Memory and linguistic/executive functions of children with borderline intellectual functioning

Abstract

Children with Borderline Intellectual Functioning (BIF) have received a minimal amount of research attention and have been studied in conjunction with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The present study intends to broaden the knowledge of BIF, by analyzing domains such as verbal memory and visual memory, as well as tasks that rely simultaneously on memory, executive functions, and language. A cross-sectional, comparison study was carried out between a group of 40 children with BIF (mean age = 10.03; 24 male and 16 female), and a control group of 40 normal children of the same age, gender, and socioeconomic level as the BIF group. The WISC-III Full Scale IQs of the BIF group ranged from 71 to 84. The following instruments were used: Word List, Narrative Memory, Rey Complex Figure, Face Memory, Rapid Naming (both RAN and RAS tests), and Verbal Fluency. The results showed deficits in children with BIF in verbal short-term memory, rapid naming, phonemic verbal fluency, and visual short-term memory, specifically in a visual recognition task, when compared with the control group. Long-term verbal memory was impaired only in older children with BIF and long-term visual memory showed no deficit. Verbal short-term memory stands out as a limitation and visual long-term memory as a strength. Correlations between the WISC-III and neuropsychological tests scores were predominantly low. The study expands the neuropsychological characterization of children with BIF and the implications of the deficits and strengths are stressed.

Comparison Metaphor and Reasoning Comprehension Between Children with Borderline Intelligence and Typical Developing School-Aged children

“…The main characteristics of borderline intelligent children include poor working memory and executive functioning, problems with knowledge organization, difficulties with generalization, poor attention, difficulties with verbal expression and listening, lack of motivation to learn, and behavioral deficits [28][29][30]. Previous studies have examined the impact of cognitive functions such as working memory and executive functioning on academic achievement in specific domains such as reading or compared profiles on the subtests of the WISC among groups of borderline intelligent children, children with learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and typical developing children [31,32], and teachers have found it challenging to identify slow learners in the classroom outside of intelligence tests. The WISC-IV is the most commonly used standardized test to assess intelligence in children aged 6 to 16 [25].…”

“…In addition, several studies have reported that children with BIF have impaired working memory compared to typically de-veloping children [37,38]. In other words, slow learners showed lower verbal and visuospatial short-term and working memory performance than typically developing children matched for chronological age.…”

Exploring the Clinical Characteristics and Comorbid Disorders of Borderline Intellectual Functioning

“…In children and adolescents with BIF, total cognition, verbal and visual performance, processing speed, and working memory decline over time [ 10 ]. Children with BIF show deficits in visual performance, short-term and long-term memory, working memory capacity, and processing speed and seem unable to catch up with the increasing demands in various domains as they grow older [ 10 - 14 ]. Children with BIF perform worse than their normal peers in more complex cognitive domains, including executive functions, abstract reasoning, selective and sustained attention, and perceptual organization [ 10 , 12 , 15 ].…”

BANC: Dados Normativos através de Análises de Regressão para Adolescentes de 16 e 17 Anos de Idade

“…Têm sido realizadas numerosas investigações, com a BANC, junto de crianças e adolescentes com desenvolvimento típico (Albuquerque, 2012;Albuquerque et al, 2010;Coutada & Albuquerque, 2018;Moura et al, 2013;Simões et al, 2007Simões et al, , 2011, com perturbações do neurodesenvolvimento (e.g., dislexia, perturbação de hiperatividade/défice de atenção, perturbação do desenvolvimento intelectual, perturbação da linguagem) (Coelho et al, 2013;Dias et al, 2019;Moura et al, 2014Moura et al, , 2017Moura, et al, 2015), com lesões ou disfunções cerebrais (e.g., traumatismo crânioencefálico, epilepsia) (A. F. Lopes et al, 2010Santos, 2006), com perturbações do comportamento (e.g., perturbação desafiante de oposição) (Sá et al, 2008), com problemas escolares (e.g., dificuldades de aprendizagem, sobredotação) (Cardoso, 2007;Pereira et al, 2006Pereira et al, , 2016 ou com risco social (e.g., vítimas de maus tratos, institucionalizados) (Correia, 2013;Ferreira, 2009) possibilitando, deste modo, a identificação de perfis neurocognitivos específicos que auxiliam no diagnóstico e intervenção.…”

“…As dificuldades são mais acentuadas na memória, nas funções executivas, na atenção e na velocidade de processamento (A. F. Lopes et al, 2010. A capacidade discriminante das pontuações da BANC tem sido igualmente observada na perturbação do espectro do autismo (Mouga et al, 2021), no funcionamento intelectual borderline (Dias et al, 2019), na perturbação específica da linguagem (Coelho et al, 2013), na perturbação desafiante de oposição (Sá et al, 2008), entre outras.…”