Browsing by Author "Gold, Alanna B."
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Item Cognitive and behavioral attention in children with math difficulties(Child Neuropsychology, 2013) Gold, Alanna B.; Ewing-Cobbs, Linda; Cirino, Paul T.; Fuchs, Lynn S.; Stuebing, Karla K.; Fletcher, Jack M.Cognitive assessments and behavioral ratings of attention were used to examine the relation of inattention to math performance in children. Third grade students with math difficulties (MD; n = 17) and math and reading difficulties (MDRD; n = 35) were administered the Attentional Network Test (ANT), as well as achievement and intelligence measures. Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD-Symptoms and Normal-Behavior-IV (SWAN-IV) Inattention ratings were collected from teachers. Two comparison groups were also recruited: a typically achieving group (n = 23) and a group that responded to a math-tutoring intervention (responders; n = 54). On the ANT, children with MD and MDRD did not perform significantly different than typically achieving children or responders on measures of alerting and orienting attention and executive control. All subgroups did demonstrate performance patterns that were expected on the ANT. However, performance across blocks of the task was inconsistent, suggesting poor reliability. There were no relations between ANT performance and SWAN-IV behavioral inattention scores, though behavioral ratings of inattention correlated significantly with math performance. Children with MD and MDRD may have more difficulty with distraction and attention to detail in contextual situations, as opposed to impulsive responding in these settings. The lack of relation between cognitive attention and math performance may suggest that either the ANT does not assess the relevant attention constructs associated with math difficulties or may parallel studies of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in which cognitive and behavioral assessments are weakly related.Item DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY: ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND COGNITIVE CORRELATES(2012-08) Gold, Alanna B.; Fletcher, Jack M.; Lotze, Timothy E.; Yoshida, HanakoThe purpose of this study is to further explore the neuropsychological profile of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and how core cognitive deficits relate to academic achievement. Some studies suggest that the cognitive profile of children with DMD is characterized by poor verbal span (Hinton et al., 2004; Hinton et al., 2007); others support poor verbal working memory as the core deficit (Hinton et al., 2000; Hinton et al., 2001). Attentional difficulties have also been proposed as the core deficit in children with DMD (Cotton et al. 1998; Cyrulnik et al., 2008; Hendriksen and Vles, 2008). However, these core cognitive and behavioral deficits have not been adequately studied in relation to academic achievement. In the present study, academic achievement and the cognitive correlates of reading disabilities and math difficulties were analyzed. Analyses explored the relation among attention, working memory, and math in children with DMD, and how performance contributed to academic achievement. A sibling comparison group was also recruited. Children with DMD were found to have academic difficulties across measures of reading and math. Findings suggest that children with DMD display poor academic achievement skills due to poorly developed verbal working memory skills. A lower distribution of dystrophin in cerebral areas may lead to limited verbal working memory, which in turn contributes to poor academic skills.