Kognitive Funktionen bei Sprachentwicklungsstörungen im Vorschulalter

Ein wachsender Bereich der Forschung hat sich auf Exekutivfunktionen bei Kindern mit spezifischer Sprachentwicklungsstörung (SSES) konzentriert. Allerdings zeigen bisherige Ergebnisse eine begrenzte Konvergenz, insbesondere bei Kindern im Vorschulalter. In der vorliegenden neuropsychologischen Studie wurden daher kognitive Funktionen bei Vorschulkindern mit SSES im Vergleich zu einer gesunden Kontrollgruppe untersucht. Die Ergebnisse machen deutlich: Kinder mit SSES weisen im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe signifikante Einschränkungen hinsichtlich des phonologischen Arbeitsgedächtnisses auf. Zudem konnten bei ihnen tendenziell schwächere Leistungen in der Inhibition und Verarbeitungsgeschwindigkeit festgestellt werden. Dies qualifiziert das phonologische Arbeitsgedächtnis als zuverlässigen Marker für die Erkennung von SSES bereits im Vorschulalter.

Abstract

Objective A growing body of research has focused on executive functions in children with specific language impairment (SLI). However, results show limited convergence, particularly in preschool age. The current neuropsychological study compared performance of cognitive functions in preschool children with SLI to typically developing controls.

Method The monolingual, Caucasian study sample consisted of 30 children with SLI (8 girls, 22 boys; mean age = 63.3 months, standard deviation = 4.3 months) and 30 healthy controls (17 girls, 13 boys; mean age = 62.2 months, standard deviation = 3.7 months). Groups were matched for age and nonverbal IQ. Socioeconomic status of the participating families was included. Nonparametric tests were used in order to analyze group differences.

Results Children with SLI had significantly poorer abilities of phonological short-term memory than matched controls. A tendency of poorer abilities in the SLI group was found for inhibition and processing speed.

Conclusions We confirmed phonological short-term memory to be a reliable marker of SLI in preschoolers. Our results do not give definite support for impaired executive function in SLI, possibly owing to limited sensitivity of test instruments in this age group. We argue for a standardization of executive function tests for research use.

Fazit

Unter klinischer Betrachtung untermauern die Ergebnisse die hohe klinische Relevanz eines geminderten Arbeitsgedächtnisses als bedeutenden Marker für SSES auch im Vorschulalter. Folglich erscheint eine entsprechende Diagnostik bereits in diesem Alter empfehlenswert, um vor Schuleintritt potenzielle Dysfunktionen erfassen zu können. Aufgrund der maßgeblichen Entwicklung von EF im Vorschulalter wären außerdem standardisierte und normgerechte Testbatterien zur Erfassung von EF in dieser Altersgruppe wünschenswert. Überdies gibt es Hinweise auf die Trainierbarkeit von EF, insbesondere des Arbeitsgedächtnisses, sodass therapeutisch die Arbeit an EF bei Kindern mit SSES in Betracht gezogen werden könnte.

Schlüsselwörter

spezifische Sprachentwicklungsstörung - Vorschulkinder - kognitive Funktionen - Exekutivfunktionen - kognitive Flexibilität

Keywords

specific language impairment - preschool children - cognitive functions - executive functions - cognitive flexibility

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