In recent decades, the utility of cognitive tele-assessment has increasingly been highlighted, both in adults and in children. The present study aimed to present TeleFE, a new tool for the tele-assessment of EF in children aged 6–13. TeleFE consists of a web platform including four tasks based on robust neuropsychological paradigms to evaluate inhibition, interference suppression, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and planning. It also includes questionnaires on EF for teachers and parents, to obtain information on the everyday functioning of the children. As TeleFE allows the assessment of EF both remotely and in-person, a comparison of the two modalities was conducted by administering TeleFE to 1288 Italian primary school children. A series of ANOVA was conducted, showing no significant effect of assessment modality (p > 0.05 for all the measures). In addition, significant differences by class emerged for all the measures (p < 0.001 for all the measures except p = 0.008 for planning). Finally, a significant sex effect emerged for inhibition (p < 0.001) and for the reaction times in both interference control (p = 0.013) and cognitive flexibility (p < 0.001), with boys showing a lower inhibition and faster reaction times. The implications of these results along with the indications for the choice of remote assessment are discussed.

Objective: Pediatric strokes are rare events that can lead to neuropsychological impairment or disability. While motor deficits are relatively easy to identify and investigate, cognitive outcomes after stroke are more complex to define. Many studies have focused on global cognitive outcomes, while only a few recent studies have focused on specific cognitive processes. The aims of the present review were to provide an overview of the effects of pediatric strokes on executive function and to investigate the relations between executive functioning and clinical factors. Method: Studies concerning executive functioning after pediatric stroke were identified using PsycInfo, PsycArticles and PubMed. A total of 142 studies were identified, and 22 met the inclusion criteria. Results: The review of the 22 studies included clearly indicates that childhood and perinatal strokes can affect executive function, and in particular inhibition. In contrast, the results concerning clinical factors related to EF outcomes are inconsistent. Discussion: Our results highlight the importance to assess EF following pediatric stroke. Early identification of difficulties in EF is crucial to provide adequate training to the children and to prevent the development of other correlated difficulties, such as behavioral problems or learning difficulties. Methodological issues regarding the heterogeneity of samples and measurement difficulties limit the conclusions that can be made about the clinical predictors of the outcomes. Studies are needed to better understand this aspect and to develop adequate EF interventions for children following stroke.

It has been suggested that not only domain‐specific factors but also working memory (WM) may play a crucial role in mathematical learning included Geometry, but the issue has not been deeply explored. In the present study, we examined the role of domain‐specific factors and of verbal versus visuospatial WM on geometric learning of a new geometrical figure (trapezoid), never presented previously by the teachers participating to the study, after a lecture also involving manipulatives. Results on 105 children in their Year 4 indicated that not only some domain‐specific components (geometric declarative knowledge and calculation) but also visuospatial working memory had a significant specific impact on the ability of solving geometric problems requiring to calculate the perimeter and the area of the new figure. On the contrary, verbal WM and geometrical mental imagery did not offer a specific contribution. These findings could have important educational implications, stressing the importance of taking into account the main different aspects supporting the acquisition of geometry.

This study examined the executive function (EF) of children with a history of arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) and preserved intellectual abilities, with reference to age at stroke onset, lesion characteristics, language, and motor functioning. In addition, the associations between EF and emotional and behavioral functioning were investigated. A battery of standardized neuropsychological tests was administered to children with previous AIS aged 7–12 in order to assess EF, including inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and attention. Parents rated questionnaires regarding real-life emotional and behavioral functioning. Finally, clinical and neuroradiological data were also gathered. Thirty patients were enrolled. Eight children fall in the lower end of the normative range or below in more than half of the EF measures, with working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility equally impaired, and attention relatively better preserved. Larger lesion size and language deficits were significantly associated with higher EF impairment. Emotional and behavioral functioning was lower in children with weaker EF. Children with a history of AIS, even those with preserved intellectual functioning, have a high risk of showing poor EF, mostly regardless of clinical features or functional impairment. EF difficulties are in turn associated with emotional and behavioral problems. Therefore, a standardized evaluation of EF in this population is mandatory as part of the follow-up, in order to ensure an early intervention and prevent related difficulties.

To provide an overview of the effects of pediatric stroke on emotional and social functioning in childhood.A literature review was completed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Sys...

Introduction: The study investigates age and sex-related differences in sustained attention and inhibitory control in a sample of children and adolescents using a continuous performance test with distractor events. In addition, the impact of distractors on sustained attention and inhibitory control is explored.Methods: The study included 479 individuals aged 6–17 years and analyzed four indices, namely omission, timing, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.Results: Results revealed that both sustained attention and hyperactivity show age-related changes into adolescence, whereas impulsivity shows age-related changes only in the 6–12 age range, with no differences observed from 13 to 17. Sex differences emerged in inhibitory control: impulsivity remained consistently lower in females than in males across the entire 6–17 age range. In contrast, sex differences in hyperactivity were no longer evident by age 17. Overall, combined distractors have the greatest negative impact on performance, followed by visual and auditory distractors. However, in adolescents, lower distractors impact emerged, together with a positive impact of the auditory ones.Discussion: These findings provide helpful insight on sustained attention an inhibitory control development, showing different trajectories for impulsivity and hyperactivity. In addition, insight on the role of distractors in determining the performances emerged.