skills called "executive functions." To be able to plan actions in advance is of great importance in everyday life and constitutes one of the major key features for academic as well as economic success. The present study aimed to investigate the neuroanatomical correlates of planning in normally developing children, as measured by the cortical thickness of the prefrontal cortex. Eighteen healthy children and adolescents underwent structural MRI examinations and the Tower of London (ToL) task. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the cortical thickness of the right caudal middle frontal gyrus (cMFG) was a significant predictor of planning performance. Neither the cortical thickness of any other prefrontal area nor gender were significantly associated with performance in the ToL task. The results of the present exploratory study suggest that the cortical thickness of the right, but not the left cMFG, is positively correlated with performance in the ToL task. We, therefore, conclude that increased cortical thickness may be more beneficial for higher-order processes, such as information integration, than for lower-order processes, such as the analysis of external information.

Combined Unplugged and Educational Robotics Training to Promote Computational Thinking and Cognitive Abilities in Preschoolers

Computational thinking (CT) learning activities are increasingly integrated in early-stage school curricula in several countries. Tools used to teach CT in early school years include unplugged coding—i.e., programming without computing devices—and educational robotics (ER)—i.e., giving instructions to a digitally controlled mechanical robot to perform specific actions in a physical environment. Past studies have shown that training coding skills through ER enhances first graders’ executive functions (EFs). Little is known, however, about the effects of ER interventions, alone or combined with un-plugged activities, on preschoolers’ CT and EF skills. In a cluster-randomized controlled trial, we assessed whether improvements in preschoolers’ coding skills, following interventions based on combinations of unplugged coding and ER, transfer to plugged (computer-based) coding abilities and to EFs such as planning, response inhibition, and visuo-spatial skills. Forty-seven preschoolers from four class groups, with no prior exposure to coding, were randomly assigned to an experimental (unplugged coding and ER, two classes) or control (standard school activities, two classes) instructional groups. Four coding tasks, one standardized planning task (Tower of London test), one standardized response inhibition task (NEPSY-II inhibition subtest), and one visuo-spatial standardized task (Primary Mental Ability subtest) were used to assess children’s skills at the pretest (before the intervention) and posttest (after the intervention). To measure retention, the same skills were also assessed for 22 children from the experimental group 3 months from the posttest (follow up). The paper discusses the results of this experimental intervention. The results show significant positive effects of the instructional program on children’s computer-based coding skills and cognitive abilities, particularly visuo-spatial skills. Between pretest and posttest, children in the experimental group improved in coding, z = 3.84, p = 0.000, r = 0.87, and in visuo-spatial skills, z = 3.09, p = 0.002, r = 0.69. The waiting list control group showed improvements in coding skills only after the intervention, at the assessment point T3, z = 2.99, p = 0.003, r = 0.71. These findings show that practice with tangible and unplugged coding during the last year of preschool not only significantly improves children’s skills to solve computer-based coding problems (near-transfer effect), but it may also have some far-transfer effects on cognitive functions, such as visuo-spatial skills.

A proposal for monitoring the process of internalization following Galperin's conception.

Since the era of Piaget and Vygotsky, private speech (PS) has been widely discussed, but in recent years, the avenues for its study have greatly expanded. In this study, we explored the use of a recoding scheme for PS inspired by the studies of Pyotr Galperin. A coding scheme of PS as the form of action (FA) has been proposed (i.e., external social speech, external audible speech, inaudible speech, and mental speech). An exploratory study was conducted to elucidate the appropriateness of the coding scheme both ontogenetically and during tasks. The results showed that both the coding scheme by type of speech and FA were adequate for differentiating ontogenetically between children. However, only the coding schemes of the FA were appropriate for differentiating between children as a function of their performance (i.e., time and scores) in a Tower of London task. Moreover, Galperin's scheme was more suitable when there was redundancy in performance between those with audible and inaudible external speech.

Can placebo or nocebo pills improve or impair cognition performance?

Although the placebo effect is well known to affect many behaviors, the effects on cognitive performance are less well investigated. In this study, the effects of a placebo and a nocebo manipulation on cognitive performance was investigated in healthy young participants in an unblinded between-subjects study. In addition, the participants were asked about their subjective experience in the placebo and nocebo condition. The data suggested that the placebo condition induced the feeling of being more attentive and more motivated and the nocebo condition induced a feeling of being less attentive and alert and that they performed less well than normal. However, no placebo or nocebo effects were found on the actual performance on word learning, working memory, Tower of London task, or spatial pattern separation. These findings further support the notion that placebo or nocebo effects are not likely to occur in young healthy volunteers. However, other studies suggest that placebo effects can be found in implicit memory tasks and in participants with memory problems. Further placebo/nocebo studies are indicated using different experimental designs and different populations in order to better understand the placebo effect on cognitive performance.

Effects of Repeated Trans Cranial Magnetic Stimulation on Cognitive Functions of Policemen With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Objectives The present study aims to investigate the effects of repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the cognitive functioning of policemen with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods This is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test design. The study population included all male police officers referred to the neuropsychiatric department of Imam Sajjad Hospital in Tehran, Iran, in 2022. Of these, 30 policemen diagnosed with PTSD were selected using a convenience sampling method and randomly divided into two groups of control and intervention. Their PTSD was diagnosed using a diagnostic interview by a psychiatrist and an expert clinical psychologist. Cognitive functions were evaluated using Rey’s visual memory test (VMT), Rey’s auditory-verbal learning test (AVLT), Tower of London test (TLT), Stroop test, and Wisconsin card sorting test, which were performed at the pre-test and post-test phases for both groups. The intervention group received 20-Hz rTMS at 10 sessions, including 5 seconds of stimulation and 20 seconds of rest interval between each stimulation (1000 pulses per session). The data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS software, version 22. Results The intervention group showed better scores in the VMT, AVLT, TLT, residual error, number of card designs, interference score, interference time, congruent error, and incongruent error compared to the control group Conclusion The high-frequency rTMS has a positive effect on the cognitive functions of policemen suffering from PTSD.

Cognitive reserve and dementia risk management in people with an intellectual disability.

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