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. METHOD: 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 (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).
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. METHOD: 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 (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).
Authors: Alessandra Sansavini; Maria Elena Favilla; Maria Teresa Guasti; Andrea Marini; Stefania Millepiedi; Maria Valeria Di Martino; Simona Vecchi; Nadia Battajon; Laura Bertolo; Olga Capirci; Barbara Carretti; Maria Paola Colatei; Cristina Frioni; Luigi Marotta; Sara Massa; Letizia Michelazzo; Chiara Pecini; Silvia Piazzalunga; Manuela Pieretti; Pasquale Rinaldi; Renata Salvadorini; Cristiano Termine; Mariagrazia Zuccarini; Simonetta D'Amico; Anna Giulia De Cagno; Maria Chiara Levorato; Tiziana Rossetto; Maria Luisa Lorusso Journal: Brain Sci Date: 2021-05-17