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Modeling the Relations Among Sustained Attention, Short-Term Memory, and Language in Down Syndrome
Gayle G Faught1, Frances A Conners1
1Gayle G. Faught, University of South Carolina Aiken; and Frances A. Conners, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.
Abstract:
Sustained attention (SA) and short-term memory (STM) contribute to language function in Down syndrome (DS). We proposed models in which relations of SA to language in DS are mediated by STM. Thirty-seven youth with DS aged 10-22 years (M = 15.59) completed SA, STM, and language tasks. Cross-sectional mediation analyses were run with the bootstrapping method. We found significant indirect effects of SA separately on vocabulary and syntax through auditory STM with point estimates of -.30 and -.31, respectively. Results suggest lapses in SA compromise auditory STM, which in turn impacts vocabulary and syntax in youth with DS; however, further research is needed to confirm causality. Addressing SA and STM in language therapy with youth with DS could lead to improved outcomes.
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