title: Profiles of verbal working memory growth predict speech and language development in children with cochlear implants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Verbal short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) skills predict speech and language outcomes in children with cochlear implants (CIs) even after conventional demographic, device, and medical factors are taken into account. However, prior research has focused on single end point outcomes as opposed to the longitudinal process of development of verbal STM/WM and speech-language skills. In this study, the authors investigated relations between profiles of verbal STM/WM development and speech-language development over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Profiles of verbal STM/WM development were identified through the use of group-based trajectory analysis of repeated digit span measures over at least a 2-year time period in a sample of 66 children (ages 6-16 years) with CIs. Subjects also completed repeated assessments of speech and language skills during the same time period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clusters representing different patterns of development of verbal STM (digit span forward scores) were related to the growth rate of vocabulary and language comprehension skills over time. Clusters representing different patterns of development of verbal WM (digit span backward scores) were related to the growth rate of vocabulary and spoken word recognition skills over time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Different patterns of development of verbal STM/WM capacity predict the dynamic process of development of speech and language skills in this clinical population.
authors.affiliation: Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA. wkronenb@iupui.edu
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Kronenberger
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Pisoni
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Helena M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Hoen
authors.forename: Huiping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Richard T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*