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Set-shifting in healthy children and in children with idiopathic or cryptogenic epilepsy
A Schouten1, K J Oostrom, A C Peters
1University Medical Centre, Wilhelmina Childern's Hospital, Division of Neuropsychology, Utrecht, The Netherlands. A.Schouten@wkz.azu.nl
Insights
Preschool children can effectively shift cognitive sets, contrary to previous debates. This study introduces a child-friendly sorting task, revealing
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Set-shifting, crucial for attention and behavioral regulation, is debated in young children.
- Existing sorting tasks are often adult-designed, limiting their efficacy for pediatric assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the set-shifting capabilities of healthy children aged 4-10 years.
- To compare a novel Sorting Task for Children (STC) with the adult Modified Card Sorting Test.
- To analyze error patterns in pediatric set-shifting to understand cognitive mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Administered the experimental Sorting Task for Children (STC) to 54 healthy children (4-10 years).
- Compared STC performance with the Modified Card Sorting Test.
- Conducted an extensive error analysis of the STC.
Main Results:
- Preschool children demonstrate capability in set-shifting.
- Perseverative errors were not predominant in the STC.
- Pilot study on 10 children with epilepsy indicated unstable, not absent, set-shifting.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric set-shifting may involve 'trial and error' learning rather than rigid mental sets.
- Findings contrast with adult frontal lobe damage patterns.
- Unstable set-shifting in epilepsy aligns with known behavioral regulation issues.
Abstract:
Set-shifting is an important aspect of attention and regulation of behaviour. The ability of young children to shift set is debated. Set-shifting is usually examined using sorting tasks that are designed for adults and hence are inadequate for children. In this study, an experimental Sorting Task for Children (STC) is administered to 54 healthy children (aged 4 to 10 years) and compared with a widely used adult sorting task, the Modified Card Sorting Test. This experiment shows that preschool children are capable of set-shifting. An extensive error analysis of the STC reveals that perseverations are not predominant. Hence, set-shifting in young children may be characterised by 'trial and error' rather than by being stuck in a mental set, which is suggested to be typical of adults with frontal lobe damage. A pilot study of 10 children with idiopathic or cryptogenic epilepsy shows unstable set-shifting rather than inability to shift set, which is concordant with known problems in regulation of behaviour.