Evaluating the contribution of executive functions (Obermeyer et al., 2019)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which the executive functions of attention switching and inhibition predicted performance on language subtests from the Temple Assessment of Language and (Verbal) Short-Term Memory in Aphasia (TALSA; N. Martin, Minkina, Kohen, & Kalinyak-Fliszar, 2018) across 3 interval conditions (no delay, 5-s delay, and 5-s filled delay), which was designed to add a memory and executive load to language tasks.Method: This study was a post hoc experimental design. Participants included 27 people with aphasia who were administered 5 subtests from the TALSA (Naming, Word Repetition, Nonword Repetition, Category Judgment, and Rhyming Judgment), which were selected to evaluate input and output levels of processing in the 3 interval conditions listed above. Three executive tasks were administered to evaluate inhibition (Simon and Flanker tasks) and attention switching (number–letter shifting).Results: Independent variables were proportion correct on each TALSA task in 3 separate time conditions, and predictor variables were efficiency on the Simon task and number–letter shifting task. Linear regression modeling was completed, which revealed that inhibition was a significant predictor of proportion correct for Word Repetition and Category Judgment in the 5-s filled interval condition.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that inhibition plays a role in completing tasks that require lexical and/or semantic processing in cognitively demanding conditions. Attention switching was not a significant predictor for any task. These results are an important step toward creating methods to evaluate executive skills in the context of language production.Supplemental Material S1. Control demographic data. Supplemental Material S2. Supplemental Material S2. Average control (n = 5) performance on temple assessment of language and (verbal) short term memory tasks.Supplemental Material S3. Means and standard deviations of reaction time for executive function measures in control participants (n = 5).Obermeyer, J., Schlesinger, J., & Martin, N. (2019). Evaluating the contribution of executive functions to language tasks in cognitively demanding contexts. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_AJSLP-CAC48-18-0216Publisher Note: This article is part of the Special Issue: Select Papers From the 48th Clinical Aphasiology Conference.

研究目的：本研究的目的是确定注意力转换与抑制等执行功能对失语症患者（N. Martin, Minkina, Kohen, & Kalinyak-Fliszar, 2018）在无延迟、5秒延迟以及5秒填充延迟三种不同时间条件下，在语言亚测试（来自《语言与（口头）短期记忆评估》（TALSA））中的表现预测程度。该评估旨在向语言任务中增加记忆与执行负荷。研究方法：本研究采用事后实验设计。研究对象包括27名失语症患者，他们接受了来自TALSA的5项亚测试（命名、单词复述、非词复述、类别判断和押韵判断），这些测试旨在评估上述三种时间条件下的输入与输出处理水平。此外，还进行了三项执行任务，以评估抑制（Simon和Flanker任务）与注意力转换（数字-字母转换）。研究结果：自变量为三个不同时间条件下TALSA任务中正确比例，预测变量为Simon任务和数字-字母转换任务中的效率。通过线性回归建模，发现抑制在5秒填充延迟条件下对单词复述和类别判断的正确比例具有显著预测作用。研究结论：本研究结果表明，在认知负荷较高的条件下，抑制在完成需要词汇和/或语义处理的任务中发挥着重要作用。注意力转换对任何任务的预测作用均不显著。这些结果为在语言生产背景下评估执行技能的方法研究迈出了重要一步。补充材料S1：控制人口统计数据。补充材料S2：平均控制组（n = 5）在《语言与（口头）短期记忆评估》任务中的表现。补充材料S3：控制参与者（n = 5）执行功能测量反应时间的平均值和标准差。Obermeyer, J., Schlesinger, J., & Martin, N. (2019). 在认知负荷环境下评估执行功能对语言任务贡献的研究。美国言语-语言病理学杂志。在线预发表。https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_AJSLP-CAC48-18-0216。出版者注：本文为特别专题：第48届临床失语症会议精选论文。