Visual Spatial Memory in Young Typical Developing Children and Children with Developmental Language Disorder: A Pilot Study

This pilot study aimed to examine nonlinguistic deficits associated with visual spatial memory in young children. A child with DLD was compared to both younger-aged (YATD) and same-aged (SATD) typically developing peers for performance on a visual spatial memory matching game. It was hypothesized that if children with DLD have deficits in nonlinguistic domains, they should not perform as well as their same-aged peers. Since children with DLD are similar in language to their younger typically developing children, their performance was compared to a group of typically developing children at least one year younger. If children with DLD performed less well than same-aged children, we were curious to see if they would be similar to the younger children. A total of 6 children (ages 3;2 to 4;9) were recruited from the Storrs, Connecticut area. The children were placed into one of three groups (DLD, YATD, or SATD) based on their age and performance on the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals - Preschool (CELF-P). One child was identified with DLD (age 4;8), three children served as SATD controls (ages 4;0-4;9), and two children served as YATD controls (ages 3;2-3;5). Each child played the iPad game, Animal Matching 4 Kid - Memory Game for Preschool, ten times. Performance was measured by the score obtained at the end of each trial of the game and then averaged over the 10 trials for each group. Results revealed that the SATD group obtained the highest average score (m=89.9), followed by the YATD group (m=79.6), and lastly the child with DLD (m=66.1). The trend demonstrated age and language ability as contributing factors to the children’s scores. These findings imply that visual spatial memory may be problematic for children with DLD. Further research must be conducted, but these findings hold strong implications for clinical practice and a potential link between DLD and visual spatial working memory

The Effect of Aerobic Fitness on Visuospatial Attention in Young Adults

The recently popular commercial brain- and visual-training programs have become a multimillion dollar industry with claims to enhance various cognitive functions. Although no empirical evidence directly supports the efficacy of these programs, sport expertise has been shown to influence cognition, lending indirect support for training efficacy. However, researchers investigating attention and sport expertise have not previously controlled for level of physical activity, which may also contribute to enhanced cognitive processes. Prior studies have shown strong correlations exist between physical fitness and cognition in both children and older adults. Yet, few studies have examined this relation in young adults, and no studies have examined the effect of aerobic fitness on cognition while controlling for sport participation and action video game playing habits. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which aerobic fitness relates to visuospatial attention performance in young adults while controlling other factors. A secondary purpose was to identify a potential physiological mechanism underlying the relation between exercise and cognition. Heart rate variability has been linked to both aerobic fitness and cognitive performance and was used in this study. Thirty-five healthy adults (ages 18-29) participated. Data collection included submaximal VO2max, BMI, motivation, sport involvement, performance on two visual attention tasks, and heart rate variability. BMI, motivation, and sport involvement did not significantly correlate with aerobic fitness and were excluded from further statistical analyses. Contrary to our hypothesis, performance on the attention tasks did not significantly correlate with aerobic fitness while controlling for sport participation (MOT: r = .120, p = .250; CVAT: r = .166, p = .174). Heart rate variability also did not significantly correlate with visual attention (SD: r = .064, p = .375; LF/HF: r = - .312, p = .057). The findings of this study did not support a relation between aerobic fitness and visual attention in young adults. The effect of chronic exercise on cognition may be more apparent in children and older adults who are still cognitively developing or experiencing age-related cognitive declines. To improve visual attention in young adults, more study is required to determine the efficacy of `brain\u27 training

Templates in chess memory: A mechanism for recalling several boards

This paper addresses empirically and theoretically a question derived from the chunking theory of memory (Chase & Simon, 1973): To what extent is skilled chess memory limited by the size of short-term memory (about 7 chunks)? This question is addressed first with an experiment where subjects, ranking from class A players to grandmasters, are asked to recall up to 5 positions presented during 5 seconds each. Results show a decline of percentage of recall with additional boards, but also show that expert players recall more pieces than is predicted by the chunking theory in its original form. A second experiment shows that longer latencies between the presentation of boards facilitate recall. In a third experiment, a Chessmaster gradually increases the number of boards he can reproduce with higher than 70% average accuracy to nine, replacing as many as 160 pieces correctly. To account for the results of these experiments, a revision of the Chase-Simon theory is proposed. It is suggested that chess players, like experts in other recall tasks, use long-term memory retrieval structures (Chase & Ericsson, 1982) or templates in addition to chunks in STM, to store information rapidly

Cognitive Effects And Academic Consequences Of Video Game Playing

Introduction: prior video game playing (vgp) research has generated mixed empirical findings. Recent studies suggested positive effects vgp may have on cognitive skills, particularly improvements in visuospatial skills, processing speed, working memory, multitasking, and problem solving skills. By contrast, other studies have suggested that vgp leads to lower academic performance - indicating further research on vgp effects is needed. This study investigated the effects of vgp on cognitive skills and academic performance. Methods: 208 participants were recruited from the University of Mississippi psychology department in exchange for research participation credit. The sample was 68.9% female and 31.1% male. Ages ranged from 18-40, though 92.9% of participants were between the ages of 18-21. Ethnic breakdown was - 77.5% Caucasian, 12.9% African American, 6.2% Asian, 1.0% Hispanic, and 2.4% other. Participants were administered a battery of demographic and vgp habit questionnaires, and measures of problem solving, executive control, time management, memory, attention, and spatial skills. Participants were divided into three groups - heavy gamers (5+ hours vgp/week), sometime gamers (1-4 hours/week), and non-gamers (0 hours/week). Results: sometime video game players were found to perform better on measures of time management (f (2, 205) = 4.15, p = .017), and memory (f (7, 200) = 2.21, p = .035); and marginally better on measures of problem solving (f (2, 205) = 2.70, p = .07), and executive control (f (7, 200) = 2.05, p = .051) than were heavy gamers and non-gamers. Heavy gamers also reported the greatest number of problems related to their game playing, (f (2, 131) = 6.30, p = .02). Additionally, time management was found to be related to academic performance, (f (42, 164) = 1.46, p = .05). Finally, heavy gamers performed best on measures of spatial skills, folloby sometime gamers and non-gamers (f (2, 205) = 3.29, p = 0.39). Conclusion: these findings suggest the consequences of vgp are complex. Video game playing appears to positively affect skills such as time management, problem solving, executive control, memory, and spatial abilities when performed in moderation. However, as frequency of playing increases, the time management detriments associated may counterbalance gains

Brain Drain Or Brain Gain? Cognitive Skill Training With Novice Video Game Players With Casual Video Games

Video game playing (vgp) has become a popular and widespread form of entertainment over the past two decades. This form of media is now popular with children, adolescents, and adults alike. While most early research on the effects of vgp focused on the relation of violence in video games and expressions of aggression, more recent research has begun to explore possible beneficial effects of vgp. Study results have been inconsistent, with some suggesting that vgp may improve various cognitive skills such as spatial skills, attentional skills, executive control, and problem solving. Other studies refute or qualify these findings. Additionally, different types of games have been related to improvements in differing cognitive skills. A lack of consistency in vgp training programs and an abundance of correlational rather than causational studies have made interpretation of vgp training results murky at best. The current study aimed to clarify possible causal relationships between vgp and changes in cognitive skill. Novice game players were trained on two different vgp genres (strategy and action-shooter) and administered pre- and post-test batteries of cognitive skill. Forty-nine female participants played 20 hours of a randomly assigned video-game over the course of ten weeks and completed multiple cognitive skills tests pre- and post-study. Individuals who played the first-person shooter-style game exhibited significant improvements in attention, working memory, visuospatial skills, processing speed, and problem-solving. Individuals playing the strategy style game demonstrated significant improvements in working memory, problem-solving, and visuospatial skills as well. Both groups exhibited a decline in self-reported willingness to engage in social conversation following the training paradigm but no cognitive skill declines were observed. These findings have implications for the utility of commercial video-games as a cognitive skill building tool. They also support the potential efficacy of electronic media as a potentially useful means of addressing cognitive deficits while also remaining highly engaging and motivating for individuals to utilize

Työmuisti oppimiserojen selittäjänä : näkökulmia työmuistin arvioinnista ja harjoittamisesta

Working memory (WM), a limited cognitive storing and processing mechanism for information, explains individual differences in scholastic learning and, more generally, complex cognition. One dominant view explaining these relationships proposes that variation in WM capacity reflects individual differences in general attentional processes. However, some models propose, that there are also domain-specific aspects in WM that explain variation in cognitive skills. Present series of four studies explored the nature of the mechanisms explaining the close relation between WM and scholastic skills in 5–16-year-old children and adolescents. A total of 1069 subjects participated in the studies. Studies I and II investigated whether the individual differences in the general cognitive capacity are sensitive to external or internal distraction. In Study I the natural environmental noise at the classroom during WM assessment was documented (external distraction). In Study II the complexity of the WM task was manipulated (task’s internal distraction). The contribution of the distraction in the memory scores and in the correlation between WM and scholastic skills was explored. Studies III and IV, in turn, aimed at investigating whether this relationship is causal, that is, whether the training of domain-general WM capacity or domain-specific counting skills, or both, would enhance children's WM and emergent mathematical skills. In two interventions lasting four to five weeks, domains of WM components (verbal WM and short-term memory, STM; visuospatial WM and STM; Study III) and domains of outcome (counting, combined WM and counting; Study IV) were addressed. The results of Studies I and II showed that environmental distraction and task demands contributed the relationship between WM and scholastic skills manifesting the individual differences more clearly. The cognitive constructs assessed appeared to be highly overlapping. However, the results of Studies III and IV indicate that while WM has an important role in scholastic skills, the computerised training of different WM domains did not lead to improvement in numeracy. Despite the lack of such training effects, the group-based interventions addressed to the skill of interest, in this case numeracy, enhanced these skills. Taken together, the present results suggest that while attentional load contributes substantially to individual differences in WM capacity by restricting the mental workspace, the acquired long-term memory representations are needed in order to apply the WM capacity in scholastic learning. The results of the present thesis can be applied in regognising the cognitive deficits that hinders children's scholastic learning, and in developing interventions that benefit scholastic skills.Työmuisti on kapasiteetiltaan ja kestoltaan rajallinen tiedon säilytys- ja prosessointimekanismi. Yksilöllinen vaihtelu työmuistin toiminnassa selittää yksilöiden välisiä eroja kouluoppimisessa ja muissa vaativissa kognitiivisissa eli tiedonkäsittelyn tehtävissä. Yhden vallalla olevan selitysmallin mukaan työmuistin kapasiteetin yksilöllinen vaihtelu heijastaa yksilöiden välisiä eroja yleisissä tarkkaavuuden prosesseissa. Toisten mallien mukaan työmuistiin kuuluu erikoistuneita alayksiköitä ja tiedonkäsittelyn toimintoja, jotka selittävät yksilöiden välisiä eroja kognitiivisissa taidoissa. Tämän väitöskirjatyön neljän osatutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää tarkemmin selittävätkö yleiset vai erikoistuneet työmuistitoiminnot työmuistikapasiteetin ja koulutaitojen yksilöllisen vaihtelun vahvaa yhteyttä 5–16-vuotiailla lapsilla ja nuorilla. Kaikkiaan 1069 koehenkilöä osallistui tutkimuksiin. Osatutkimukset I ja II selvittivät, ovatko yksilölliset erot kognitiivisessa kapasiteetissa herkkiä ulkoiselle tai sisäiselle häiriölle. Ensimmäisessä osatutkimuksessa kirjattiin ulkoisen ympäristön eli luokkahuoneen melu työmuistiarvion aikana (ulkoinen häiriö). Toisessa osatutkimuksessa käytettiin työmuistitehtäviä, joissa oli vaativuustasoltaan erilaiset prosessointiosiot (tehtävän sisäinen häiriö). Ulkoisen ja sisäisen häiriön vaikutuksia tutkittiin toisaalta suhteessa työmuistitehtävässä suoriutumiseen ja toisaalta suhteessa työmuistikapasiteetin ja koulutaitojen välisen yhteyden voimakkuuteen. Osatutkimukset III ja IV sen sijaan pyrkivät selvittämään, onko työmuistikapasiteetin ja koulutaitojen suhde kausaalinen, eli parantaako yleisen työmuistikapasiteetin ja/tai erityisen laskemistaidon harjoitteleminen lasten työmuitikapasiteettia ja varhaisia matemaattisia taitoja. Vaikuttavuustutkimuksissa harjoitettiin tietokoneavusteisesti viiden viikon ajan työmuistin erikoistuneita osa-alueita (kielellinen työmuisti ja lyhytkestoinen muisti; visuospatiaalinen työmuisti ja lyhytkestoinen muisti; Osatutkimus III) sekä ryhmämuotoisesti neljän viikon ajan harjoitettavan taidon kannalta oleellisia taitoja (laskeminen; sekä työmuisti että laskeminen; Osatutkimus IV). Osatutkimusten I ja II tulokset osoittivat, että sekä ympäristön häiriöt että tehtävän vaatimukset vaikuttivat työmuistikapasiteetin ja koulutaitojen välisen suhteen voimakkuuteen siten, että yksilöiden väliset erot tulivat esiin tietyissä ulkoisen ja sisäisen häiriön tilanteissa selvemmin kuin tilanteissa, joissa häiriö oli vähäisempi. Lisäksi arvioitujen kognitiivisten toimintojen havaittiin olevan päällekkäisiä. Osatutkimukset III ja IV puolestaan osoittivat, että vaikka työmuistilla on vahva yhteys koulutaitoihin, työmuistin eri alayksiköiden harjoittaminen ei vahvistanut lasten varhaisia matemaattisia taitoja. Sen sijaan laskemisen harjoittaminen vahvisti lasten varhaisia matemaattisia taitoja. Tämän väitöskirjan tulosten kokonaisuudesta voidaan päätellä, että työmuistin yleisen tarkkaavuusmekanismin kuormittuminen kaventaa mentaalista työtilaa ja on siten merkittävä tekijä yksilöiden välisen kognitiivisen suoriutumisen selittäjänä. Kuitenkin myös aiemmin opittuja tehtäväkohtaisia säilömuistin edustuksia tarvitaan, jotta työmuisti voi toimia tehokkaasti ja edistää näin kouluoppimista. Tutkimustuloksia voidaan hyödyntää lasten kouluoppimisen taustalla olevien ongelmien tunnistamisessa sekä koulutaitoja edistävien harjoitteiden kehittämisessä

Contextual Integration of Causal Coherence in People with Down Syndrome: Evidence from Figurative Comprehension

Contextual integration is seldom explored in people with Down syndrome (DS). This study aimed to investigate this ability by comparing causal inferences made by people with DS who were presented with homonyms embedded within sentences and asked to choose which of three interpretations (figurative meaning, literal meaning, or unrelated meaning) was correct. Accuracy was the dependent variable. Each homonym was presented in a scenario familiar to the participants. The results revealed that the participants with DS were the least accurate in responding to figurative meanings and erred most compared to matched controls in chronological age and mental age. It was concluded that people with DS were developmentally delayed in causal inferences and weak central coherence is indeed a syndrome-general phenotype across populations with developmental disorders

Executive functions in adults with developmental dyslexia

Background: Executive functioning (EF) deficits are well recognized in developmental dyslexia, yet the majority of studies have concerned children rather than adults, ignored the subjective experience of the individual with dyslexia (with regard to their own EFs), and have not followed current theoretical perspectives on EFs. Aims and Methods: The current study addressed these shortfalls by administering a self-report measure of EF (BRIEF-A; Roth, Isquith & Gioia, 2005) and experimental tasks to IQ-matched groups of adults with and without dyslexia. The laboratory-based tasks tested the three factors constituting the framework of EF proposed by Miyake et al. (2000). Results: In comparison to the group without dyslexia, the participants with dyslexia self-reported more frequent EF problems in day-to-day life, with these difficulties centering on metacognitive processes (working memory, planning, task monitoring, and organization) rather than on the regulation of emotion and behaviour. The participants with dyslexia showed significant deficits in EF (inhibition, set shifting, and working memory). Conclusions and Implications: The findings indicated that dyslexia-related problems have an impact on the daily experience of adults with the condition. Further, EF difficulties are present in adulthood across a range of laboratory-based measures, and, given the nature of the experimental tasks presented, extend beyond difficulties related solely to phonological processing

Kaasaegsete kognitiivsete ja sotsiaalsete sekkumistehnikate loomine pediaatrilises neurorehabilitatsioonis ajukahjustusega lastel

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsiooneOmandatud ajukahjustusega lapsed vajavad kaasuva kognitiivse ja sotsiaalse defitsiidi diagnostikat ja rehabilitatsiooni, mis on oluline lapse akadeemilise edukuse ja elukvaliteedi parandamisel. Neurorehabilitatsioon on plaanipärane sekkumine, mille eesmärk on kompenseerida või kergendada ajukahjustusest põhjustatud defitsiiti. Antud doktoritöö eesmärk oli uute arvutipõhiste meetodite kasutuselevõtmine omandatud ajukahjustusega laste kognitiivses ja sotsiaalses neurorehabilitatioonis. Treeningdisainid loodi tähelepanu, ruumitaju ja sotsiaalse kompetentsi häirete raviks. Uuringus osales 59 epilepsia, ajutrauma või tikkide diagnoosiga ja 47 tervet kontrollgrupi last vanuses 8–12 aastat. Patsiendid läbisid rehabilitatsiooni (10 treeningut) koos eelneva ja treeningujärgse testimisega. Tähelepanu ja ruumitaju treeningus kasutati arvutipõhist ForamenRehab lastele kohandatud programmi väljatöötatud treeningprotokollidega. Sotsiaalsete häirete raviks loodi esmalt struktureeritud neurorehabilitatsiooni mudel, mis koosnes sotsiaalse kompetentsi olulistest komponentidest, nende hindamismeetoditest ja rehabilitatsiooni vahenditest: puutetundlikud lauad Snowflake Multiteach Tabletop ja Diamond Touch Table, ning virtuaalreaalsuse keskkonnad. Tulemusena esines patsientidel treeningu eelselt väljendunud tähelepanu, ruumitaju ja sotsiaalse kompetentsi defitsiit. Arvutipõhised ja virtuaalreaalsuse programmid olid efektiivsed kognitiivsete häirete ravis. Patsientidel esines treeningute järgselt oluline paranemine kahes tähelepanu komponendis (tähelepanu jagamine ja seiramine) ja kolmes ruumitaju komponendis (visuaal-konstruktiivsed võimed, visuaalne tähelepanu ja nägemis-ruumitaju) ning raviefekt oli säilinud järeltestimisel 1,3 aastat hiljem. Sotsiaalse rehabilitatsiooni järgselt paranesid oluliselt patsientide vaimuteooria (Theory of Mind) ja emotsioonide äratundmine, kasutati rohkem koostööoskuseid, verbaalset ja mitteverbaalset kommunikatsiooni ning pragmaatika oskuseid. Uuringute tugevuseks oli sajaprotsendiline ravisoostumus ning positiivne tagasiside. Olulised on töö käigus välja töötatud teaduspõhised sekkumisprotokollid ja uued tehnoloogiapõhised rehabilitatsioonimeetodid häirunud funktsioonide spetsiifiliseks raviks lastel.Children with acquired brain injury (ABI) need diagnosis of accompanying cognitive and socio-emotional deficits and neurorehabilitation to enhance their future academic success and quality of life. Neurorehabilitation is a systematic intervention designed to compensate for or remediate the impairments caused by brain injury. The main aim of the thesis was implementing new computer-based programs, multitouch-multiuser tabletops and virtual reality in cognitive and social neurorehabilitation for children with ABI. Rehabilitation designs were developed for the treatment of attention, visuospatial, and social competence deficits. 59 children aged 8–12 years with ABI diagnosis (epilepsy, traumatic brain injury or tic disorder) and 47 healthy controls participated. Study group patients completed 10 training sessions guided by therapists. Pre-intervention assessments, and outcome assessments immediately and 1.31 years after the rehabilitation were carried out. ForamenRehab computer-programme was adapted to children and intervention protocols were created for attention and visuospatial function remediation. For social deficit remediation, the structured neurorehabilitation model was created, composed of the main components of social competence with evaluation and intervention tools: Snowflake Multiteach Tabletop, Diamond Touch Table and virtual reality programmes. Pre-intervention assessments showed that children with ABI had significant deficits in attention, visuospatial abilities and social competence functions. Computer-based and virtual reality programs were effective in the remediation of cognitive deficits in patients. After training, the patients had improved performance in two attention (complex attention and tracking) and three visuospatial components (visual organization, visual attention and visuospatial perception). The positive training effect had preserved after 1.3 years in follow-up assessments. Additionally, after social deficit rehabilitation, the patients showed improvements in Theory of Mind and emotion recognition, and they used more cooperation, communication, and pragmatic skills. The patients’ compliance was 100% and feedback was positive for all three interventions. In sum, the developed evidence-based intervention protocols and new technology-based rehabilitation methods are important in the remediation of specific cognitive deficits in children.https://www.ester.ee/record=b528718