The role of selective attention on academic foundations: a cognitive neuroscience perspective

Physical capacity is associated with attention but not with general executive function in middle aged adults

Associations between Physical Capacity (PC) and various aspects of executive function, including attention, have been identified in older and younger cohorts. Yet, the relationship among middle-aged individuals at the gateway of aging is largely understudied. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between physical capacity indicators and attention, a key component of executive functions, in middle-aged Muslims in Israel, a minority group experiencing chronic health disparities. This cross-sectional study included 255 participants (159 women, 96 men), aged 51.29 ± 4.26 (45-60 years). PC was assessed using the six-minute walk test (6MWT) and the 30-second sit-to-stand test (30 STS). Attention and executive function were assessed with the Stroop C Test and Trail Making Test (TMT) respectively. We found a statistical trend suggesting a positive correlation between the 30 STS and Stroop C scores, when controlling for age, sex, education level, and hemoglobin A1c, indicating that higher physical capacity is associated with better selective attention and response inhibition (β = 0.132, P = 0.057). In contrast, no correlation was found between the 30 STS and the TMT-B (β = -0.107, P = 0.107), suggesting that alternating attention and overall executive function are not associated with physical capacity in this cohort. Interestingly, neither functional assessment was associated with the 6MWT, suggesting that among healthy, free living, middle-aged individuals, a more challenging assessment, like the 30 STS may be most relevant when examining associations between physical capacity and executive function. Our findings highlight the nuances of the relationship between physical capacity and aspects of executive function in this demographic. These results add to the body of literature associating physical capacity to selective attention but not executive function in middle-aged, minority populations. Further extension of these findings can support healthy aging, ultimately enhancing quality of life and reducing morbidity in older age.

Perceived levels of environmental unpredictability and changes in visual attention mechanisms in adults

Selective attention mechanisms change in response to variations in sensory experiences and environmental demands. In other words, they are influenced not only by favorable contextual experiences but also by unfavorable ones. Therefore, exposure to environmental unpredictability and chaos could influence selective attention. However, there is a lack of studies directly investigating this relationship. This study examined how household chaos and daily unpredictability relate to selective attention at behavioral and neural levels in young adults (n = 39). Participants were categorized as experiencing high or low unpredictability and chaos based on their scores on respective scales. Using EEG recordings, we measured the amplitude of the N2pc and Pd components, along with accuracy and reaction times, during the performance in two visual search tasks that varied in the level of interference from distracting stimuli (presence vs. absence of a color singleton distractor). The results revealed differences in neural activity related to unpredictability but not chaos. Specifically, in the high-interference visual search task, both groups exhibited an N2pc component associated with the singleton distractor, reflecting attentional capture by distracting information. However, the high-unpredictability group showed a larger N2pc amplitude associated with the target and a larger Pd amplitude associated with the distractor. These findings suggest greater engagement of reactive attentional resources to suppress distractors and select the target, and support hypotheses suggesting that adverse contexts involving unpredictability or chaos relate to changes in how individuals process distracting or irrelevant information.

The development of visual attention to the Ebbinghaus illusion across two cultures

Selective attention typically becomes more refined with age, improving significantly from early to middle childhood. However, under certain conditions, such as the Ebbinghaus illusion task, younger children may display more focused selective attention than older children and adults. Cross-cultural differences have also been documented, with North American participants tending to focus selectively on central targets, while East Asian participants attending holistically and showing greater susceptibility to the illusion. Despite these findings, the physiological mechanisms underlying these age-related and cultural differences remain unclear. Specifically, does susceptibility to the illusion align with what we attend to? The present study investigated age-related and culture-related changes in susceptibility to the Ebbinghaus illusion among 3- to 8-year-old children in Japan and the U.S. using eye-tracking methods. The results revealed that older children and Japanese children were more susceptible to the Ebbinghaus illusion than younger children. Importantly, behavioral susceptibility was linked to gaze fixation patterns. In both cultures, the proportion of total fixation time on the correct target area, including target and distractor circles, rather than selective attention to targets alone, predicted susceptibility to the Ebbinghaus illusion. These findings highlight the role of gaze fixation in shaping perceptual experiences across developmental and cultural contexts.

Attention speed and anterior cingulate cortex volume in female and male veterans with suicide ideation and attempts

Introduction

An average of 17.5 Veterans died by suicide each day in 2021, highlighting the importance of research and prevention efforts aimed at suicide risk. Attentional processes have emerged as a possible predictor of suicide behaviors (SB), yet associated neural correlates remain understudied, particularly in the Veteran population.

Methods

The current study examines sustained and selective attention performance as indexed by the Ruff 2 & 7 Selective Attention Test and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) volume as they relate to SB in Veterans. A subset of Veterans also completed a structural magnetic resonance imaging protocol. Participants were grouped on history of suicidal ideation (SI), suicide attempt (SA), and no SB (HC).

Results

Analyses from the Ruff 2 & 7 test showed that Veterans with a history of SA performed more slowly on Automatic Detection Speed (ADS) and Controlled Search Speed (CSS) compared to Veterans with SI and no SB. SI and SA group differences on ADS and CSS remained after Bonferroni correction, and CSS differences remained after controlling for depressive and anxious symptoms. There were no between-group differences on Ruff 2 & 7 Accuracy measures. When analyses were divided by sex, males with a history of SA performed more slowly than SI and HC on ADS and more slowly on CSS and Total Speed than males with a history of SI. Results remained significant after controlling for depressive and anxious symptoms. When Bonferroni corrections were applied, males with a history of SA performed more slowly on ADS, CSS, and Total Speed compared to males with a history of SI. Female Veterans with a history of SA performed more slowly than female HC on CSS only; however, these findings were no longer significant after controlling for depressive and anxious symptoms. No significant differences were found between female groups on ADS or Total Speed. Measures of left rostral ACC gray matter (GM) volume for the combined female and male Veteran sample were positively correlated with ADS and CSS scores in HC but not SA. Conversely, right rostral ACC GM volume negatively correlated with ADS and CSS scores in the SA group but not HC. Right rostral ACC white matter volume correlated positively with ADS and CSS in HC.

Discussion

These findings highlight associations between attention speed, ACC volume, and SB even after controlling for acute mood symptoms, in addition to emphasizing the importance of including sex in analyses.

Martinez L, Criado-Boado F, Müeller J, Clark A. A computational approach to selective attention in embodied approaches to cognitive archaeology

This article proposes a novel computational approach to embodied approaches in cognitive archaeology called computational cognitive archaeology (CCA). We argue that cognitive archaeology, understood as the study of the human mind based on archaeological findings such as artefacts and material remains excavated and interpreted in the present, can benefit from the integration of novel methods in computational neuroscience interested in modelling the way the brain, the body and the environment are coupled and parameterized to allow for adaptive behaviour. We discuss the kind of tasks that CCA may engage in with a narrative example of how one can model the cumulative cultural evolution of the material and cognitive components of technologies, focusing on the case of knapping technology. This article thus provides a novel theoretical framework to formalize research in cognitive archaeology using recent developments in computational neuroscience.

Cognitive health outcomes of fundamental motor skill applications in children through cooperative learning method

BACKGROUND

Previous research has suggests that cooperative learning methods and the development of fundamental motor skills support children's cognitive development, and further studies covering various aspects are recommended. In this study, as an alternative to traditional physical education classes including fundamental motor skill activities, we investigated the impact of cooperative learning methods incorporating these skills on children's visual-motor integration and selective attention.

METHODS

A total of 60 boy children in the 10-11 age range were included in the study. Groups; classical method (10.95 ± 0.58age), and cooperative learning group (10.91 ± 0.42age). The study spanned a total of 24 physical education class hours. While the classical method group continued to attend physical education lessons with an FMS-based prepared program for 8 weeks, cooperative learning group participated in an FMS-based program prepared according to the cooperative learning method (40min/3days/8weeks).At the beginning and end of the study, children underwent the Bender-Gestalt test and the d2 test of attention.

RESULTS

Within-group pre-post test comparisons revealed improvement in visual-motor integration and selective attention for both the classical method and cooperative learning groups. In between-group post-test comparisons, the cooperative learning group demonstrated greater improvement in visual-motor integration and selective attention parameters compared to the classical method.

CONCLUSION

The results support increasing the inclusion of fundamental motor skill activities in physical education classes and advocating for the use of cooperative learning methods in these classes. Enhancements in visual-motor integration and selective attention may contribute to children forming quality relationships, enjoying activities, learning stress management, and developing as a group.

Socioeconomic Inequalities Affect Brain Responses of Infants Growing Up in Germany

Developmental changes in functional neural networks are sensitive to environmental influences. This EEG study investigated how infant brain responses relate to the social context that their families live in. Event-related potentials of 255 healthy, awake infants between six and fourteen months were measured during a passive auditory oddball paradigm. Infants were presented with 200 standard tones and 48 randomly distributed deviants. All infants are part of a longitudinal study focusing on families with socioeconomic and/or cultural challenges (Bremen Initiative to Foster Early Childhood Development; BRISE; Germany). As part of their familial socioeconomic status (SES), parental level of education and infant's migration background were assessed with questionnaires. For 30.6% of the infants both parents had a low level of education (≤10 years of schooling) and for 43.1% of the infants at least one parent was born abroad. The N2-P3a complex is associated with unintentional directing of attention to deviant stimuli and was analysed in frontocentral brain regions. Age was utilised as a control variable. Our results show that tone deviations in infants trigger an immature N2-P3a complex. Contrary to studies with older children or adults, the N2 amplitude was more positive for deviants than for standards. This may be related to an immature superposition of the N2 with the P3a. For infants whose parents had no high-school degree and were born abroad, this tendency was increased, indicating that facing multiple challenges as a young family impacts on the infant's early neural development. As such, attending to unexpected stimulus changes may be important for early learning processes. Variations of the infant N2-P3a complex may, thus, relate to early changes in attentional capacity and learning experiences due to familial challenges. This points towards the importance of early prevention programs.

Effects of School-Based Neurofeedback Training on Attention in Students with Autism and Intellectual Disabilities

In this study we aimed to assess the influence of school-based neurofeedback training on the attention of students with autism and intellectual disabilities. We assessed 24 students of a special education center who attended neurofeedback training sessions during the schoolyear; we also assessed 25 controls from the same center. We used two computer tasks to assess sustained attention in simple and cognitively demanding test situations, and we used a pen-and-paper task to assess selective attention. Each student who took part in the study was tested at the beginning and at the end of the schoolyear. Students from the experimental group significantly improved their performance in the task related to sustained attention to simple stimuli. No performance improvement related to neurofeedback treatment was observed in either sustained attention in cognitively demanding situations or selective attention. School-based neurofeedback training may improve sustained attention to simple stimuli in students with developmental disabilities.

Individual variation in bilingual vocabulary in preschoolers with developmental language disorder

BACKGROUND

It is unclear how speech production, selective attention, and phonological working memory are related to first- (L1) and second-language (L2) vocabularies in bilingual preschoolers with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).

AIMS

To study individual variation in vocabularies in DLD bilingual preschoolers by (1) comparing them to typically developing (TD) bilingual, and TD and DLD monolingual peers; (2) differentially predicting L2 vocabulary; and (3) identifying and characterizing bilinguals' L1/L2 vocabulary profiles.

METHODS

We measured the selective attention, working memory, and L1 Turkish/Polish (where applicable) and L1/L2 Dutch speech and vocabulary abilities of 31 DLD bilingual, 37 TD bilingual, and 61 DLD and 54 TD Dutch monolingual three-to-five year-olds.

RESULTS

DLD bilinguals scored lower than TD bilinguals and TD/DLD monolinguals on all measures, except L2 vocabulary, where all bilinguals underperformed all monolinguals. Selective attention predicted Dutch vocabulary across groups. Three bilingual vocabulary profiles emerged: DLD bilinguals were less likely to be L1 dominant, TD/DLD bilinguals with better attention more often had a Balanced high L1/L2 profile, while those with poorer selective attention and L1 speech tended to be L2 dominant.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the roles of L1 speech and selective attention, rather than L2 speech and working memory, in understanding bilingual vocabulary variation among DLD preschoolers.

Developmentally sensitive multispectral cortical connectivity profiles serving visual selective attention

Throughout childhood and adolescence, the brain undergoes significant structural and functional changes that contribute to the maturation of multiple cognitive domains, including selective attention. Selective attention is crucial for healthy executive functioning and while key brain regions serving selective attention have been identified, their age-related changes in neural oscillatory dynamics and connectivity remain largely unknown. We examined the developmental sensitivity of selective attention circuitry in 91 typically developing youth aged 6 - 13 years old. Participants completed a number-based Simon task while undergoing magnetoencephalography (MEG) and the resulting data were preprocessed and transformed into the time-frequency domain. Significant oscillatory brain responses were imaged using a beamforming approach, and task-related peak voxels in the occipital, parietal, and cerebellar cortices were used as seeds for subsequent whole-brain connectivity analyses in the alpha and gamma range. Our key findings revealed developmentally sensitive connectivity profiles in multiple regions crucial for selective attention, including the temporoparietal junction (alpha) and prefrontal cortex (gamma). Overall, these findings suggest that brain regions serving selective attention are highly sensitive to developmental changes during the pubertal transition period.

Action video games normalise the phonemic awareness in pre-readers at risk for developmental dyslexia

Action video-games (AVGs) could improve reading efficiency, enhancing not only visual attention but also phonological processing. Here we tested the AVG effects upon three consolidated language-based predictors of reading development in a sample of 79 pre-readers at-risk and 41 non-at-risk for developmental dyslexia. At-risk children were impaired in either phonemic awareness (i.e., phoneme discrimination task), phonological working memory (i.e., pseudoword repetition task) or rapid automatized naming (i.e., RAN of colours task). At-risk children were assigned to different groups by using an unequal allocation randomization: (1) AVG (n = 43), (2) Serious Non-Action Video Game (n = 11), (3) treatment-as-usual (i.e., speech therapy, n = 11), and (4) waiting list (n = 14). Pre- and post-training comparisons show that only phonemic awareness has a significantly higher improvement in the AVG group compared to the waiting list, the non-AVG, and the treatment-as-usual groups, as well as the combined active groups (n = 22). This cross-modal plastic change: (i) leads to a recovery in phonemic awareness when compared to the not-at-risk pre-readers; (ii) is present in more than 80% of AVG at-risk pre-readers, and; (iii) is maintained at a 6-months follow-up. The present findings indicate that this specific multisensory attentional training positively affects how phonemic awareness develops in pre-readers at risk for developmental dyslexia, paving the way for innovative prevention programs.

Visual and cognitive processes contribute to age-related improvements in visual selective attention

Children (N = 103, 4-9 years, 59 females, 84% White, c. 2019) completed visual processing, visual feature integration (color, luminance, motion), and visual search tasks. Contrast sensitivity and feature search improved with age similarly for luminance and color-defined targets. Incidental feature integration improved more with age for color-motion than luminance-motion. Individual differences in feature search (β  = .11) and incidental feature integration (β  = .06) mediated age-related changes in conjunction visual search, an index of visual selective attention. These findings suggest that visual selective attention is best conceptualized as a series of developmental trajectories, within an individual, that vary by an object's defining features. These data have implications for design of educational and interventional strategies intended to maximize attention for learning and memory.

Attention network training promotes selective attention of children with low socioeconomic status

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the difference of selective attention efficiency between children with low and high socioeconomic status (SES) and the promotional effect of attention network training (an attention network test was used as the training task) on selective attention in children with the low SES. A total of 139 10- to 12-year-old children participated in two experiments (71 in Experiment 1 and 68 in Experiment 2). The results suggest that selective attention and switch ability of children with high SES are better than those of children with low SES. After attention network training, selective attention, switch ability, and working memory of low-SES children improved significantly. The findings provide evidence that attention network training could enhance selective attention in low-SES children and that the beneficial training effect could also transfer to switch ability and working memory. The research may provide a promising method to compensate cognitive delay of low-SES children.

Attentional modulation of neural sound tracking in children with and without dyslexia

Auditory selective attention forms an important foundation of children's learning by enabling the prioritisation and encoding of relevant stimuli. It may also influence reading development, which relies on metalinguistic skills including the awareness of the sound structure of spoken language. Reports of attentional impairments and speech perception difficulties in noisy environments in dyslexic readers are also suggestive of the putative contribution of auditory attention to reading development. To date, it is unclear whether non-speech selective attention and its underlying neural mechanisms are impaired in children with dyslexia and to which extent these deficits relate to individual reading and speech perception abilities in suboptimal listening conditions. In this EEG study, we assessed non-speech sustained auditory selective attention in 106 7-to-12-year-old children with and without dyslexia. Children attended to one of two tone streams, detecting occasional sequence repeats in the attended stream, and performed a speech-in-speech perception task. Results show that when children directed their attention to one stream, inter-trial-phase-coherence at the attended rate increased in fronto-central sites; this, in turn, was associated with better target detection. Behavioural and neural indices of attention did not systematically differ as a function of dyslexia diagnosis. However, behavioural indices of attention did explain individual differences in reading fluency and speech-in-speech perception abilities: both these skills were impaired in dyslexic readers. Taken together, our results show that children with dyslexia do not show group-level auditory attention deficits but these deficits may represent a risk for developing reading impairments and problems with speech perception in complex acoustic environments. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Non-speech sustained auditory selective attention modulates EEG phase coherence in children with/without dyslexia Children with dyslexia show difficulties in speech-in-speech perception Attention relates to dyslexic readers' speech-in-speech perception and reading skills Dyslexia diagnosis is not linked to behavioural/EEG indices of auditory attention.

Predictors for quality of life in older adults: network analysis on cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms

BACKGROUND

Quality of life (QoL) of older adults has become a pivotal concern of the public and health system. Previous studies found that both cognitive decline and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) can affect QoL in older adults. However, it remains unclear how these symptoms are related to each other and impact on QoL. Our aim is to investigate the complex network relationship between cognitive and NPS symptoms in older adults, and to further explore their association with QoL.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 389 older individuals with complaints of memory decline. The instruments included the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, the Mini Mental State Examination, and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey. Data was analyzed using network analysis and mediation analysis.

RESULTS

We found that attention and agitation were the variables with the highest centrality in cognitive and NPS symptoms, respectively. In an exploratory mediation analysis, agitation was significantly associated with poor attention (β = -0.214, P < 0.001) and reduced QoL (β = -0.137, P = 0.005). The indirect effect of agitation on the QoL through attention was significant (95% confidence interval (CI) [-0.119, -0.035]). Furthermore, attention served as a mediator between agitation and QoL, accounting for 35.09% of the total effect.

CONCLUSIONS

By elucidating the NPS-cognition-QoL relationship, the current study provides insights for developing rehabilitation programs among older adults to ensure their QoL.

Definition and terminology of developmental language disorders-Interdisciplinary consensus across German-speaking countries

In recent years, there have been intense international discussions about the definition and terminology of language disorders in childhood, such as those sparked by the publications of the CATALISE consortium. To address this ongoing debate, a Delphi study was conducted in German-speaking countries. This study consisted of three survey waves and involved over 400 experts from relevant disciplines. As a result, a far-reaching consensus was achieved on essential definition criteria and terminology, presented in 23 statements. The German term 'Sprachentwicklungsstörung' was endorsed to refer to children with significant deviations from typical language development that can negatively impact social interactions, educational progress, and/or social participation and do not occur together with a potentially contributing impairment. A significant deviation from typical language development was defined as a child's scores in standardized test procedures being ≥ 1.5 SD below the mean for children of the same age. The results of this Delphi study provide a proposal for a uniform use of terminology for language disorders in childhood in German-speaking countries.

Iron status in early infancy is associated with trajectories of cognitive development up to pre-school age in rural Gambia

INTRODUCTION

Iron deficiency is among the leading risk factors for poor cognitive development. However, interventions targeting iron deficiency have had mixed results on cognitive outcomes. This may be due to previous interventions focusing on the correction of iron deficiency anaemia in late infancy and early childhood, at which point long lasting neural impacts may already be established. We hypothesise that the relationship between iron status and cognitive development will be observable in the first months of life and will not be recovered by 5 years of age.

METHODS

Using data from the Brain Imaging for Global Health (BRIGHT) Study in Gambia (n = 179), we conducted mixed effects modelling to assess the relationship between iron status at 5 months of age and trajectories of cognitive development from 5 months- 5 years using (i) a standardised measure of cognitive development (Mullen Scales of Early Learning) and (ii) an eye-tracking assessment of attention processing (visual disengagement time).

RESULTS

All infants were iron sufficient at 1 month of age. At 5 and 12 months of age 30% and 55% of infants were iron deficient respectively. In fully adjusted analyses, infants in the lowest tercile of soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) (best iron status) achieved MSEL Cognitive Scores on average 1.9 points higher than infants in the highest sTfR tercile (p = 0.009, effect size = 0.48). There was no evidence that this group difference was recovered by 5 years of age. Infants in the lowest sTfR tercile had visual disengagement time 57ms faster than the highest tercile (p = 0.001, effect size = 0.59). However, this difference diminished by early childhood (p = 0.024).

CONCLUSION

Infants are at risk of iron deficiency in early infancy. A relationship between iron status and cognitive development is apparent from 5 months of age and remains observable at 5 years of age. One mechanism by which iron availability in early infancy impacts brain development may be through effects on early attentional processing, which is rapidly developing and has substantial nutritional requirements during this period. To support neurocognitive development, prevention of iron deficiency in pre- and early postnatal life may be more effective than correcting iron deficiency once already established.

Developmental alterations in the neural oscillatory dynamics underlying attentional reorienting

The neural and cognitive processes underlying the flexible allocation of attention undergo a protracted developmental course with changes occurring throughout adolescence. Despite documented age-related improvements in attentional reorienting throughout childhood and adolescence, the neural correlates underlying such changes in reorienting remain unclear. Herein, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to examine neural dynamics during a Posner attention-reorienting task in 80 healthy youth (6-14 years old). The MEG data were examined in the time-frequency domain and significant oscillatory responses were imaged in anatomical space. During the reorienting of attention, youth recruited a distributed network of regions in the fronto-parietal network, along with higher-order visual regions within the theta (3-7 Hz) and alpha-beta (10-24 Hz) spectral windows. Beyond the expected developmental improvements in behavioral performance, we found stronger theta oscillatory activity as a function of age across a network of prefrontal brain regions irrespective of condition, as well as more limited age- and validity-related effects for alpha-beta responses. Distinct brain-behavior associations between theta oscillations and attention-related symptomology were also uncovered across a network of brain regions. Taken together, these data are the first to demonstrate developmental effects in the spectrally-specific neural oscillations serving the flexible allocation of attention.

Visual reflexive attention as a useful measure of development

Cognitive psychology began over three-quarters of a century ago and we have learned a great deal in that time, including concerning the development of cognitive abilities such as perception, attention, and memory, all of which develop across infancy and childhood. Attention is one aspect of cognition that is vital to success in a variety of life activities and, arguably, the foundation of memory, learning, problem solving, decision making, and other cognitive activities. The cognitive abilities of later childhood and adulthood generally appear to depend on the reflexes, abilities, and skills of infancy. Research in developmental cognitive science can help us understand adult cognition and know when to intervene when cognitive function is at risk. This area of research can be challenging because, even in typical development, the course of cognitive development for a particular child does not always improve monotonically. In addition, the typical trajectory of this development has been understood differently from different historical perspectives. Neither the history of thought that has led to our current understanding of attention (including its various types) nor the importance of developmental aspects of attention are frequently covered in training early career researchers, especially those whose primary area of research in not attention. My goal is to provide a review that will be useful especially to those new to research in the subfield of attention. Sustained attention in adults and children has been well-studied, but a review of the history of thought on the development of reflexive attention with a focus on infancy is overdue. Therefore, I draw primarily on historical and modern literature and clarify confusing terminology as it has been used over time. I conclude with examples of how cognitive development research can contribute to scientific and applied progress.

The impact of neck pain on gait health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Evidence exists demonstrating the negative impacts of chronic musculoskeletal pain on key measures of gait. Despite neck pain being the second most common musculoskeletal pain condition, there is a paucity of evidence exploring the impacts of neck pain specifically on these outcomes. The aims of this work were to systematically review the current evidence of the associations between chronic neck pain and measures of gait health and to conduct meta-analysis for quantitative assessment of the effect sizes under different walking conditions.

METHODS

Systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Databases searched included MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PEDro. Eligible study designs included observational studies consisting of an exposure group with chronic neck pain and control group without chronic neck pain and primary outcomes relating to gait health. For outcomes amenable to meta-analysis, a random-effects model was used to derive summary estimates of Hedge's g depicted graphically with forest plots. Other gait outcomes were narratively summarized. Risk of bias was also assessed.

RESULTS

The original search yielded 1918 articles; 12 met final eligibility criteria including 10 cross-sectional studies. Outcomes were grouped first by the five domains of gait: pace, rhythm, asymmetry, variability, and postural control; and second by the tested walking conditions. Meta-analyses for gait speed revealed large effect-sizes indicating that individuals with chronic neck pain had slower measures of gait and lower measures of cadence. Gait outcomes that were narratively summarized supported these findings.

CONCLUSION

The quantitative and qualitative findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest a negative impact of CNNP on measures of gait health, particularly gait speed, under various walking conditions. However, broad interpretation of these results should be cautious. Testing gait under dual task conditions may be particularly sensitive to the impact of CNNP, and future work is needed to better understand how pain disrupts this important functionality of the locomotor system. Additionally, consideration should be made to assess measures of variability and investigate these relationships in the older adult population.

Effect of physical activity on attention in school-age children with ADHD: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background: Attention problems are one of the core symptoms of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Previous studies have shown that physical activity intervention has a positive impact on executive function in children and adolescents with ADHD, but there is limited research on attention problems in school-aged children with ADHD. There are still uncertainties about the appropriate physical activity interventions to improve attention problems in this population. This study conducted a Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to physical activity intervention for attention problems in school-aged children with ADHD, providing a certain reference for precise intervention in attention problems for this population. Methods: We systematically searched the following databases up to October 2022: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, to identify RCTs that investigated the effects of physical activity interventions on children with ADHD. Two investigators independently conducted literature screening, extraction, and quality assessment. We performed a meta-analysis using Stata 15.1. Results: In total, we included 10 studies in this meta-analysis. The results indicated that physical activity intervention had a moderate effect in improving attention problems in school-aged children with ADHD (SMD = -0.48, 95% CI: 0.85, -0.07, p < 0.05). Furthermore, subgroup analysis showed that the effect of physical activity intervention was moderated by intervention type, frequency, and period, rather than the physical activity environment or single intervention time. Conclusion: Our study suggests that cognitively engaging exercise is more effective in improving attention problems in school-aged children with ADHD. Specifically, when cognitive-engaging exercise is used as the type of physical activity and the intervention frequency is less than 3 times per week, with an intervention period of less than weeks, it is most beneficial for improving attention problems in school-aged children with ADHD. However, we should also consider individual differences in children with respect to their ADHD symptoms and accurately evaluate each child's specific symptoms before intervention. Systematic Review Registration: identifier (CRD42022363255).

Investigating the Impact of Guided Imagery on Stress, Brain Functions, and Attention: A Randomized Trial

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential impact of guided imagery (GI) on attentional control and cognitive performance and to explore the relationship between guided imagery, stress reduction, alpha brainwave activity, and attentional control using common cognitive performance tests. Executive function was assessed through the use of attentional control tests, including the anti-saccade, Stroop, and Go/No-go tasks. Participants underwent a guided imagery session while their brainwave activity was measured, followed by attentional control tests. The study's outcomes provide fresh insights into the influence of guided imagery on brain wave activity, particularly in terms of attentional control. The findings suggest that guided imagery has the potential to enhance attentional control by augmenting the alpha power and reducing stress levels. Given the limited existing research on the specific impact of guided imagery on attention control, the study's findings carry notable significance.

Alterations in EEG functional connectivity in individuals with depression: A systematic review

The brain works as an organised, network-like structure of functionally interconnected regions. Disruptions to interconnectivity in certain networks have been linked to symptoms of depression and impairments in cognition. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a low-burden tool by which differences in functional connectivity (FC) can be assessed. This systematic review aims to provide a synthesis of evidence relating to EEG FC in depression. A comprehensive electronic literature search for terms relating to depression, EEG, and FC was conducted on studies published before the end of November 2021, according to PRISMA guidelines. Studies comparing EEG measures of FC of individuals with depression to that of healthy control groups were included. Data was extracted by two independent reviewers, and the quality of EEG FC methods was assessed. Fifty-two studies assessing EEG FC in depression were identified: 36 assessed resting-state FC, and 16 assessed task-related or other (i.e., sleep) FC. Somewhat consistent findings in resting-state studies suggest for no differences between depression and control groups in EEG FC in the delta and gamma frequencies. However, while most resting-state studies noted a difference in alpha, theta, and beta, no clear conclusions could be drawn about the direction of the difference, due to considerable inconsistencies between study design and methodology. This was also true for task-related and other EEG FC. More robust research is needed to understand the true differences in EEG FC in depression. Given that the FC between brain regions drives behaviour, cognition, and emotion, characterising how FC differs in depression is essential for understanding the aetiology of depression.

Optimizing Fine Motor Coordination, Selective Attention and Reaction Time in Children: Effect of Combined Accuracy Exercises and Visual Art Activities

Optimizing fine motor coordination and cognitive abilities in middle childhood through new intervention programs remains one of the most essential orientations in motor development and skills proficiency. The present study aims to identify the effect of a structure-based program intervention, combining motor accuracy exercises with visual art activities (ceramics, pottery, and creations using raw materials), on fine motor coordination, selective attention, and reaction time in middle childhood. Sixty, right-handed typically developed male schoolchildren (age = 8.29 ± 0.74 years; body height = 130.25 ± 0.05 cm and body mass = 29.83 ± 4.68 kg; mean ± SD) volunteered to participate in the study. They were randomly assigned to a combined group intervention (MG) receiving a mixed program integrating visual art activities and motor accuracy exercises; an accuracy group intervention (AG) receiving oriented motor accuracy exercises; and a control group (CG). Selective attention, reaction time, and fine motor coordination skills (accuracy: darts throw; manual dexterity: grooved pegboard test) were measured. Repeated measure ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA were performed for analysis. The results showed higher changes in MG compared to AG in manual dexterity (p < 0.001), in motor accuracy (p < 0.001), and in reaction time (p < 0.01), but not in selective attention (p = 0.379). In addition, higher changes were recorded in AG compared to CG in motor accuracy (p < 0.05), reaction time (p < 0.05), and in selective attention (p < 0.01), but not in manual dexterity (p = 0.082). The structured combined program best assists accuracy, manual dexterity, reaction time, and selective attention. Therefore, instructors in sports academies and teachers at schools are advised to use the combined program in the training sessions and in the non-curricular activities, respectively, to improve fine motor coordination, selective attention, and reaction time in middle childhood.

Psychometric properties of a combined go/no-go and continuous performance task across childhood

Despite the critical importance of attention for children's self-regulation and mental health, there are few task-based measures of this construct appropriate for use across a wide childhood age range including very young children. Three versions of a combined go/no-go and continuous performance task (GNG/CPT) were created with varying length and timing parameters to maximize their appropriateness for age groups spanning early to middle childhood. As part of the baseline assessment of a clinical trial, 452 children aged 3-12 years (50% male, 50% female; 52% White, non-Hispanic, 27% Black, 16% Hispanic/Latinx; 6% other ethnicity/race) completed the task. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that all task versions assessed two latent factors, labeled response inhibition and sustained attention. Versions for older children elicited lower overall accuracy while equating levels of inhibitory demand. All versions showed limited floor and ceiling effects, as well as developmental sensitivity. Boys showed higher commission error rates and children from lower income households showed lower performance across multiple task metrics. Task metrics, especially d prime and accuracy summary scores, correlated with parent-reported executive function and externalizing behavior. Task scores show promise as valid and sensitive indicators of inhibition and sustained attention across heterogeneous pediatric age groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Preliminary evidence on machine learning approaches for clusterizing students’ cognitive profile

Assessing the cognitive abilities of students in academic contexts can provide valuable insights for teachers to identify their cognitive profile and create personalized teaching strategies. While numerous studies have demonstrated promising outcomes in clustering students based on their cognitive profiles, effective comparisons between various clustering methods are lacking in the current literature. In this study, we aim to compare the effectiveness of two clustering techniques to group students based on their cognitive abilities including general intelligence, attention, visual perception, working memory, and phonological awareness. 292 students, aged 11-15 years, participated in the study. A two-level approach based on the joint use of Kohonen's Self-Organizing Map (SOMs) and k-means clustering algorithm was compared with an approach based on the k-means clustering algorithm only. The resulting profiles were then predicted via AdaBoost and ANN supervised algorithms. The results showed that the two-level approach provides the best solution for this problem while the ANN algorithm was the winner in the classification problem. These results laying the foundations for developing a useful instrument for predicting the students' cognitive profile.

Relationships among age, socioeconomic status, and distractibility in preschoolers as assessed by the Competitive Attention Test

In children, the ability to attend to relevant auditory information and ignore distracting information is crucial for learning and educational achievement. Distractibility, the propensity to pay attention to irrelevant information, depends on multiple components of cognition (voluntary attention orienting, sustained attention, distraction resulting from the capture of attention by a distractor, phasic arousal, impulsivity, and motor control) that may mature at different ages. Here, we used the Competitive Attention Test (CAT) to measure these components in children aged 3 to 5 years. Our goal was to characterize changes in the efficiency of attention during the preschool period and to determine whether distractibility varies as a function of socioeconomic status (SES). All 3-year-olds (n = 14) and some 4- and 5-year-olds (n = 21) needed to be excluded from the sample due to noncompliance with instructions, suggesting that the CAT might not be suitable for children with poorly developed skills in sustained attention. Among 4- and 5-year-olds who completed the CAT (n = 71), sustained attention improved with age, whereas voluntary attention orienting remained immature. Independent of age, task-irrelevant sounds induced distraction, phasic arousal, and impulsivity. There was no relationship between SES and children's distraction. Finally, children from lower SES backgrounds showed reduced sustained attention abilities and increased impulsivity. Taken together, these findings suggest that distractibility is still developing during the preschool period and is likely to vary depending on the SES background of a child's family.

Contribution of sustained attention abilities to real-world academic skills in children

Sustained attention is a critical cognitive ability that improves over the course of development and predicts important real-world outcomes, such as academic achievement. However, the majority of work demonstrating links between sustained attention and academic skills has been conducted in lab-based settings that lack the ecological validity of a more naturalistic environment, like school. Further, most studies focus on targeted academic measures of specific sub-skills and have not fully examined whether this relationship generalizes to broad measures of academic achievement that are used for important, real-world, academic advancement decisions, such as standardized test scores. To address this gap, we examined the role of sustained attention in predicting targeted and broad assessments of academic abilities, where all skills were assessed in group-based environments in schools. In a sample of over 700 students aged 9-14, we showed that attention was positively related to performance on targeted assessments (math fluency and reading comprehension), as well as broad academic measures (statewide standardized test scores). Moreover, we found that attention was more predictive of targeted math sub-skills compared to assessments of broad math abilities, but was equally predictive of reading for both types of measures. Our findings add to our understanding of how sustained attention is linked to academic skills assessed in more 'real-world', naturalistic school environments and have important implications for designing tools to support student's academic success.

Development of a Symbol Cancellation Test to Evaluate Attention in a School-aged Zambian Population

Objective

The assessment of child cognitive health in Sub-Saharan developing countries poses significant challenges, including the paucity of valid diagnostic tools. We report the development and the initial validation of the Zambia Symbol Cancellation Test (ZSCT), a psychometric test to evaluate selective attention in a pediatric, school-aged population.

Design

ZSCT reliability and validity were assessed in a field trial. A total of 409 children, aged 5 to 17 years, were recruited at multiple Zambian clinical sites and schools. The ZSCT provides a visuomotor processing index (VMPI), a measure of effortful processing to deliver accurate task response.

Results

The VMPI reliability estimate at test-retest was found to be adequate for a clinical use (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]: 0.79, ICC-95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69-0.86). Age showed a large effect on VMPI (n=323, r=-0.62, p=0.000). Impaired visuo-perceptual-motor processing, as measured by VMPI, was associated with poor health status (i.e., chronic neurologic or medical disease or prolonged exposure to psychosocial stress and deprivation). A two-way ANOVA found significant and small health status and age group effects [F (7, 408): 33.24, p=0.0000, η2=0.367]; the main effect of health status [F (1, 408): 37.79, p=0.000, η2=0.09], age group [F (3, 408): 35.06, p=0.000, η2=0.21], and their interaction was not significant (p=0.364).

Conclusion

Study findings indicate that the ZSCT has satisfactory reliability, validity, and clinical utility to evaluate cognitive development and the effect of health conditions on attention. Study results warrant further research to validate its use in healthcare and clinical research settings.

How do distracting events influence children's arithmetic performance?

To understand how distraction influences children's arithmetic performance, we examined effects of irrelevant sounds on children's performance while they solve arithmetic problems. Third and fifth graders were asked to verify true/false, one-digit addition problems (e.g., 9 + 4 = 12. True? False?) under silence and sound conditions. The sounds began when the problems started to appear on the screen (Experiment 1; N = 76) or slightly after (Experiment 2; N = 92) and continued until participants responded. The results showed that (a) children solved arithmetic problems more quickly in the sound condition than in the silence condition when the sounds started with problem display (phasic arousal effects); (b) children were slower on the arithmetic problem verification task when the sounds was played slightly after the problems started to appear on the screen (distraction effects); (c) phasic arousal effects were found only in third graders, whereas distraction effects were found in both grades, although their magnitudes were smaller in fifth graders; (d) distraction effects increased with increasing latencies in third graders but did not change across the entire latency distribution in fifth graders; and (e) distraction effects on current trials were smaller after sound trials than after silence trials in both age groups (sequential modulations of distraction effects). These findings have important implications for furthering our understanding of effects of irrelevant sounds on arithmetic performance as well as cognitive processes involved in children's arithmetic.

The influence of auditory selective attention on linguistic outcomes in deaf and hard of hearing children with cochlear implants

PURPOSE

Auditory selective attention (ASA) is crucial to focus on significant auditory stimuli without being distracted by irrelevant auditory signals and plays an important role in language development. The present study aimed to investigate the unique contribution of ASA to the linguistic levels achieved by a group of cochlear implanted (CI) children.

METHODS

Thirty-four CI children with a median age of 10.05 years were tested using both the "Batteria per la Valutazione dell'Attenzione Uditiva e della Memoria di Lavoro Fonologica nell'età evolutiva-VAUM-ELF" to assess their ASA skills, and two Italian standardized tests to measure lexical and morphosyntactic skills. A regression analysis, including demographic and audiological variables, was conducted to assess the unique contribution of ASA to language skills.

RESULTS

The percentages of CI children with adequate ASA performances ranged from 50 to 29.4%. Bilateral CI children performed better than their monolateral peers. ASA skills contributed significantly to linguistic skills, accounting alone for the 25% of the observed variance.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings are clinically relevant as they highlight the importance to assess ASA skills as early as possible, reflecting their important role in language development. Using simple clinical tools, ASA skills could be studied at early developmental stages. This may provide additional information to outcomes from traditional auditory tests and may allow us to implement specific training programs that could positively contribute to the development of neural mechanisms of ASA and, consequently, induce improvements in language skills.

Impairment in cognitive function in patients with axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis

Spondyloarthritis may contribute to deficits in cognition. The objective of this study was to compare cognitive abilities in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) with matched reference groups. This investigator-initiated, cross-sectional, exploratory study of adults with axSpA or PsA was conducted at two German rheumatology centres (November 2018-September 2019). All data on patient and disease characteristics and cognitive abilities were collected at a single visit. Cognitive function was assessed by the previously validated Memory and Attention Test subscores of selective attention, episodic working memory, and episodic short-term memory and compared with subscores from healthy age-, sex-, and education-matched reference subjects. The mean patient age was 51.1 and 55.8 years in the axSpA (n = 101) and PsA (n = 117) groups, respectively, and mean symptom duration was 13.7 and 10.3 years. Compared with matched reference subjects, axSpA and PsA patients showed significant impairments in selective attention (mean difference of -6.5 and -4.5, respectively, on a 45-point scale; P < 0.001 for both) and no significant differences in episodic working memory. The PsA cohort, but not the axSpA cohort, had significantly better episodic short-term memory subscores compared with matched reference subjects (mean change of 2.0 on a 15-point scale; P < 0.001). Explorative subgroup analyses were unable to identify factors influencing cognitive changes, including disease activity, pain, and function, but may have been underpowered. We conclude that impairments in selective attention may impact the ability of axSpA and PsA patients to process information. These findings warrant additional studies, including longitudinal analyses, in patients with spondyloarthritis.

Neural modulations in the auditory cortex during internal and external attention tasks: A single-patient intracranial recording study

Brain sensory processing is not passive, but is rather modulated by our internal state. Different research methods such as non-invasive imaging methods and intracranial recording of the local field potential (LFP) have been used to study to what extent sensory processing and the auditory cortex in particular are modulated by selective attention. However, at the level of the single- or multi-units the selective attention in humans has not been tested. In addition, most previous research on selective attention has explored externally-oriented attention, but attention can be also directed inward (i.e., internal attention), like spontaneous self-generated thoughts and mind-wandering. In the present study we had a rare opportunity to record multi-unit activity (MUA) in the auditory cortex of a patient. To complement, we also analyzed the LFP signal of the macro-contact in the auditory cortex. Our experiment consisted of two conditions with periodic beeping sounds. The participants were asked either to count the beeps (i.e., an "external attention" condition) or to recall the events of the previous day (i.e., an "internal attention" condition). We found that the four out of seven recorded units in the auditory cortex showed increased firing rates in "external attention" compared to "internal attention" condition. The beginning of this attentional modulation varied across multi-units between 30-50 msec and 130-150 msec from stimulus onset, a result that is compatible with an early selection view. The LFP evoked potential and induced high gamma activity both showed attentional modulation starting at about 70-80 msec. As the control, for the same experiment we recorded MUA activity in the amygdala and hippocampus of two additional patients. No major attentional modulation was found in the control regions. Overall, we believe that our results provide new empirical information and support for existing theoretical views on selective attention and spontaneous self-generated cognition.

Growing Brains, Nurturing Minds-Neuroscience as an Educational Tool to Support Students' Development as Life-Long Learners

Compared to other primates, humans are late bloomers, with exceptionally long childhood and adolescence. The extensive developmental period of humans is thought to facilitate the learning processes required for the growth and maturation of the complex human brain. During the first two and a half decades of life, the human brain is a construction site, and learning processes direct its shaping through experience-dependent neuroplasticity. Formal and informal learning, which generates long-term and accessible knowledge, is mediated by neuroplasticity to create adaptive structural and functional changes in brain networks. Since experience-dependent neuroplasticity is at full force during school years, it holds a tremendous educational opportunity. In order to fulfill this developmental and learning potential, educational practices should be human-brain-friendly and "ride" the neuroplasticity wave. Neuroscience can inform educators about the natural learning mechanisms of the brain to support student learning. This review takes a neuroscientific lens to explore central concepts in education (e.g., mindset, motivation, meaning-making, and attention) and suggests two methods of using neuroscience as an educational tool: teaching students about their brain (content level) and considering the neuro-mechanisms of learning in educational design (design level).

Effectiveness of Fish Oil-DHA Supplementation for Cognitive Function in Thai Children: A Randomized, Doubled-Blind, Two-Dose, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

The effects of fish oil (FO) or omega-3 supplementation on cognition has been the subject of several previous clinical trials. However, the effect of different doses taken chronically on cognition in children has not been well studied. In order to address this gap in our knowledge, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of one hundred and twenty healthy, cognitively normal Thai children aged 6–12 years old consumed daily low dose FO (260 mg Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)), high dose FO (520 mg DHA), or placebo (Soybean oil) for 12 weeks. Cognitive function was assessed using a computerized cognitive battery, including the Go/NoGo, N-Back, and Digit Span tests as well as concurrent event-related potentials (ERPs), which together measured attention, processing speed, inhibition, and memory at baseline and 12 weeks. We hypothesized that compared to placebo, the two FO groups would show improved cognitive performance and shorter ERP latencies. In total, 42, 39, and 39 participants completed each of the test (FO-A, FO-B) and placebo groups (P) allocations, respectively, and were analyzed (120 in total across the three groups). No significant differences were observed between reaction times (RTs), accuracy, or error rates for all three of the cognitive tests. The ERP measurement and analysis of brain activity during the cognitive tests showed an increase in ERP amplitude. For all cognitive tests, there was a dose-response effect of FO on ERP amplitudes. These findings indicate that fish oil intake leads to a consistent improvement in attention and cognitive processing ability measured by changes in brain activity during working and long-term memory processes. This is the first study to directly quantify such an effect through simultaneous measurement of manual and mental activity during cognitive tasks following chronic FO use in children.

Costs and benefits of audiovisual interactions

A strong temporal correlation promotes integration of concurrent sensory signals, either within a single sensory modality, or from different modalities. Although the benefits of such integration are well known, far less attention has been given to possible costs incurred when concurrent sensory signals are uncorrelated. In two experiments, subjects categorized the rate at which a visual object modulated in size, while they also tried to ignore a concurrent task-irrelevant broadband sound. Overall, the experiments showed that (i) losses in accuracy from mismatched auditory and visual rates were larger than gains from matched rates and (ii) mismatched auditory and visual rates slowed responses more than they were sped up when rates matched. Experiment One showed that audiovisual interaction varied with the difference between the visual modulation rate and the modulation rate of a concurrent auditory stimulus. Experiment Two showed that audiovisual interaction depended upon the strength of the task-irrelevant auditory modulation. Although our stimuli involved abstract, low-dimensional stimuli, not speech, the effects we observed parallel key findings on interference in multi-speaker settings.

Different Exercise Types Produce the Same Acute Inhibitory Control Improvements When the Subjective Intensity Is Equal

Twenty-eight active older people (67.19 ± 4.91 years) who engaged in physical exercise activity twice a week were recruited to participate in a counterbalanced experimental protocol. The participants performed three different exercise sessions on three different days, one based on aerobic activities, one based on strength exercises with elastic bands, and one based on stationary balance games. During all three sessions, they were encouraged to maintain a moderate subjective intensity (5-6 on the RPE10 scale), and their heart rate was recorded. In addition, all of the participants took a digital version of the Stroop test before and after each session. The study aimed to compare the acute cognitive impacts of different types of exercise sessions in older adults. The participants' heart rate differed between the exercise sessions, but they maintained the RPE intensity. There was a significant improvement in inhibitory control (Stroop test) after all sessions, with no differences between exercise sessions. Moreover, some participants agreed to be genotyped to record the single nucleotide polymorphism of BDNF rs6265. There were no differences between Val/Val and Met carriers at the beginning or end of the exercise sessions. The present study showed similar cognitive improvements with different exercise type sessions when the subjective intensity was maintained.

A Pilot Study Examining the Effects of Music Training on Attention in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)

Prior studies indicate differences in brain volume and neurophysiological responses of musicians relative to non-musicians. These differences are observed in the sensory, motor, parietal, and frontal cortex. Children with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) experience deficits in auditory, motor, and executive function domains. Therefore, we hypothesized that short-term music training in children with an FASD due to prenatal alcohol exposure may improve brain function. Children (N = 20) with an FASD were randomized to participate in either five weeks of piano training or to a control group. Selective attention was evaluated approximately seven weeks apart (pre-/post-music training or control intervention), examining longitudinal effects using the Attention Networks Test (ANT), a well-established paradigm designed to evaluate attention and inhibitory control, while recording EEG. There was a significant group by pre-/post-intervention interaction for the P250 ms peak of the event-related potential and for theta (4-7 Hz) power in the 100-300 ms time window in response to the congruent condition when the flanking stimuli were oriented congruently with the central target stimulus in fronto-central midline channels from Cz to Fz. A trend for improved reaction time at the second assessment was observed for the music trained group only. These results support the hypothesis that music training changes the neural indices of attention as assessed by the ANT in children with an FASD. This study should be extended to evaluate the effects of music training relative to a more closely matched active control and determine whether additional improvements emerge with longer term music training.

Can different physical education programs produce specific developments in psychological responses and cognitive functions? An ecological intervention in school-age children

AIMS

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of physical education (PE) class contents on 6-8 years school-age children's perceived exertion, psychological responses and cognitive functions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

These dimensions were measured in 135 children (6.61 ± 0.58 years) before and after an 8-week different PE intervention programs [i.e. balance intervention program (BIP), game based program (GBP) or drama learning program (DLP)].

RESULTS

With regard to the physical exertion, higher perceived exertion was found in BIP than in GBP and DLP (p < .01, ES = -0.5 to -1.0, small to moderate). Regarding cognitive functions, children of the GBP and the DLP significantly improved some of the cognitive functions test scores (p < .01 or 0.05, ES = 0.5 to 1.5, small to large).

CONCLUSION

These results lead us to think that physical activity could be an effective tool for improving children's cognitive functions.

Cognitive style and working memory among adolescents with specific learning disability

BACKGROUND

In a world where education directly influences the quality of life of an individual, educational handicaps are a grave issue that plagues the lives of those affected. The current study aims to find out whether there is a difference in the cognitive style and working memory capacity among adolescents with specific learning disability (SLD) in comparison to their age-matched equivalent group without SLD. The study also targets to find out if there exists any relationship between cognitive style and working memory.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of sixty participants were selected (thirty adolescents with learning disability and thirty age-matched adolescents without learning disability) from Bangalore district of Karnataka and Thrissur district of Kerala using purposive sampling method. The tools used were the Indian adaptation of Embedded Figures Test by Nigam (1997) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition by Wechsler (2003).

RESULTS

The results showed that there exists a significant difference in cognitive style dimensions of field dependence and independence between adolescents with learning disability (M = 11.6, standard deviation [SD] = 6.52) and adolescents without learning disability (M = 25.2, SD = 7.33) as well as in the working memory capacity between adolescents with learning disability (M = 66.7, SD = 19.26) and adolescents without learning disability (M = 102, SD = 14.93) groups under study (p < 0.01). The results also indicate that there exists no significant relationship between cognitive style and working memory.

CONCLUSION

Adolescents with SLD was found to be field dependent and has low working memory capacity than adolescents without learning disability. The results reflect the need for developing cognitive interventions to enhance working memory capacity and cognitive style for helping adolescents with learning disability in all areas of their functioning, such that the society benefits as a whole.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Over the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Reduced Attention Bias Toward Negative Facial Expression: A Pilot Study in Healthy Subjects

Research in the cognitive neuroscience field has shown that individuals with a stronger attention bias for negative information had higher depression risk, which may be the underlying pathogenesis of depression. This dysfunction of affect-biased attention also represents a decline in emotion regulation ability. Clinical studies have suggested that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) treatment can improve the symptoms of depression, yet the neural mechanism behind this improvement is still veiled. This study aims to investigate the effects of tDCS on affect-biased attention. A sample of healthy participants received 20 min active (n = 22) or sham tDCS (n = 19) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for 7 consecutive days. Electroencephalographic (EEG) signals were recorded while performing the rest task and emotional oddball task. The oddball task required response to pictures of the target (positive or negative) emotional facial stimuli and neglecting distracter (negative or positive) or standard (neutral) stimuli. Welch power spectrum estimation algorithm was applied to calculate frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) in the rest task, and the overlapping averaging method was used to extract event-related potentials (ERP) components in the oddball task. Compared to sham tDCS, active tDCS caused an obvious increment in FAA in connection with emotion regulation (p < 0.05). Also, participants in the active tDCS group show greater P3 amplitudes following positive targets (p < 0.05) and greater N2 amplitudes following negative distracters (p < 0.05), reflecting emotion-related attention biases. These results offer valuable insights into the relationship between affect-biased attention and the effects of tDCS, which may be of assistance in exploring the neuropathological mechanism of depression and anxiety and new treatment strategies for tDCS.

The Influence of Lactobacillus paracasei HII01 Supplementation on Performance in Attention (Go/No-Go) Tasks and Quinolinic Acid and 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid Levels in Thai Children—A Preliminary Study

Cognitive development is defined as the capacity of a child to think, reason, and use language, which are all vital to their overall growth. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder. Though several factors are associated with the incidence of ADHD, gut microbiota and gut homeostasis play critical roles in it. Gut dysbiosis and altered gut homeostasis are linked to several physical and psychological complications that affect gut–brain communication (the gut–brain axis). Probiotics, live microorganisms that confer a health benefit to the host when administered in adequate amounts, are considered therapeutic supplements that can be used to manage mental and cognitive disorders. Intervention with probiotics can improve the gut microbial ecosystem and the gut–brain axis, thereby improving cognitive function. We hypothesized that the supplementation of Lactobacillus paracasei HII01 might reduce the risk of the development of neuropsychiatric disorders; thus, we evaluated the efficacy of L. paracasei HII01 on the attention state of healthy children and the changes in representative neuroinflammatory markers. Ten healthy Thai children were supplemented with 109 CFU of L. paracasei HII01 for 12 weeks. Go/no-go tasks were undertaken to assess changes in attention state. Alterations in brain waves were measured by electroencephalographic (EEG)/event-related potential (ERP) recordings. The levels of quinolinic acid (QA, a metabolite of tryptophan) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA, a metabolite of serotonin) were determined in the urine at baseline and after 12 weeks of probiotic intervention. The levels of QA and 5-HIAA significantly decreased and increased, respectively. The QA/5-HIAA ratio also decreased significantly. Go/No-go tasks revealed that the percentages of go accuracy and go error increased and decreased significantly, respectively. EEG/ERP recordings showed that theta, alpha, and beta waves were substantially altered at the 12th week of study compared to baseline values. The results suggested that L. paracasei HII01 might improve the gut microbiota and oscillate the brain function, which sustained the attention state of the subjects. These preliminary findings require further detailed study to confirm the role of L. paracasei HII01 in the improvement in the attention of healthy children.

Assessing the validity and reliability and establishing norm values for a selective attention test in a Turkish sample of 6–14-year-old participants

Selective attention is a cognitive skill that allows an individual to focus on a particular input for further processing while simultaneously suppressing irrelevant or distracting information. In this study, we have developed a new test to assess selective attention-the Cognitive Skills Assessment of Minerva (CSM) Selective Attention Test-and have established selective attention norm values for Turkish individuals aged 6-14 years. This new online selective attention assessment test includes the flanker task. We employed split-half reliability to prove the reliability of the test. Based on the analysis, there was no significant difference between the groups, indicating that the test is reliable. We used criterion-related validity (congruent validity) analysis to evaluate the CSM Selective Attention Test. The correlation between the results of the new test and the Eriksen Flanker Test showed that the new test is valid. Finally, we conducted a comprehensive norm study with 2,297 participants aged 6-14 years from 12 different regions and schools in Turkey. According to the analysis of variance, age but not gender is a distinguishing factor for selective attention. We subsequently established norm values for each age group. The findings also show that the CSM Selective Attention Test provides reliable results across all samples and populations aged 6-14.

How bilingualism modulates selective attention in children

There is substantial evidence that learning and using multiple languages modulates selective attention in children. The current study investigated the mechanisms that drive this modification. Specifically, we asked whether the need for constant management of competing languages in bilinguals increases attentional capacity, or draws on the available resources such that they need to be economised to support optimal task performance. Monolingual and bilingual children aged 7–12 attended to a narrative presented in one ear, while ignoring different types of interference in the other ear. We used EEG to capture the neural encoding of attended and unattended speech envelopes, and assess how well they can be reconstructed from the responses of the neuronal populations that encode them. Despite equivalent behavioral performance, monolingual and bilingual children encoded attended speech differently, with the pattern of encoding across conditions in bilinguals suggesting a redistribution of the available attentional capacity, rather than its enhancement.

UCancellation: A new mobile measure of selective attention and concentration

Measuring selective attention in a speeded task can provide valuable insight into the concentration ability of an individual, and can inform neuropsychological assessment of attention in aging, traumatic brain injury, and in various psychiatric disorders. There are only a few tools to measure selective attention that are freely available, psychometrically validated, and can be used flexibly both for in-person and remote assessment. To address this gap, we developed a self-administrable, mobile-based test called “UCancellation” (University of California Cancellation), which was designed to assess selective attention and concentration and has two stimulus sets: Letters and Pictures. UCancellation takes less than 7 minutes to complete, is automatically scored, has multiple forms to allow repeated testing, and is compatible with a variety of iOS and Android devices. Here we report the results of a study that examined parallel-test reliability and convergent validity of UCancellation in a sample of 104 college students. UCancellation Letters and Pictures showed adequate parallel test reliability (r = .71–.83, p < 0.01) and internal consistency (ɑ = .73–.91). It also showed convergent validity with another widely used cancellation task, d2 Test of Attention (r = .43–.59, p < 0.01), and predicted performance on a cognitive control composite (r = .34–.41, p < 0.05). These results suggest that UCancellation is a valid test of selective attention and inhibitory control, which warrants further data collection to establish norms.

Kindergarten-Based Progressive Muscle Relaxation Training Enhances Attention and Executive Functioning in 5-6-year-old Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

In the present study we assessed the impact of kindergarten-based progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) on attention and executive functioning of 5-6-year-old children. In this randomized-controlled trial, 52 children (26 female; 26 male; M age = 5.4, SD = 0.2 years) from two private Tunisian kindergartens were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Over 12 weeks, 18 children performed PMR in two 30-minute sessions/week, another 17 children performed generic physical education (PE) for two 30-minute sessions/week, and 17 children in a control group (CG) had no systematically guided physical activity and engaged in usual self-chosen activities like free play or artisanal activities during Kindergarten hours. Prior to (T0) and after (T1) the 12-week PMR intervention, all participants completed the Visuomotor Precision and Statue subtests of the Neuropsychological Evaluation Battery (NEPSY-2), the Teddy Bear Cancellation Test, and the Rey Simple Figure Test. While there were no significant group differences at T0, repeated measures analysis of variance revealed higher scores for the PMR group relative to both the PE and CG groups on measures of attention, visuomotor precision, memory, and motor inhibition. PMR provided an effective relaxation technique and enhanced attention and executive functioning of these 5-6-year-old children, with important implications for assisting learning and academic achievement among young children.

The role of neurological soft signs in different mathematical skills in second and third grade children

Neurological soft signs (NSSs) are subtle motor and sensory deficits, and are associated with poor cognitive abilities. Although cognitive ability has been found to be a significant predictor for academic performance in children, it remains unclear whether NSSs could contribute to academic abilities such as mathematical skills, and its contribution varies according to grade level. Therefore, in this cross-sectional study, we examined the relationships between NSSs and different mathematical skills (calculation fluency, numerical operations, and mathematical problem-solving) in 105 Chinese children (Mean age = 7.76 years, SD age = 0.67 years; 52 from second grade, 53 from third grade; 56 boys and 49 girls) recruited from a primary public school located in Shanghai. The results of regression analyses revealed that NSSs significantly predicted calculation fluency (β = -.32, p < .050), numerical operations (β = -.38, p < .050), and mathematical problem-solving (β = -0.40, p < .010) in second but not third grade, even controlling for cognitive processes. Our results implicate that NSSs could be a potential predictor for mathematical skills in the early years of primary school.