Literature review abstract Background: Domain-general processes, such as working memory (WM), short-term memory (STM), and attention, have been found to be related to mathematical performance in children. The relationship between these abilities, however, is not well understood. Objective: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the literature investigating the relationship between mathematical performance and WM, STM, and attention in typically developing primary school aged children. Methods: Three databases were searched for studies published between January 1974 and February 2015 reporting associations between mathematics performance and at least one measure of WM, STM, and attention. Study selection was undertaken by applying inclusion and exclusion criteria and 43 studies were selected for inclusion. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using a validated checklist. Results: WM, STM, and attention were all significantly related to mathematics performance. Visuospatial STM and WM were strongly related to mathematics performance in younger children, while verbal STM and WM were more strongly related in older children; although some studies found the opposite pattern. The relationship between attention and mathematics performance increased in strength with age. Conclusions: There are many factors relevant to the relationship between mathematical performance and WM, STM, and attention which can affect the strength of the association, including the types of tasks used to measure the constructs, the confounding variables considered, and the age of the participants. Future research needs to focus on the construction of an integrated model of mathematical development.   Empirical paper abstract Background: Moderate to late preterm children (MLPT; born between 32 weeks and 36 weeks and 6 days) are at increased risk of developing cognitive difficulties compared to term children (born between 37 weeks and 41 weeks and 6 days). Mathematical attainment is an important area of academic development. Domain-general cognitive abilities, which constrain all learning, and domain-specific mathematical precursors are both important for mathematical development. Objectives: The current study had two aims: 1) to investigate the relationship between gestational age (GA), mathematical attainment, working memory (WM), short-term memory (STM), and attentional control; and 2) to investigate WM, STM, and attentional control as domain-general predictors of mathematical attainment. It was hypothesised that WM would predict additional variance in mathematical attainment after attentional control, STM, and demographic variables (intellectual ability (IQ) and socioeconomic status) were accounted for. Methods: A cross-sectional and correlational design was used to investigate the study aims. Participants were 34 MLPT children and 25 term children who were between 72 and 107 months at the time of the study. Children who weighed less than 1500 grams at birth, had cerebral palsy, epilepsy, severe hearing or vision loss, or had a diagnosed learning disability were excluded. Each participant completed a cognitive assessment which measured their mathematical attainment and components of WM, STM, and attentional control. Results: GA was only significantly correlated with IQ. In the model of mathematical attainment, GA also significantly moderated the relationship between attentional switching and mathematical attainment. The hypothesis regarding the role of WM in predicting mathematical attainment was partially supported as only verbal WM predicted significant additional variance in mathematical attainment. Attention behaviour and IQ also predicted significant additional variance in mathematical attainment. Conclusion: These findings suggest that birth weight greater than 1500g, higher socioeconomic status, and lower levels of co-morbid medical conditions may serve as protective factors against the potential negative consequences of MLPT birth. Findings regarding the domain-general predictors of mathematical attainment supported some previous findings and highlighted the need for a variety of tasks to be used to measure each domain-general ability. Longitudinal studies in MLPT children would be helpful for further understanding the role of GA and domain-general abilities in the development of mathematical attainment.

Diss. Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2007.

This study investigated the neural correlates of memory for human nonlinguistic emotional vocalizations as a function of individual differences in trait anxiety and depression. 20 healthy subjects (female; aged 18-30) free from neurological impairments or psychiatric illness underwent MRI scanning to obtain T1 structural images of their brain, and participated in a subsequent behavioral memory task outside the scanner. Volumetry of the hippocampus and amygdala was performed using a validated protocol. We found emotional vocalizations were better remembered than neutral ones, with performance for negative better than positive. Memory performance for emotional items was associated with hippocampal volume, with no association between memory and I amygdala volume detected. Differences in anxiety or depression had no influence on memory or volume. These results lay the groundwork for future functional neuroimaging work to investigate the neural correlates of memory, personality, and brain structure volume in healthy and clinical populations.

Auditory sequencing ability was studied in 18 five and 18 nine year old normal-hearing children, and in 18 hearing-impaired children aged 6 to 14 years. Subjects selected were able to repeat syllables differing in initial consonant or final vowel and identify pictures corresponding to 200-msec. environmental sounds. Sequences of 2, 3 and 4 such items were recorded at 1, 2 and 4 items per second. Significant interactions between type of stimuli, sequence length and rate were obtained. Normal-hearing children and, to a lesser extent, hearing-impaired children had greater facility in recalling verbal than nonverbal sequences. For aIl groups, the fastest rate was optimal for consonants, and the slowest rate for nonverbal sounds. Normal children were superior to hearing-impaired subjects on verbal sequences. On nonverbal sequences, hearing-impaired were more accurate than normal five year olds, but less accurate than nine year olds. Implications for auditory training are discussed. / L'habilite de suivre un ordre auditif fut étudiee chez des enfants d'audition normale de cinq et neuf ans et chez des sujets atteints de surdite, ages de 6 à 14 ans, 18 pour chaque groupe. Les sujets choisis pouvaient repeter des syllabes enregistrees, identifier des images correspondant à des sons d'entourage de 200 msec. de duree. Des ordres de 2, 3 et 4 de ces stimuli furent enregistrés au rythme de 1, 2 et 4 stimuli par seconde. Les enfants d'audition normale et, d'une façon moins eVidente, les enfants atteints de surdité avaient une plus grande facilite à se rappeler des ordres verbaux plutôt que non-verbaux. Pour tous les groupes, la vitesse la plus rapide fut optimale pour les consonnes, et la vitesse la plus lente, pour les sons non-verbaux. Les sujets d'audition normale furent superieurs à ceux atteints de surdité, pour les ordres verbaux mais ces derniers, furent supérieur aux sujets ages de cinq ans et non pas de neuf ans, pour les ordres non-verbaux. Des implications pour l'entraînement auditif sont discutes. fr

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Full text release at OhioLINK's ETD Center delayed at author's request

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (M.Sc.). / Written for the Dept. of Neurology & Neurosurgery. Title from title page of PDF (viewed 2009/06/23). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.). / Written for the School of Human Communication Disorders. Bibliography: leaves 71-80.

Thesis supervisor: Steven J. Luck. Thesis supervisor: Andrew Hollingworth. Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-128).