Executive function skills of 6–8 year olds: Brain and behavioral evidence and implications for school achievement

Academic and social success in school has been linked to children’s self-regulation. This study investigated the assessment of the executive function (EF) component of self-regulation using a low-cost, easily administered measure to determine whether scores obtained from the behavioral task would agree with those obtained using a laboratory-based neuropsychological measure of EF skills. The sample included 74 children (37 females; M = 86.2 months) who participated in two assessments of working memory and inhibitory control: Knock–Tap (NEPSY: Korkman, Kirk, & Kemp, 1998), and participated in event-related potential (ERP) testing that included the directional stroop test (DST: Davidson, Cruess, Diamond, O’Craven, and Savoy (1999)). Three main findings emerged. First, children grouped as high vs. low performing on the NEPSY Knock–Tap Task were found to perform differently on the more difficult conditions of the DST (the Incongruent and Mixed Conditions), suggesting that the Knock–Tap Task as a low-cost and easy to administer assessment of EF skills may be one way for teachers to identify students with poor inhibitory control skills. Second, children’s performance on the DST was strongly related to their ERP responses, adding to evidence that differences in behavioral performance on the DST as a measure of EF skills reflect corresponding differences in brain processing. Finally, differences in brain processing on the DST task also were found when the children were grouped based on Knock–Tap performance. Simple screening procedures can enable teachers to identify children whose distractibility, inattentiveness, or poor attention spans may interfere with classroom learning

Smoking during Pregnancy Affects Speech-Processing Ability in Newborn Infants

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking during pregnancy is known to adversely affect development of the central nervous system in babies of smoking mothers by restricting utero–placental blood flow and the amount of oxygen available to the fetus. Behavioral data associate maternal smoking with lower verbal scores and poorer performance on specific language/auditory tests. OBJECTIVES: In the current study we examined the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on newborns’ speech processing ability as measured by event-related potentials (ERPs). METHOD: High-density ERPs were recorded within 48 hr of birth in healthy newborn infants of smoking (n = 8) and nonsmoking (n = 8) mothers. Participating infants were matched on sex, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar scores, mother’s education, and family income. Smoking during pregnancy was determined by parental self-report and medical records. ERPs were recorded in response to six consonant–vowel syllables presented in random order with equal probability. RESULTS: Brainwaves of babies of nonsmoking mothers were characterized by typical hemisphere asymmetries, with larger amplitudes over the left hemisphere, especially over temporal regions. Further, infants of nonsmokers discriminated among a greater number of syllables whereas the newborns of smokers began the discrimination process at least 150 msec later and differentiated among fewer stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke in otherwise healthy babies is linked with significant changes in brain physiology associated with basic perceptual skills that could place the infant at risk for later developmental problems

Smoking during Pregnancy Affects Speech-Processing Ability in Newborn Infants

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking during pregnancy is known to adversely affect development of the central nervous system in babies of smoking mothers by restricting utero–placental blood flow and the amount of oxygen available to the fetus. Behavioral data associate maternal smoking with lower verbal scores and poorer performance on specific language/auditory tests. OBJECTIVES: In the current study we examined the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on newborns’ speech processing ability as measured by event-related potentials (ERPs). METHOD: High-density ERPs were recorded within 48 hr of birth in healthy newborn infants of smoking (n = 8) and nonsmoking (n = 8) mothers. Participating infants were matched on sex, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar scores, mother’s education, and family income. Smoking during pregnancy was determined by parental self-report and medical records. ERPs were recorded in response to six consonant–vowel syllables presented in random order with equal probability. RESULTS: Brainwaves of babies of nonsmoking mothers were characterized by typical hemisphere asymmetries, with larger amplitudes over the left hemisphere, especially over temporal regions. Further, infants of nonsmokers discriminated among a greater number of syllables whereas the newborns of smokers began the discrimination process at least 150 msec later and differentiated among fewer stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke in otherwise healthy babies is linked with significant changes in brain physiology associated with basic perceptual skills that could place the infant at risk for later developmental problems

The use of brain electrophysiology techniques to study language: A basic guide for the beginning consumer of electrophysiology information

There has been a long-standing interest by researchers and theorists in brain-behavior relations. This interest has led to the development and adaptation of instruments and methodologies that measure the brain's responses for use in studying developmental issues. Techniques such as electroencephalography (EEG), event-related potentials (ERP), and brainstem-evoked response (BSER) all share a common approach to cortical electrophysiology -scalp electrodes are used to detect electrical activity generated by the brain. These techniques can provide insights into brain-behavior developmental issues that complement and supplement information obtained through more traditional behavioral measures. This article reviews the history of cortical electrophysiological approaches to investigate brain-behavior relations. An overview of the procedure is provided along with rationales for various components of it. We briefly also comment on how these approaches compare to other techniques, such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). A final section will describe the current use of ERP techniques in longitudinal research to investigate the relation between brain functioning in infancy and subsequent cognitive and language development in school-aged children, with a focus on reading and reading disability. What Are Event-Related Potentials? In order to understand ERPs (event-related potentials) or Eps (evoked potentials) some general background on the electroencephalography or EEG is useful. In the general EEG (electroencephalogram) technique, electrodes THE USE OF BRAIN ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY TECHNIQUES TO STUDY LANGUAGE: A BASIC GUIDE FOR THE BEGINNING CONSUMER OF ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY INFORMATION Dennis L. Molfese, Victoria J. Molfese, and Spencer Kelly Abstract. This article provides a basic background for the professional who is interested in utilizing event-related potential (ERP) approaches to study language processes but has little background in or knowledge about the technique. First, a brief history of the emergence of this technology is presented, followed by definitions, a theoretical overview, and a practical guide to conducting ERP studies. The basis for choice of electrode positions, equipment characteristics (e.g., filter settings), and analyses are also discussed. Finally, examples of language studies that utilize this information in a research study are provided

Relations Between Toddler Sleep Characteristics, Sleep Problems, and Temperament

Two sources of information (parent reported sleep diaries and actigraph records) were used to investigate how toddler sleep characteristics (bed time/sleep onset, wake time/sleep offset, total nighttime sleep and total sleep time) are related to sleep problems and temperament. There were 64 toddler participants in the study. Consistent with studies of older children, parent reports differed from actigraph based records. The findings that parent reported and actigraph recorded sleep characteristics varied as a function of parent report of toddler sleep problems and temperament add needed information on toddler sleep. Such information may contribute to improving parents’ awareness of their child’s sleep characteristics and correlates of problem sleep

Temperament and Teacher–Child Conflict in Preschool: The Moderating Roles of Classroom Instructional and Emotional Support

Research Findings: This study is an examination of (a) links between preschool children’s temperament (effortful control, shyness, and anger) and teacher– child conflict and (b) classroom instructional and emotional support as moderators of associations between temperament and teacher–child conflict. Children (N = 104) were enrolled in 23 classrooms in 9 preschools in a Midwestern city. Teachers provided ratings of children’s temperament and parents reported demographic information in the fall of the school year, classrooms were observed in the winter to assess instructional and emotional support, and teachers rated conflict with children in the spring. Multilevel models were estimated, and 3 main findings emerged. First, children’s effortful control was negatively associated with their level of conflict with teachers. Second, children’s effortful control was negatively related to teacher–child conflict in classrooms with low emotional support but unrelated to conflict in classrooms with high emotional support. Third, children’s effortful control was negatively related to conflict in classrooms with high instructional support but unrelated to conflict in classrooms with low instructional support. Practice or Policy: Findings highlight the importance of considering the interplay of children’s effortful control and preschool classroom instructional and emotional support in the development of early teacher–child conflict

A One-Hour Sleep Restriction Impacts Brain Processing in Young Children Across Tasks: Evidence From Event-related Potentials

The effect of mild sleep restriction on cognitive functioning in young children is unclear, yet sleep loss may impact children\u27s abilities to attend to tasks with high processing demands. In a preliminary investigation, six children (6.6 - 8.3 years of age) with normal sleep patterns performed three tasks: attention (“Oddball”), speech perception (conconant-vowel syllables) and executive function (Directional Stroop). Event-related potentials (ERP) responses were recorded before (Control) and following one-week of 1-hour per day of sleep restriction. Brain activity across all tasks following Sleep Restriction differed from activity during Control Sleep, indicating that minor sleep restriction impacts children\u27s neurocognitive functioning

Examining associations between classroom environment and processes and early mathematics performance from pre-kindergarten to kindergarten.

One benefit of the No Child Left Behind legislation (2001) has been the increasing attention on the importance of the skills learned in the pre-kindergarten period for later academic achievement. There is a growing awareness that mathematics skills in kindergarten and beyond are influenced by the formal and informal mathematics skills acquired in the pre-kindergarten classroom. In recent years, a body of research has emerged pointing to the contributions to children’s learning from pre-kindergarten program quality as indexed by structure and process elements in the classroom. Results from this study point to three major findings. First, the growth of mathematics skills from pre-kindergarten to kindergarten for the full sample varied between classes but was not significantly associated with the elements of the classroom environment selected for study. Second, classroom elements were differentially related to growth of mathematics scores depending on children’s scores at pre-kindergarten entry. Third, overall differences between high- and low-performing children at pre-kindergarten entry are evident in their growth through kindergarten

Smoking during Pregnancy Affects Speech-Processing Ability in Newborn Infants

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking during pregnancy is known to adversely affect development of the central nervous system in babies of smoking mothers by restricting utero–placental blood flow and the amount of oxygen available to the fetus. Behavioral data associate maternal smoking with lower verbal scores and poorer performance on specific language/auditory tests. OBJECTIVES: In the current study we examined the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on newborns’ speech processing ability as measured by event-related potentials (ERPs). METHOD: High-density ERPs were recorded within 48 hr of birth in healthy newborn infants of smoking (n = 8) and nonsmoking (n = 8) mothers. Participating infants were matched on sex, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar scores, mother’s education, and family income. Smoking during pregnancy was determined by parental self-report and medical records. ERPs were recorded in response to six consonant–vowel syllables presented in random order with equal probability. RESULTS: Brainwaves of babies of nonsmoking mothers were characterized by typical hemisphere asymmetries, with larger amplitudes over the left hemisphere, especially over temporal regions. Further, infants of nonsmokers discriminated among a greater number of syllables whereas the newborns of smokers began the discrimination process at least 150 msec later and differentiated among fewer stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke in otherwise healthy babies is linked with significant changes in brain physiology associated with basic perceptual skills that could place the infant at risk for later developmental problems

Center for Brain Biology & Behavior

Research Areas: Human & Animal Models of TBI; Neural Modeling; Cognitive & Social Neuroscience; Endocrine System; Attention, Perception & Memory; Vestibular/Balance, Biomechanics; Genetics; Cognition, Language & Performance; Lifespan Development; Therapeutic Interventions CB3 Unique Tools & Training: fMRI/DTI/MRI + ERP + Eye Tracking; 12 High-Density EEG/ERP Labs; 21 Behavior Science Labs; Endocrine Lab; Genetics Lab; 3 Vestibular/Balance Labs; 3 Eye Tracking Labs; 2 Super Computing Labs; 100 gbps Link - Big10/NIH/FITBIR Informatics System; MEG (UNMC); Big10-Ivy League Concussion Questionnaire; Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI, fMRI, DTI, SPECT) + 256-high density electrodes + eye tracker + Photogrammetry Child Testing Endocrine Laboratory Genetics Laboratory: Identifying Genetic Risks & Factors that Mitigate Traumatic Brain Injury Vestibular/Balance Lab X2 Patch Accelerometer Investigation Two-Back Memory Task Intervention For TBI: Post-Trauma Vision Syndrome (PTVS), Visual Midline Shift Syndrome (VMSS) Current Major Initiatives: CTE: All former UNL Athletes Normative data, Longitudinal/Cross-sectional, Biomarkers for Risk & Recovery, Longterm outcomes, Intervention success. NCAA-DoD: All Athletes across all sports Establish universal baseline measures to detect concussion and monitor recovery. Longitudinal Concussion Study: Football, Soccer First year college players across years of play. Neuropsychology, symptoms, brain imaging. TBI: Behavior, neurocognition, endocrine, genetics & brain imaging