Executive functions in children with dyslexia

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to verify whether children with dyslexia have difficulties in executive functions (shifting, working memory, inhibition).

Methods: A sample of 47 children (ages 8-13 years) participated in the study: 24 who were dyslexic and 23 controls with typical development. A battery of neuropsychological tests was used.

Results: Results revealed executive function difficulties among the dyslexic children when compared with controls, encompassing selective attention modulation processes, shifting, and inhibitory control. These difficulties appeared to be affected by phonological working memory deficits, typically associated with dyslexia.

Conclusion: Our findings support the consensus among scholars regarding the central involvement of phonological skill dysfunctions in dyslexia.

RESUMO

O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar se crianças com dislexia têm dificuldades nas habilidades de funções executivas (shifting, memória operacional e inibição).

Métodos: Uma amostra de 47 crianças (idades entre 8 e 13 anos) participaram do estudo: 24 crianças disléxicas e 23 crianças com desenvolvimento típico. Uma bateria de avaliação neuropsicológica foi usada.

Results: Os resultados revelaram dificuldades nas funções executivas nas crianças disléxicas quando comparadas com as controle, envolvendo processos de modulação de atenção seletiva, shifting e controle inibitório. Essas dificuldades parecem ser afetadas pelos déficits na memória operacional fonológica, tipicamente associada à dislexia.

Conclusion: Assim, nossos achados suportam o consenso de que a disfunção central da dislexia está nas habilidades fonológicas.

Keywords:

Dyslexia - executive function - child - cognition

Palavras-chave:

Dislexia - função executiva - criança - cognição

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