title: Working memory mediates the effects of gestational age at birth on expressive language development in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study tested the role of temporary memory, measured by phonological short-term memory (pSTM) and verbal working memory (vWM), as a mediator of the effect of 3 putative risk factors (i.e., socioeconomic status, home literacy environment, birth gestational age) upon expressive and receptive language.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community-based sample of 646 Italian children aged 6-11 years was assessed with a comprehensive battery of language and cognitive tests. A mediation analysis was used to examine whether memory mediates environmental/biological effects on language.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results demonstrated a developmental cascade of effects, whereby the duration of pregnancy drives vWM functioning that, in turn, may affect expressive linguistic outcome Conclusion: Treatments focused on vWM, specifically to preterm children, may improve their language development, with enduring consequences on educational and psychosocial outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Psychiatry, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Riva
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Psychiatry, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cantiani
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, Université Laval.
authors.forename: Ginette
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dionne
authors.affiliation: Department of Language and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Psychiatry, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mascheretti
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Psychiatry, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molteni
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Psychiatry, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marino
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors