Executive Function Development in Preschool Children

描述（由申请人提供）：执行控制是一个重要的原因或贡献者在一系列的神经，精神和发育障碍与起源于学龄前阶段的不良结果，但很少有人知道的性质或发展的执行控制在幼儿，或如何充分衡量这种能力在这个年龄范围。为了解决这个问题，米勒和科恩的全面，但简约，上下文表示模型的执行控制。因为这里的分析水平是神经心理学测试表现，所以经典的心理测量测试理论被用来将这些环境背景表征操作化为潜在的任务需求，这些任务需求由任务之间共享的真实分数或公因子方差表示，即，潜在的EF结构或因素。这些潜在的执行功能结构（标记为工作记忆、抑制和灵活转换因素）是可分离的，但又高度相关;它们象征着更大的环境背景的不可观察的表征，这些环境背景调用执行控制来产生受调节的思想和行为。一个队列序贯，纵向设计是用来测试这个假设模型的效用。将招募一个按性别分层的3岁儿童的大型纵向队列（使用综合策略以确保多样性），并每9个月进行一次执行测试组合，直至6-0岁，以充分模拟大脑和认知快速增长期间的技能发展。还将招募四个较小的、具有交错入组年龄的连续队列，随后每隔9个月随访一次，直至6-0岁。队列序贯设计允许同时纵向建模的认知发展，同时直接评估重复测试管理的影响。潜在EF结构是由专门为幼儿设计的多个测试先验定义的。复杂的统计分析用于a）将假设的结构模型的拟合度与从测试混淆先前调查的特定特征开发的更简单和替代模型进行对比，B）通过检查水平[截距]和变化率[斜率]的个体和群体差异来确定随年龄的发展，以及c）表征与日常行为的动态关系。由于在临床环境中的潜在应用，在个人执行测试性能的变化也将与层次增长模型进行检查，和增长混合模型将被用来确定潜在的儿童群体的发展轨迹不同于同龄人，可能涉及到父母的日常行为的评级。理解执行控制的本质和发展，以及它与日常行为的关系，最终将产生关于在许多神经发育障碍中可能受损的过程的重要信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Executive control is a significant cause or contributor to poor outcome in a host of neurological, psychiatric, and developmental disorders with origins in the preschool period, yet little is known about the nature or development of executive control in young children, or how to adequately measure such abilities in this age range. To address this problem, Miller and Cohen's comprehensive, yet parsimonious, context representation model of executive control was used. Because the level of analysis here is neuropsychological test performance, classic psychometric test theory was utilized to operationalize these environmental context representations as the latent task demands that are represented by the true score or common factor variance shared across tasks, i.e., latent EF constructs or factors. These latent EF constructs (labeled Working Memory, Inhibition, and Flexible Shifting factors) are separable, yet highly interrelated; and symbolize the unobservable representations of the larger environmental context that invoke executive control to produce regulated thought and behavior. A cohort-sequential, longitudinal design is used to test the utility of this postulated model. A large longitudinal cohort of 3-year-old children, stratified by sex, will be recruited (using a comprehensive strategy to assure diversity) and administered an executive test battery every 9 months through age 6-0 years, to adequately model skill development during this period of rapid brain and cognitive growth. Four smaller, sequential cohorts with staggered ages of entry also will be recruited and followed subsequently at 9 month intervals until age 6-0 years. The cohort-sequential design permits simultaneous longitudinal modeling of cognitive development, while assessing directly the impact of repeated test administration. The latent EF constructs are defined a priori by multiple tests that are designed specifically for use in young children. Sophisticated statistical analyses are used to a) contrast the fit of the hypothesized structural model to simpler and alternative models developed from test specific characteristics that have confounded previous investigations, b) determine development with age by examining individual and group differences in the level [intercept] and rates [slope] of change, and c) characterize dynamic relations to everyday behavior. Because of the potential application in clinical contexts, changes in individual executive test performance also will be examined with hierarchical growth models, and growth mixture modeling will be used to identify latent groups of children whose developmental trajectories differ from peers that may relate to parental ratings of everyday behavior. Understanding the nature and development of executive control, and its relation to everyday behavior, ultimately will yield important information regarding the processes that may be impaired in a number of neurodevelopmental disorders.