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Modeling a cascade of effects: the role of speed and executive functioning in preterm/full-term differences in

Susan A Rose1, Judith F Feldman, Jeffery J Jankowski

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Kennedy Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. susan.rose@einstein.yu.edu

Developmental Science
|September 3, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Premature birth (< 1750 g) is linked to lower academic achievement due to deficits in executive functions, including working memory, and slower processing speed in pre-adolescents.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Educational Psychology

Background:

  • Premature birth is associated with cognitive challenges.
  • Executive functions and processing speed are crucial for academic success.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify executive functioning deficits in pre-adolescent preterms.
  • To model the role of executive functions and processing speed in academic achievement differences between preterm and full-term children.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed executive functions (updating/working memory, inhibition, shifting) and processing speed in 11-year-old preterms.
  • Utilized confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

Main Results:

  • Preterm children showed deficits in all three executive functions and slower processing speed.
  • Executive functions were distinct but correlated, with processing speed explaining much of their intercorrelation.
  • A cascade model showed prematurity negatively impacted achievement entirely through slower processing speed and poorer executive functioning (working memory).

Conclusions:

  • Executive functioning deficits and slower processing speed fully mediate the negative impact of prematurity on reading and math achievement.
  • Early interventions targeting executive functions and processing speed may improve academic outcomes for preterm children.

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