Verbal Reasoning Skills Research Articles

A - 44 Value of Repeat Neuropsychological Assessments in Children with Complex Birth and Neurological Injuries

Abstract Objective Extremely low birth weight, in-utero insult, and PVL are associated with an array of neurodevelopmental complications. PVL is most common in very premature. Associated complications in this case study include diffuse demyelination, cerebellar atrophy, and arthrogryposis. Data from serial assessments reveal preservation of intelligence, decoding, and social skills. Implications for the role of repeat assessments in guiding education and intervention are discussed. Method The subject was an 18-year-old male with extremely low birth weight, in-utero insult, PVL, cerebellar atrophy, delayed myelination, and arthrogryposis. His presentation also included craniosynostosis. Three outpatient neuropsychological assessments were completed over eight years. Assessments included measures of intellectual, academic, neurocognitive, and emotional functions. Results Despite multiple physical and neurological impairments, assessments revealed preserved verbal and nonverbal intelligence, phonemic awareness, computation skills, and social cognition. Deficits were evident in processing speed, rapid naming, math fluency, word fluency, working memory, and executive functions. Academic strengths were evident in reading and written expression. Checklists revealed inattention and impulsivity with strengths in social cognition (See data tables). Conclusions This study demonstrates both variability in outcome following a complex birth history and neurological history and the value of repeat neuropsychological assessments. Assessment data was used to identify and build upon preserved skills and focus intervention strategies. Maintained verbal and nonverbal reasoning skills, in the context of strong social cognition, significantly contributed to progress, self-esteem, and future goals. Repeat neuropsychological assessment is well-suited for such cases. Access to such assessments is critical and should be regarded as medically necessary to guide intervention and promote positive outcomes.

Relationship between emotion comprehension, vocabulary, and verbal working memory in intellectual developmental disorders: involvement of verbal reasoning skills

ABSTRACT This study investigated the role of language-related abilities in emotion comprehension among young people with non-specific intellectual developmental disorders (NS-IDDs). Forty children and adolescents with NS-IDDs completed tasks assessing emotion comprehension, receptive vocabulary, verbal reasoning skills, and verbal working memory. Results showed that emotion comprehension was better predicted by comprehension of abstract words and verbal working memory, and that these two predictors were themselves predicted by verbal reasoning skills. These results therefore suggest a link between emotion understanding and verbal reasoning, which could be mediated by abstract vocabulary and verbal working memory. These findings provide insight into the relationships between emotion comprehension and language-related abilities in NS-IDDs.

The relationships among working memory, inhibitory control, and mathematical skills in primary school children: Analogical reasoning matters

The current study examined the mediating role of analogical reasoning in the relationships among working memory, inhibitory control, and children’s mathematical skills. Two hundred fifty-one students from first to third grades were tested on visual-spatial working memory, verbal working memory, inhibitory control, analogical reasoning, and different mathematical skills (i.e., symbolic number processing and mathematical reasoning). After controlling for age and gender, analogical reasoning significantly contributed to both symbolic number processing and mathematical reasoning. The relationship between verbal working memory and symbolic number processing, as well as the relationship between verbal working memory and mathematical reasoning, were significantly mediated by analogical reasoning. The exploratory analyses further revealed that there was no significant age difference in the roles of analogical reasoning. These results highlight the important role of analogical reasoning in explaining the relationships among working memory, inhibitory control, and children’s different mathematical abilities. The findings also indicate that analogical reasoning, the ability of identifying and processing critical relational information, may be a potential avenue to improve children’s mathematical skills.

Neighborhood disadvantage and intellectual development in youth with epilepsy

RationaleRecent cross-sectional investigations have demonstrated an adverse impact of socioeconomic disadvantage on cognition and behavior in youth and adults with epilepsy. The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of disadvantage on prospective intellectual development in youth with epilepsy. MethodParticipants were youth, aged 8–18 years, with recent onset epilepsy (n = 182) and healthy first-degree cousin controls (n = 106). The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) was administered at baseline and 2 years later. The Neighborhood Atlas identified each family’s Area Deprivation Index via state deciles and national percentiles. WASI data were analyzed by mixed group by time ANOVAs followed by regression analysis to identify other baseline predictors of time 2 outcomes. ResultsYouth with epilepsy demonstrated significant interactions between group and time for both verbal (F = 4.02, df = 1,215, p =.05) and nonverbal (F = 4.57, df = 1,215, p =.04) reasoning, demonstrating that disadvantage was associated with slower cognitive development compared to advantaged youth with epilepsy. Similar interactions were not observed for controls. ConclusionsIn youth with new and recent onset epilepsies, neighborhood-level disadvantage is associated with a negative impact on the development of verbal and nonverbal reasoning skills.

41 Characterizing the Cognitive Profile of Pediatric Insular Epilepsy

Objective:Little research exists characterizing the neuropsychological profile of pediatric insular epilepsy. Accurate diagnosis of insular epilepsy is challenging due to difficulties localizing deep brain structures with current non-invasive neurodiagnostic tools, as well as seizure semiology that may mimic temporal, frontal, and parietal seizures for this patient population [1]. Therefore, we investigated trends across neuropsychological data to help characterize the cognitive profile of pediatric insular epilepsy. This is important because studies that could accurately characterize insular epilepsy into cognitive phenotypes could potentially provide supporting evidence for insular localization during epilepsy surgery work-up. The insula is situated underneath the temporal, parietal, and frontal opercula, and has a number of diffuse projections to key brain structures involved in language, executive functioning, motor coordination, and sensory function [2]. Therefore, we hypothesized that children with insular epilepsy will demonstrate particular weaknesses in language and executive functioning skills.Participants and Methods:Retrospective medical records review identified 19 children with insular epilepsy who completed neuropsychological assessment (Age: M=8.2 years, SD=3.4) at Boston Children’s Hospital. Insular epilepsy was defined by ictal insular localization on long-term monitoring EEG. The current sample includes 59% males and 41% females. The majority of participants (69%) had left sided lateralization and more than one seizure type (63%). MRI findings were widely distributed across frontal, temporal, and multiple lobes as well as insular and perisylvian brain regions. A lesion was identified on MRI findings for most participants (63%).Results:Descriptive analyses showed that overall IQ (FSIQ: M=84, SD=12, range=68-102) fell in the Low Average range. Verbal and visual reasoning skills were equally developed in the Low Average range (VIQ: M=88, SD=12, range=70-104; PIQ: M=88, SD=16, range=53-117). Participants exhibited lower performance on speeded expressive language measures, including measures of phonemic fluency (M=5.5, SD=1.5, range=2-8) and semantic fluency (M=6.7, SD=2.5, range=3-11). With regard to executive functioning, reduced cognitive flexibility was observed on D-KEFS Trail Making Test (Trial 4, Number-Letter Switching: M=5.9, SD=4.9, range=1-12). Additionally, working memory skills fell in the Below Average range (WMIQ: M=77, SD=8.5, range=67-88).Conclusions:Our results indicate that pediatric patients with insular epilepsy present with reduced scores across aspects of speeded expressive language and executive functioning, including working memory and cognitive flexibility. Additional research is needed to replicate these preliminary findings with a larger sample size and determine whether these trends in cognitive profile would help with seizure localization. Future research should investigate whether insular epilepsy has a clearly identifiable and distinct cognitive phenotype that could be helpful in differential diagnostic workup.

Individuals with Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome show nonverbal reasoning and visuospatial defects with relative verbal skill sparing.

Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome (WSS) is a rare Mendelian disorder of the epigenetic machinery caused by heterozygous pathogenic variants in KMT2A. Currently, the specific neurocognitive profile of this syndrome remains unknown. This case series provides insight into the cognitive phenotype of WSS. This study involves a retrospective medical chart review of 10 pediatric patients, each with a molecularly confirmed diagnosis of WSS who underwent clinical neuropsychological evaluation at an academic medical center. The majority of patients performed in the below average to very low ranges in Nonverbal Reasoning, Visual/Spatial Perception, Visuoconstruction, Visual Memory, Attention, Working Memory and Math Computation skills. In contrast, over half the sample performed within normal limits on Receptive Vocabulary, Verbal Memory, and Word Reading. Wilcoxon signed rank test showed weaker Nonverbal versus Verbal Reasoning skills (p=.005). Most caregivers reported deficits in executive functioning, most notably in emotion regulation. Nonverbal reasoning/memory, visuospatial/construction, attention, working memory, executive functioning, and math computation skills are areas of weakness among those with WSS. These findings overlap with research on Kabuki syndrome, which is caused by variants in KMT2D, and suggest disruption in the neurogenesis of the hippocampal formation may drive shared pathogenesis of the two syndromes.

Altered developmental trajectories of verbal learning skills in 22q11.2DS: associations with hippocampal development and psychosis.

The cognitive profile in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is often characterized by a discrepancy between nonverbal vs. verbal reasoning skills, in favor of the latter skills. This dissociation has also been observed in memory, with verbal learning skills described as a relative strength. Yet the development of these skills is still to be investigated. We thus aimed to explore verbal learning longitudinally. Furthermore, we explored verbal learning and its respective associations with hippocampal alterations and psychosis, which remain largely unknown despite their high prevalence in 22q11.2DS. In total, 332 individuals (173 with 22q11.2DS) aged 5-30 years completed a verbal-paired associates task. Mixed-models regression analyses were conducted to explore developmental trajectories with threefold objectives. First, verbal learning and retention trajectories were compared between 22q11.2DS vs. HC. Second, we examined hippocampal volume development in 22q11.2DS participants with lower vs. higher verbal learning performance. Third, we explored verbal learning trajectories in 22q11.2DS participants with vs. without positive psychotic symptoms and with vs. without a psychotic spectrum disorder (PSD). Our findings first reveal lower verbal learning performance in 22q11.2DS, with a developmental plateau emerging from adolescence. Second, participants with lower verbal learning scores displayed a reduced left hippocampal tail volume. Third, participants with PSD showed a deterioration of verbal learning performance, independently of verbal reasoning skills. Our study challenges the current view of preserved verbal learning skills in 22q11.2DS and highlights associations with specific hippocampal alterations. We further identify verbal learning as a novel cognitive marker for psychosis in 22q11.2DS.

Evaluation of Chemistry Content Knowledge and Verbal Analogical Reasoning as Potential Predictors of Teachers' Quality of Chemistry Concept Analogies

This study evaluated the possible relationship of Chemistry Content Knowledge and Verbal Analogical Reasoning to Teacher's Chemistry Concept analogies among 20 Public High School Science Teachers in Cebu, Philippines using validated questionnaires. Test for Chemistry Content Knowledge showed that teacher-respondents' scores has a mean of 34.90, indicating an approaching proficiency level of knowledge in Chemistry concepts with Chemical reactions and Atomic structure as the least and mastered topics, respectively in the test. A mean of 23.10 was a result for the test in Verbal Analogical reasoning, indicating a below-average analogical reasoning skills among teacher-respondents. These then implied the need to improve teacher-respondents Chemistry Content Knowledge and Verbal Analogical Reasoning skills. Moreover, analogies by the teacher-respondents on Chemistry concepts exhibited qualities of good analogies, although some qualities such as the use of functional similarities and discussing the deviation of the target and analog concept were not observed. It was also found out that there were no significant relationship among the variables, Chemistry Content Knowledge and Verbal Analogical Reasoning as indicated by the p-value of 0.360. Moreover, relationships between Chemistry Content Knowledge to Chemistry Concept Analogies and Verbal Analogical Reasoning Analogies to Chemistry Concept Analogies were also not significant as indicated by p-values 0.097 and -0.068, respectively. Hence, Levels of Chemistry Content Knowledge and Verbal Analogical Reasoning were not predictors of the quality of analogies employed by teachers in teaching Chemistry concepts. This study aimed to provide educational experts insights into these factors' underlying relationships and improve chemistry education quality by supporting teachers' understanding of Chemistry concepts and use of analogies. Moreover, results of this study filled the gap of understanding the relationship between Chemistry Content Knowledge and Analogical Reasoning to teachers' effective use of analogies in teaching Chemistry concepts.

Executive functions in children engaging in open- and closed-skilled sports

Executive functions (EFs) are an important skill set for human cognition as well as achievement and can be separated into different components (inhibition, switching, updating). To date, it remains poorly understood whether the sport type children engage in is related to differences in their EFs. Thus, in the present study, we investigated whether children with regular engagement in open- and closed-skilled sports perform differently on tasks assessing inhibition, switching, and updating skills. Cross-sectional data from 113 children aged 8–13 years was used, of those 42 children engaged exclusively in open-skilled sports (e.g., soccer), 44 engaged exclusively in closed-skilled sports (e.g., swimming), and 27 engaged in both sport types as indicated by parental report. Children took part in three computerized tasks assessing their inhibitory, switching, and updating skills. Additionally, their verbal-reasoning skills, motor abilities, and aerobic fitness were assessed using acknowledged tasks. Results showed no differences with respect to children’s inhibitory and updating skills among the groups. However, it was found that children engaged in open-skilled sports showed lower switch costs in the switching task as compared to children engaged in closed-skilled sports. Follow-up analyses demonstrated that this held particularly true for children with a high level of engagement in open-skilled sports. Our findings indicate that children with a regular participation in open-skilled sports show higher switching skills as peers with a regular engagement in closed-skilled sports, suggesting that children’s experience in a dynamic, unpredictable sport exercise may be closely related to their EFs.

The ages of zone of proximal development for retrospective time assessment and anticipation of time event

From childhood to adulthood, an individual’s ability to estimate and anticipate the timing of events changes continuously. This study investigated the ability of 287 children aged 5–14 years to estimate the duration of prior events and anticipate the timing of future events for determination of the age at which children improve their timing skills. The Luria neuropsychological assessment battery and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) were applied to find correlations between timing skills and the development of cognitive functions. The findings demonstrated that retrospective estimation of duration has a zone of proximal development in children between the ages of six to eight; in these children, the accuracy of time assessment significantly improved after receiving the prompt. However, improvement in time estimation was significantly lower in those children who achieved lower results in the attention and memory tests and demonstrated reduced spatial and verbal reasoning skills. The zone of proximal development for the ability to anticipate the timing of future events was demonstrated in children between the ages of nine to eleven years. The improvement of time anticipation was negatively correlated with the number of mistakes made during the dynamic praxis test.

Individual differences in anchoring susceptibility: Verbal reasoning, autistic tendencies, and narcissism

Hundreds of studies have documented anchoring, whereby people's numerical judgments assimilate to previously considered values. Much less is known, however, about individual differences in susceptibility to anchoring effects. In this study (N = 399), we found that people with stronger verbal reasoning skills and people higher in social autistic tendencies were less influenced by anchors, whereas people higher in narcissism were more influenced by anchors. Although relatively small, these relations contribute to the integration of the judgment and decision making literature on anchoring with personality and individual differences approaches to cognition.

Perception of geometric sequences and numerosity both predict formal geometric competence in primary school children

While most animals have a sense of number, only humans have developed symbolic systems to describe and organize mathematical knowledge. Some studies suggest that human arithmetical knowledge may be rooted in an ancient mechanism dedicated to perceiving numerosity, but it is not known if formal geometry also relies on basic, non-symbolic mechanisms. Here we show that primary-school children who spontaneously detect and predict geometrical sequences (non-symbolic geometry) perform better in school-based geometry tests indexing formal geometric knowledge. Interestingly, numerosity discrimination thresholds also predicted and explained a specific portion of variance of formal geometrical scores. The relation between these two non-symbolic systems and formal geometry was not explained by age or verbal reasoning skills. Overall, the results are in line with the hypothesis that some human-specific, symbolic systems are rooted in non-symbolic mechanisms.

Implementasi Evaluasi Berbasis Hots ( Higher Order Thinking Skill) Terhadap Peningkatan Kemampuan Penalaran Verbal Siswa Dalam Pembelajaran Pai Di Smpn 7 Bekasi

Increasing the ability to think at a high level in schools is an important foundation to help students in reasoning and understanding Islamic religious education in depth. One of the things that can be done by schools to improve higher order thinking skills and reasoning is to provide continuous evaluation of HOTS-based learning, which is the object of this research is to find out: (1) whether there is an influence between the implementation of HOTS-based evaluation of improvement verbal reasoning ability of students in learning PAI.This research was conducted at SMPN 7 Bekasi. The sample in this study were 70 students using cluster random sampling. Data in this study were analyzed using regression analysis, with a significance level of α = 0.05. The results of this study are: (1) There is an effect between the implementation of the HOTS-based evaluation of improving students' verbal reasoning skills in PAI learning. Keywords: HOTS-based evaluation, verbal reasoning.

Implementasi Evaluasi Berbasis Hots ( Higher Order Thinking Skill) Terhadap Peningkatan Kemampuan Penalaran Verbal Siswa Dalam Pembelajaran Pai Di Smpn 7 Bekasi

Increasing the ability to think at a high level in schools is an important foundation to help students in reasoning and understanding Islamic religious education in depth. One of the things that can be done by schools to improve higher order thinking skills and reasoning is to provide continuous evaluation of HOTS-based learning, which is the object of this research is to find out: (1) whether there is an influence between the implementation of HOTS-based evaluation of improvement verbal reasoning ability of students in learning PAI.This research was conducted at SMPN 7 Bekasi. The sample in this study were 70 students using cluster random sampling. Data in this study were analyzed using regression analysis, with a significance level of α = 0.05. The results of this study are: (1) There is an effect between the implementation of the HOTS-based evaluation of improving students' verbal reasoning skills in PAI learning. Keywords: HOTS-based evaluation, verbal reasoning.

Are all automation-resistant skills rewarded? Linguistic skills in the US labour market

Skills that are difficult to automate are expected to increase in demand and reward according to skill-biased technological change advocates, who have identified high rewards for cognitive and social skills. However, such broad skill categories involve numerous essential competencies that can be differentially rewarded or go simply unrewarded. Using US data, this article analyses the demand for and payment of linguistic competency, a cross-cutting kind of skill that is basic for both cognitive and social work in the new economy and is one of the human capacities that is most difficult to automate. While human capital theory predicts an increase in wages as the demand for linguistic skills rises, from cultural/institutional perspectives, it can be theorised that communicative abilities and foreign-language knowledge are socially undervalued because of their association with feminised activities, ethnicity, and low-status service jobs. We analyse the demand and reward for linguistic skills through a two-step analysis of occupational and individual data derived from two sources: the Occupational Information Network and the Current Population Survey. Results show that while ‘hard’ verbal-reasoning skills are associated with high average salaries, as is predicted by neoclassical theory, the potentially undervalued linguistic skills – interactive and multilingual skills – are unrewarded and even penalised. This evidence requires further political attention, given its implications for large number of workers, especially in feminised, low-status service jobs. JEL Codes: J01, J23, J24, J31, J38

Academic outcome in pediatric ischemic stroke

ABSTRACT An important cause of acquired brain injury in children, pediatric ischemic stroke can cause sequelae across a wide range of cognitive domains, including verbal reasoning and processing speed. As a result, survivors are especially vulnerable to academic difficulties and face unique challenges compared to their peers. Despite this knowledge, pediatric stroke remains an understudied neurological condition, and its impact on school functioning poorly understood. The present clinical study addressed academic outcome in this population using a multifaceted approach. Patients were recruited for participation from the Children’s Stroke Program at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. A battery of standardized neuropsychological tests was administered, and additional data was collected through parent-rated measures and review of recent academic report cards. Compared to peers, youth with stroke exhibited deficits in processing speed, verbal reasoning, and core academic skills spanning reading, reading comprehension, writing, and math. Lesion laterality did not affect cognitive and academic scores. Youth with a combined cortical-subcortical lesion scored lower on a test of nonverbal reasoning compared to youth with either cortical or subcortical lesions. Compared to healthy peers, the pediatric stroke group was more likely to report requiring extra help at school, accommodations, individual education plans, and assistive technology. They were also more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disability, but not Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Nonverbal reasoning skills, school grades, and school-related quality of life were comparable between groups. The present study contributed to a more nuanced understanding of the impact of pediatric stroke on academic outcome.

Examining lifespan stage recognition abilities among adults with intellectual disability

ABSTRACTBackground:Being aware of the different social expectations linked to the principal lifespan stages (i.e., childhood, adulthood, old age) is critical to an individual's inclusion in the community and to developing appropriate social behaviours. However, little research exists on this topic in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.Method:Sixty-nine adults with intellectual disability (ID) took part in the study. They completed a new task specifically developed to assess lifespan stages recognition among persons with ID. Participants' verbal and nonverbal reasoning skills were also assessed.Results:The results of this study suggest that the performance of adults with ID in recognising different lifespan stages is related to specific cognitive abilities and to the type of material used to test this performance.Conclusion:Implications of these results and the possible use of the task in educational settings are discussed.

Computerized Working Memory Battery (BIMeT-V): Studying the Relation between Working Memory, Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Abstract Working memory refers to all the systems and processes linked to the maintenance and active retention of information relevant to the performance and execution of complex cognitive tasks. Individual differences in working memory have been shown to explain differences in other cognitive abilities, such as comprehension and reasoning. The purpose of the present work was to study the relationship between verbal working memory, verbal reasoning and text comprehension, for which a verbal working memory battery was designed and validated: The verbal Computerized Working Memory Battery (Bateria Informatizada de Memoria de Trabajo Verbal [BIMeT-V]). Results showed that the tests administered presented a very good reliability due to internal consistency and, in terms of validity, two latent factors saturated the tests: one of storage and one of storage and concurrent processing of verbal information. Likewise, verbal reasoning skills and the ability to comprehend expository texts are supported by working memory’s concurrent storage and processing of verbal information, and to a lesser extent, or with a lesser role, the verbal information storage component.

Cognitive Profiles of Finnish Preschool Children With Expressive and Receptive Language Impairment

The aim of this study was to compare the verbal and nonverbal cognitive profiles of children with specific language impairment (SLI) with problems predominantly in expressive (SLI-E) or receptive (SLI-R) language skills. These diagnostic subgroups have not been compared before in psychological studies. Participants were preschool-age Finnish-speaking children with SLI diagnosed by a multidisciplinary team. Cognitive profile differences between the diagnostic subgroups and the relationship between verbal and nonverbal reasoning skills were evaluated. Performance was worse for the SLI-R subgroup than for the SLI-E subgroup not only in verbal reasoning and short-term memory but also in nonverbal reasoning, and several nonverbal subtests correlated significantly with the composite verbal index. However, weaknesses and strengths in the cognitive profiles of the subgroups were parallel. Poor verbal comprehension and reasoning skills seem to be associated with lower nonverbal performance in children with SLI. Performance index (Performance Intelligence Quotient) may not always represent the intact nonverbal capacity assumed in SLI diagnostics, and a broader assessment is recommended when a child fails any of the compulsory Performance Intelligence Quotient subtests. Differences between the SLI subgroups appear quantitative rather than qualitative, in line with the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM V) classification (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

Normative Study of the Functional Assessment of Verbal Reasoning and Executive Strategies (FAVRES) Test in the French-Canadian Population.

The Functional Assessment of Verbal Reasoning and Executive Strategies (FAVRES; MacDonald, 2005) test was designed for use by speech-language pathologists to assess verbal reasoning, complex comprehension, discourse, and executive skills during performance on a set of challenging and ecologically valid functional tasks. A recent French version of this test was translated from English; however, it had not undergone standardization. The development of normative data that are linguistically and culturally sensitive to the target population is of importance. The present study aimed to establish normative data for the French version of the FAVRES, a commonly used test with native French-speaking patients with traumatic brain injury in Québec, Canada. The normative sample consisted of 181 healthy French-speaking adults from various regions across the province of Québec. Age and years of education were factored into the normative model. Results indicate that age was significantly associated with performance on time, accuracy, reasoning subskills, and rationale criteria, whereas the level of education was significantly associated with accuracy and rationale. Overall, mean scores on each criterion were relatively lower than in the original English version, which reinforces the importance of using the present normative data when interpreting performance of French speakers who have sustained a traumatic brain injury.