Cognitive functions in preschool children with specific language impairment.
OBJECTIVE
A growing body of research has focused on executive functions in children with specific language impairment (SLI). However, results show limited convergence, particularly in preschool age. The current neuropsychological study compared performance of cognitive functions focused on executive components and working memory in preschool children with SLI to typically developing controls.


METHODS
Performance on the measures cognitive flexibility, inhibition, processing speed and phonological short-term memory was assessed. The monolingual, Caucasian study sample consisted of 30 children with SLI (Mage = 63.3 months, SD = 4.3 months) and 30 healthy controls (Mage = 62.2 months, SD = 3.7 months). Groups were matched for age and nonverbal IQ. Socioeconomic status of the participating families was included.


RESULTS
Children with SLI had significantly poorer abilities of phonological short-term memory than matched controls. A tendency of poorer abilities in the SLI group was found for inhibition and processing speed.


CONCLUSIONS
We confirmed phonological short-term memory to be a reliable marker of SLI in preschoolers. Our results do not give definite support for impaired executive function in SLI, possibly owing to limited sensitivity of test instruments in this age group. We argue for a standardization of executive function tests for research use.
Department of Audiology and Phoniatrics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: katrin.reichenbach@fu-berlin.de.
Katrin
K
Reichenbach
Department of Audiology and Phoniatrics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
Laura
L
Bastian
Department of Audiology and Phoniatrics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
Saskia
S
Rohrbach
Department of Audiology and Phoniatrics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
Manfred
M
Gross
Department of Audiology and Phoniatrics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
Lea
L
Sarrar
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
Cognitive flexibility; Cognitive functions; Executive functions; Inhibition; Preschool children; Specific language impairment