The Complex Relation between Executive Functions and Language in Preschoolers with Developmental Language Disorders

Dados Bibliográficos

ID15467482
AutoresAndrea Marini (0000-0002-6058-3864, University of Udine, autor correspondente), Barbara Piccolo (Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata di Trieste), Livia Taverna (0000-0003-3230-5725, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano), Moira Berginc (Ambulatorio per il trattamento riabilitativo della prima infanzia, Casa della sanità di Capodistria/Zdravsteni Dom Koper, Koper 6000, Slovenia), Martina Ozbič (0000-0002-2403-0496, IRCCS Eugenio Medea)
Ano2020
Volume17
Fascículo5
Páginas1772-1772
Data de publicação2020-03-09
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
EditoraMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph17051772
PMID32182903
OpenAlexW3009042086
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas8
Referências citadas47

Backgrounds : The relationship between linguistic difficulties and cognitive impairments in children with developmental language disorders (DLDs) is receiving growing interest in international research. Executive functions (EF) appear to be weak in these children. The current investigation aims at exploring the relationship between difficulties in two components of EF (i.e., updating and inhibition) and the linguistic and narrative skills of 16 DLD preschoolers matched with 24 typically developing peers. Methods : Updating skills were tested by administering the forward and backward digit recall subtests of the Wechsler Scales, while children's inhibition abilities were assessed by completion of Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment (NEPSY-II) inhibition tasks. Information on the linguistic skills of the participants was collected through a set of subtests included in the Batteria per la Valutazione del Linguaggio in bambini dai 4 ai 12 anni (Batteria per la Valutazione del Linguaggio; BVL_4-12), assessing articulatory and phonological discrimination skills, lexical production/comprehension, grammatical production/comprehension, and narrative production skills. Results : Findings revealed that DLD children performed significantly lower than their peers on both updating and inhibitory tasks. Linguistic difficulties were found in the DLD group on articulatory/phonological skills, grammatical production/comprehension, and lexical informativeness on narrative production. Measures of EF correlated with linguistic and narrative measures. Conclusion : The current study confirms a significant association between DLD's performances on EF and displayed linguistic skills, suggesting the need to include the assessment of executive functions to target early intervention rehabilitation programs for children with DLDs

Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Comprehension · Developmental psychology · Executive functions · Language development · Linguistics · Narrative · Language Development and Disorders · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development