title: Poor executive functioning in children born very preterm: Using dual-task methodology to untangle alternative theoretical interpretations.
abstract: Two alternative theoretical explanations have been proposed for the difficulties with executive functioning observed in children born very preterm (VP; ⩽32 weeks): a general vulnerability (i.e., in attentional and processing capacities), which has a cascading impact on increasingly complex cognitive functions, and a selective vulnerability in executive-level cognitive processes. It is difficult to tease apart this important theoretical distinction because executive functioning tasks are, by default, complex tasks. In the current study, an experimental dual-task design was employed to control for differences in task difficulty in order to isolate executive control. Participants included 50 VP children (mean age=7.29 years) and 39 term peer controls (mean age=7.28 years). The VP group exhibited a greater dual-task cost relative to controls despite experimental control for individual differences in baseline ability on the component single tasks. This group difference also remained under a condition of reduced task difficulty. These results suggest a selective vulnerability in executive-level processes that can be separated from any general vulnerability.
authors: Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia. Electronic address: louise.delane@research.uwa.edu.au.
authors: Louise
authors: L
authors: Delane
authors: Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
authors: Donna M
authors: DM
authors: Bayliss
authors: Centre for Neonatal Research and Education, School of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Neonatal Clinical Care Unit, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Subiaco, Perth, WA 6904, Australia.
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Campbell
authors: School of Psychology and Exercise Science, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, WA 6150, Australia.
authors: Corinne
authors: C
authors: Reid
authors: Centre for Neonatal Research and Education, School of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Neonatal Clinical Care Unit, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Subiaco, Perth, WA 6904, Australia.
authors: Noel
authors: N
authors: French
authors: School of Psychology and Exercise Science, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, WA 6150, Australia.
authors: Mike
authors: M
authors: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D062071:Infant, Extremely Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D000073456:Multitasking Behavior / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Attention; Cascade model; Cognition; Development; Dual-task; Executive function; Very preterm children