Evidence points to the possibility of promoting executive functions (EF) through school interventions. Little is known, however, about the effectiveness of this type of intervention in situations of social vulnerability. This study investigated the effectiveness of an EF intervention program applied with a sample of preschool children, in a…

Some aspects of child non-cognitive development in pre-school have independently been shown to predict academic outcomes in later primary and early high school. However, the extent to which each aspect uniquely predicts these outcomes remains unclear. It is also unclear as to what mechanisms may predict these aspects of non-cognitive development.…

Background: Individuals with fragile-X syndrome exhibit developmental delay, hyperexcitation and social anxiety; they also show lack of attention and hyperactivity. Few studies have investigated whether levels of functioning change with increasing age. Here, we explored developmental changes across adolescence in the cognitive and behavioural…

From different research perspectives, the cognitive and emotional characteristics associated with ADHD in children have been identified as risk factors for the development of diverse adjustment problems in the school context. Research in nonclinical population can additionally help in understanding ADHD deficits, since children with specific…

Aim: Although approximately 40% of children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) meet diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the impact of ADHD on the executive functioning of children with NF1 is not understood. We investigated whether spatial working memory and response inhibition are impaired in children with…

Building on an existing latent variable analysis of executive function (EF) in children (N=191, 57% boys and 43% girls) making the transition to school (Hughes et al. (2010), "Developmental Neuropsychology", vol. 35, pp. 20-36), the current study both documented average developmental improvements from 4 to 6 years of age and examined individual…

As effortful control (EC), the self-regulation aspect of temperament, has been argued to play a key role in the normal and psychopathological course of development, research adding to the construct validity of EC is needed. In the current study, interrelations between the temperament construct of EC and the efficiency of the executive attention…

This study compared the cognitive control skills of male incarcerated adolescents (n = 44), male control adolescents (n = 33), male incarcerated young adults (n = 41), and male control young adults (n = 35) using the AX-continuous performance test (AX-CPT). This test measures proactive control (the ability to maintain a mental representation of…

Neurological examination of children includes the screening for soft neurological signs (NSS). There is little knowledge about their evolution during adolescence, except that their lasting presence has been associated with developmental, psychological, and cognitive disorders. We report the results of a NSS exam (assessing gross and fine motor…

To compare various cognitive treatment approaches for ameliorating difficulties of hyperactive children on tasks requiring sustained vigilance and accuracy, 48 hyperactive boys (mean age 9 years 4 months) were randomly assigned to one of four training conditions: inhibitory control training, attention training, combined training, or control. The…

The study examined the relationship between cognitive performance and the use of private speech in 20 learning disabled children, aged 81 to 108 months. Half of the children were hyperactive. Each child was given a series of cognitive tasks and played alone in a room for 7 minutes. Videotapes of the free play were later transcribed and coded…

The pilot study evaluated a 10-week academic cognitive training program in 12 stimulant-treated hyperactive boys (6-11 years old). Training components included self monitoring and self reinforcement of problem solving behaviors, the exclusive use of academic tasks and materials, and correspondence training. Significant improvement was found in…

Types and amount of private speech (aloud talking which is not addressed to another person) were assessed during the free play of 16 hyperactive and 16 non-hyperactive boys (6-10 years old). Verbalizations were coded into nine categories which denoted the boys' level of use of verbal control of their own behavior. Differences in amount and type of…

Types of hyperactivity were studied using data from the general population epidemiological study of 10- and 11-year-old children on the Isle of Wight followed up when 14-15 years old. The findings indicated different outcomes for various types of hyperactivity and the importance of identifying the type of hyperactivity. (Author/DB)

Compared various cognitive treatment approaches for ameliorating the difficulties of hyperactive children on tasks requiring sustained vigilance and accuracy. Differential training techniques comparing training in attention to inhibitory control indicated that a combination of attentional and inhibitory control strategies was most efficacious in…