Predictors of cognitive enhancement after training in preschoolers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds

The association between socioeconomic status and child cognitive development, and the positive impact of interventions aimed at optimizing cognitive performance, are well-documented. However, few studies have examined how specific socio-environmental factors may moderate the impact of cognitive interventions among poor children. In the present study, we examined how such factors predicted cognitive trajectories during the preschool years, in two samples of children from Argentina, who participated in two cognitive training programs (CTPs) between the years 2002 and 2005: the School Intervention Program (SIP;N=745) and the Cognitive Training Program (CTP;N=333). In both programs children were trained weekly for 16 week sand tested before and after the intervention using a battery of tasks assessing several cogntive control processes (attention, inhibitory control, working memory, flexibility and planning). After applying mixed model analyses, we identified sets of socio-environmental predictors that were associated with higher levels of pre-intervention cognitive control performance and with increased improvement in cognitive control from pre- to post-intervention. Child age, housing conditions, social resources, parental occupation and family composition were associated with performance in specific cognitive domains at baseline. Housing conditions, social resources, parental occupation, family composition, maternal physical health, age, group (intervention/control) and the number of training sessions were related to improvements in specific cognitive skills from pre- to post-training

Asociaciones entre el temperamento y la regulación del cortisol en preescolares de hogares pobres

The present work proposes to analyze the associations between temperament and cortisol regulation in a sample of 46 boys and girls of 5years-old, from poor homes; as well as the modulating role of sex and the socio-environmental conditions of households in such associations. The results suggest a higher proportion of morning cortisol decline during the night for girls with lower levels of negative affectivity, boys with higher levels of effortful control, as well as for children from homes with better socio-environmental conditions, and with higher levels of effortful control. Likewise, specific associations were identified between cortisol regulation and a set of 12 items of the temperament questionnaire, most of them corresponding to the negative affectivity dimension. These results provide evidence for the study of self-regulatory development in childhood, considering different levels of organizationEste artigo propõe analisar as associações entre temperamento e regulação do cortisol em uma amostra de 46 meninos e meninas de 5 anos de idade de famílias pobres; bem como o papel modulador do sexo e as condições socioambientais das famílias, nessas associações. Os resultados sugerem uma proporção maior de declínio matinal do cortisol durante a noite para meninas com níveis mais baixos de afetividade negativa, meninos com níveis mais altos de esforço de controle, assim como meninas e meninos em domicílios com melhores condições socioeconómicas - ambientais e com níveis mais altos de esforço de controle. Da mesma forma, foram identificadas associações específicas entre os valores de regulação do cortisol e um conjunto de 12 itens do questionário de temperamento, correspondendo principalmente à dimensão afetiva negativa. Esses resultados evidenciam o estudo das diferenças individuais do desenvolvimento autorregulador na infância, considerando diferentes níveis de organização.El presente trabajo propone analizar las asociaciones entre el temperamento y la regulación del cortisol en una muestra de 46 niños y niñas de 5 años de edad, de hogares pobres; así como el rol modulador del sexo y las condiciones socioambientales de los hogares, en tales asociaciones. Los resultados sugieren una mayor proporción de descenso del cortisol matutino durante la noche para las niñas con niveles más bajos de afectividad negativa, los niños con niveles más altos de esfuerzo de control, así como para las niñas y los niños de hogares con mejores condiciones socio-ambientales y con niveles más altos de esfuerzo de control. Asimismo, se identificaron asociaciones específicas entre los valores de regulación del cortisol y un conjunto de 12 ítems del cuestionario de temperamento, en su mayoría correspondientes a la dimensión afectividad negativa. Estos resultados aportan evidencia al estudio de las diferencias individuales del desarrollo autorregulatorio en la niñez, considerando diferentes niveles de organización

Predictors of cognitive enhancement after training in preschoolers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds

The association between socioeconomic status and child cognitive development, and the positive impact of interventions aimed at optimizing cognitive performance, are well-documented. However, few studies have examined how specific socio-environmental factors may moderate the impact of cognitive interventions among poor children. In the present study, we examined how such factors predicted cognitive trajectories during the preschool years, in two samples of children from Argentina, who participated in two cognitive training programs (CTPs) between the years 2002 and 2005: the School Intervention Program (SIP;N=745) and the Cognitive Training Program (CTP;N=333). In both programs children were trained weekly for 16 week sand tested before and after the intervention using a battery of tasks assessing several cogntive control processes (attention, inhibitory control, working memory, flexibility and planning). After applying mixed model analyses, we identified sets of socio-environmental predictors that were associated with higher levels of pre-intervention cognitive control performance and with increased improvement in cognitive control from pre- to post-intervention. Child age, housing conditions, social resources, parental occupation and family composition were associated with performance in specific cognitive domains at baseline. Housing conditions, social resources, parental occupation, family composition, maternal physical health, age, group (intervention/control) and the number of training sessions were related to improvements in specific cognitive skills from pre- to post-training

Sociodemographic and Individual Predictors of Performance in an Attentional Task with Alert, Orienting and Control Demands in Preschoolers

This study explores the predictive value of socioeconomic status, maternal mental health and child temperament on the performance in the attentional network test (ANT), which assesses attentional processes of alert, orienting and control, administered to 203 4-to-5 years-old children (M = 4.78; SD = .59) from Unsatisfied and Satisfied Basic Needs homes (UBN and SBN, respectively). Results from the linear regression analysis indicated that gender, age, effortful control, and marginally parental occupation, predicted increments in reaction times of trials corresponding only to the control network. Predictors were not verified when sociodemographic variables (parental education and occupation, dwelling and overcrowding) were replaced in the model by the predictor socioeconomic group (UBN, SBN). These results suggest a differential modulation of individual and environmental factors on different attentional processing networks

Predictores Socioambientales e Individuales del Desempeño en una Tarea Atencional con Demandas de Alerta, Orientación y Control en Niños de Edad Preescolar

Sociodemographic and Individual Predictors of Performance in an Attentional Task with Alert, Orienting and Control Demands in Preschoolers: This study explores the predictive value of socioeconomic status, maternal mental health and child temperament on the performance in the attentional network test (ANT), which assesses attentional processes of alert, orienting and control, administered to 203 4-to-5 years-old children (M = 4.78; SD = .59) from Unsatisfied and Satisfied Basic Needs homes (UBN and SBN, respectively). Results from the linear regression analysis indicated that gender, age, effortful control, and marginally parental occupation, predicted increments in reaction times of trials corresponding only to the control network. Predictors were not verified when sociodemographic variables (parental education and occupation, dwelling and overcrowding) were replaced in the model by the predictor socioeconomic group (UBN, SBN). These results suggest a differential modulation of individual and environmental factors on different attentional processing networksEl presente estudio explora el valor predictivo del nivel socioeconómico, la salud mental materna y el temperamento infantil sobre el desempeño en la prueba de redes atencionales (ANT), que evalúa procesos atencionales de alerta, orientación y control, administrada a 203 niños de 4 y 5 años (M = 4.78; DE = .59), provenientes de hogares con y sin necesidades básicas insatisfechas (NBI y NBS, respectivamente). Los resultados de los análisis de regresión lineal indicaron que las variables género, edad, esfuerzo voluntario de control y en forma marginal nivel de ocupación parental, fueron predictores del aumento de los tiempos de reacción en las tareas con demandas de control. No se identificaron predictores en el caso de las redes atencionales de alerta y orientación. Al reemplazar en el modelo las variables sociodemográficas de educación y ocupación parental, vivienda y hacinamiento por el predictor grupo económico (NBI/NBS), no se verificó ningún tipo de predicción. Estos resultados sugieren una modulación diferencial de factores individuales y ambientales sobre distintos sistemas de procesamiento atencional

Asociaciones entre factores individuales y contextuales con el desempeño cognitivo en preescolares de hogares con Necesidades Básicas Insatisfechas (NBI).

In the context of an experimental intervention aimed at optimizing cognitive development through play activities for mothers and their children, this study presents the results of an association analysis between (a) individual (i.e. cortisol, electroencephalographic activity, language, and health conditions), and (b) contextual factors (i.e. home characteristics, maternal health, and mother language) with the efficiency in task solution with cognitive demands, in a sample of 46 5-years-old children, with no history of developmental disorder, and from UBN homes. After applying non-parametric trend analyses between groups, the results indicated the following as the factors of greatest association with cognitive performance: (a) neural connectivity and power; and (b) mother language. The implemented approach contributes to the understanding of the associations between individualNo contexto de uma intervenção experimental objetivando otimizar o desenvolvimento cognitivo através de atividades lúdicas para mães e seus filhos, este estudo apresenta os resultados de uma análise de associação entre (a) atividade individual (cortisol, atividade eletroencefalográfica, linguagem e condições de saúde) e (b) fatores contextuais (características domiciliares, saúde materna e língua materna), com a eficiência em solução de tarefas com demandas cognitivas, em uma amostra de 46 crianças de 5 anos de idade, sem história de transtorno de desenvolvimento e de domicílios com necessidades básicas insatisfeitas. Após a aplicação de análises de tendências não-paramétricas entre os grupos, os resultados indicaram os seguintes fatores de maior associação com o desempenho cognitivo: (a) conectividade neural e poder; E (b) a língua materna.A abordagem implementada contribui para a compreensão das associações entre fatores individuais e contextuais de desempenho cognitivo, considerando diferentes níveis de organização envolvidos em seu desenvolvimento.En el marco de un proyecto de intervención, orientado a optimizar el desempeño cognitivo a través de actividades de juego para madres y sus hijos, este estudio presenta los resultados de un análisis de asociación entre factores (a) individuales (i.e. cortisol; actividad electroencefalográfica; lenguaje; y salud), y (b) contextuales (i.e. características del hogar; salud materna; y lenguaje materno), con la eficiencia en la solución de tareas con demandas cognitivas, en una muestra de 46 niños de 5 años de edad, sin historia del trastorno del desarrollo, y pertenecientes a hogares con NBI. Luego de aplicar análisis no paramétricos de tendencias entre grupos, los resultados indicaron a los siguientes como los factores de mayor asociación con el desempeño cognitivo: (a) conectividad y potencia neurales; y (b) lenguaje materno. El abordaje implementado contribuye con una mejora en la comprensión de las asociaciones entre factores individuales y contextuales del desempeño cognitivo, al considerar diferentes niveles de organización involucrados en su desarroll