Cognitive dimensions of learning in children with problems in attention, learning, and memory.

Abstract

A data-driven, transdiagnostic approach was used to identify the cognitive dimensions linked with learning in a mixed group of 805 children aged 5 to 18 years recognized as having problems in attention, learning, and memory by a health or education practitioner. Assessments included phonological processing; information processing speed; short-term and working memory; executive functions; and attainments in word reading, spelling, and math. Data reduction methods identified 3 dimensions of phonological processing, processing speed, and executive function for the whole sample. This model was comparable for children with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The severity of learning difficulties in literacy was linked with phonological processing skills, and in math with executive control. Associations between cognition and learning were similar across younger and older children and individuals with and without ADHD, although stronger links between learning-related problems and both executive skills and processing speed were observed in children with ADHD. These results establish clear domain-specific cognitive pathways to learning that distinguish individuals in the heterogeneous population of children struggling to learn.

Segregation and integration of the functional connectome in neurodevelopmentally ‘at risk’ children

“…This was also significant when only considering cost thresholds with a unique number of between network edges (AUC = 0.76, mean permuted AUC = -0.07, p = 0.0008). Similar results were obtained when using the first principal component from four tasks that were previously identified as measures of a latent executive component (Holmes, Guy, 2020). This moderated mediation was significant at the 25% cost threshold (β = 0.066, 95% CI [0.004, 0.160], p = 0.036) and jointly across all thresholds (AUC = 0.869, mean permuted AUC = -0.134, p = 0.0031) and across all thresholds with a different number of edges (AUC = 0.760, mean permuted AUC = -0.057, p = 0.005).…”

“…Age-related increases in integration between the visual and ventral attention networks was specifically associated with an executive/visual component of cognition. This component loaded heavily on measures of working memory, non-verbal reasoning, and attention, which have previously been identified as measures of an executive latent variable in a recent factor analysis of the same sample (Holmes et al, 2020). On the other hand, age-related increases in ICN integration were not associated with improvements in the phonological component.…”

“…This may be because phonological processing is established earlier in development, whereas executive functions show a protracted development over childhood and adolescence (Carlson et al, 2013). The effect on executive function was reproducible when extracting only the first unrotated principal component from the subset of four tasks that were previously identified as measures of executive function (Holmes et al, 2020). This demonstrates that the effect is robust to the precise rotation and composition of tasks used to generate the cognitive component scores.…”

“…In the present study, we explored ICN development in a sample that reflects the large heterogeneous population of children experiencing neurodevelopmental difficulties in cognition and behaviour (Astle et al, 2019;Bathelt, Gathercole, Butterfield, et al, 2018;Bathelt, Gathercole, Johnson, et al, 2018;Bathelt, Holmes, et al, 2018;Holmes et al, 2019Holmes et al, , 2020Mareva and Holmes, 2019;Siugzdaite et al, 2020). They were recruited on the basis of experiencing difficulties in attention, learning, language and / or memory, as identified by practitioners across a variety of children's professional services.…”

Autismus: Ein Überblick über Lernvoraussetzungen und Fördermaßnahmen

“…B. Holmes et al, 2020) verfolgt und das Lernen autistischer Schülerinnen und Schüler vor dem Hintergrund allgemei ner Lernvoraussetzungen, die für das erfolgreiche Lernen aller Schülerinnen und Schüler wichtig sind, beleuchtet (Hasselhorn & Gold, 2017). Hierzu wird der aktuelle For schungstand zu Lernvoraussetzungen autistischer Schü lerinnen und Schüler und zu Maßnahmen zur Förderung dieser Lernvoraussetzungen zusammengefasst.…”