title: The relationship between executive attention and dissociation in children.
abstract: Dissociation involves disruption in the usually integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, and perception. Recent research with adults suggests that dissociation is associated with alterations in attention. Little work, however, has examined the attentional correlates of dissociation in childhood. This study is the first to investigate the specificity of cognitive functions related to dissociation in children. Twenty-four 5- to 8-year-old foster children completed several subtests of the NEPSY: A Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment (Korkman, Kirk, & Kemp, 1998) in the Executive Functioning/ Attention domain. Foster caregivers completed the Child Dissociative Checklist (Bernstein & Putnam, 1986). Consistent with the adult literature, higher levels of childhood dissociation were associated with deficits in tasks requiring inhibition, but not with tasks requiring primarily planning, strategy, or multiple rule sets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA. ldemarni@uoregon.edu
authors.forename: Lisa DeMarni
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Cromer
authors.forename: Courtney
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Anne P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: DePrince
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pears
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires