Heart Rate Variability and Sustained Attention in ADHD Children

The major goal of the current study was to investigate the association between continuous performance tests (CPTs) and the heart rate variability (HRV) of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children. The HRV, specifically the 0.10-Hz component, may be considered to be a psychophysiological index of effort allocation (motivation): The less effort the subject allocates, the greater the 0.10-Hz component. Results indicated that, compared to controls, ADHD subjects had a greater 0.10-Hz component, which was associated with poor test performance over time. Thus, using a psychophysiological measure, we were able to confirm the clinical concept of ADHD from a motivational perspective.     

情绪对学习不良青少年选择性注意和持续性注意的影响

以学习不良青少年为被试,采用成绩反馈法诱发情绪,考察了情绪对学习不良青少年选择性注意和持续性注意的影响,结果表明：（1）情绪会影响学习不良青少年的选择性注意,具有积极低唤醒情绪的学习不良青少年,他们的选择性注意的反应时显著短于消极情绪下的被试;(2)学习不良青少年的情绪会影响到他们的持续性注意能力,消极高唤醒的情绪能够增加虚报率,而积极高唤醒的情绪能够提高判断标准,降低虚报率     

The Development of Selective Attention in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The influence of age on a selective attention task was studied in a sample of children with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The impact of methylphenidate (MPH) treatment on selective attention was also investigated in the children with ADHD. Two age groups of children with ADHD and two age groups of control children were tested using a timed computer task. The task consisted of identifying visual target stimuli under various distracter conditions. Distracters varied on the basis of modality (i.e., visual, auditory, or both) and task relevance (i.e., meaningful or irrelevant). Reaction times and accuracy were measured. Children with ADHD were less efficient on the selective attention task than were children without ADHD, and older children were more efficient than younger children in both groups. Children without ADHD were influenced more by the nature of distracters than were children with ADHD. For children with ADHD, MPH improved performance overall.     

Task Switching and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The main goal of the present set of studies was to examine the efficiency of executive control processes and, more specifically, the control processes involved in task set inhibition and preparation to perform a new task in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and non-ADHD children. This was accomplished by having ADHD children, both on and off medication, and non-ADHD children perform the task-switching paradigm, which involves the performance of two simple tasks. In nonswitch trials, an individual task is performed repeatedly for a number of trials. In switch trials, subjects must rapidly and accurately switch from one task to the other, either in a predictable or unpredictable sequence. Switch costs are calculated by subtracting performance on the nonswitch trials from performance on the switch trials. These costs are assumed to reflect the executive control processes required for the coordination of multiple tasks. ADHD children showed substantially larger switch costs than non-ADHD children. However, when on medication, the ADHD children's switch performance was equivalent to control children. In addition, medication was observed to improve the ADHD children's ability to inhibit inappropriate responses. These data are discussed in terms of models of ADHD and cognition.     

“触电”时代的儿童:触屏媒体与幼儿发展

数字媒体的飞速发展使得越来越多的研究者开始关注触屏媒体对幼儿发展的影响。综述从触屏媒体的特征、触屏学习、幼儿发展、触屏媒体能否作为测量工具及其在家庭和学校中推广使用的有效性方面进行探讨。综述发现：触屏媒体具有交互性、即时反馈性、渐进性和便携性。41项涉及触屏的研究在STEM学习（d_{与基线比较}=1.06,d_{与其它方法比较}=0.30）、词汇学习（d_{与基线比较}=0.51,d_{与其它方法比较}=0.47）和学习迁移（d=0.78）上发现了触屏的促进作用。触屏媒体对幼儿执行功能与亲子关系发展有促进作用,但是对精细运动的影响尚不明确。触屏可以作为测量工具或干预方式用于其它领域,推广使用时存在挑战。未来研究应该继续关注触屏媒体特征对学习效果及不同年龄阶段儿童的影响,探讨真实触屏媒体环境中儿童的学习与发展。     

Sustained Attention and Executive Functioning Performance in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

The aim of this study was to further refine the cognitive phenotype of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with respect to the ability to sustain attention and executive functioning. Participants were 34 boys with ADHD (combined type) and 28 normal controls. The groups were closely matched for age and IQ. All participants were 12 years of age. Both groups performed a computerized sustained attention task and a response interference task. Measures related to speed, accuracy, and time on task were collected. We found that children with ADHD performed slower, less accurately, more impulsively, and with less stability than controls. Both groups produced more errors with increasing time on task, reflecting reduced vigilance. Importantly, no interaction with time on task was found. The overall pattern of results suggests that measures related to accuracy are more informative than measures related to speed of responding in refining the cognitive phenotype of ADHD.     

7～11岁儿童持续注意能力的性别差异研究

本研究采用颜色、图形和数字信号监测的三种警觉任务形式 ,来探索7～ 1 1岁儿童持续注意能力的性别差异。结果发现 ,男女儿童持续注意随时间的变化趋势一致 ;7岁男性儿童的持续注意能力优于女性儿童 ,而 9岁和 1 1岁男女儿童的持续注意能力各有自己的风格 ,男性儿童反应快而正确率低 ,女性儿童反应慢而正确率高。     

启发式在警觉任务中的交叉复合作用

通过对个体和团队和警觉任务的阶段性研究,本研究发现了启发式对个体警觉任务的交叉复合作用,个体在警觉任务关键信号出现时绩效不一定下降。关键信号出现时成绩的升降取决于关键信号与背景信号的可取性。另外,团队结构克服了个体决策中出现的信息不全和信息加工资源不足的缺陷,使警觉任务在关键事件发生时、发生前和发生后的成绩波动不大。     

Attention and Memory in Children with Brain Tumors

The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test was utilized to examine attention, learning, and memory abilities in 42 children with cerebellar (N?=?18) and third ventricle tumors (N?=?24). Children with cerebellar tumors exhibited significant auditory attentional impairments and displayed adequate encoding and retrieval across subsequent learning and memory trials. In contrast, children with third ventricle tumors exhibited average auditory attentional abilities, but they displayed mild encoding deficits across trials 2–5. Furthermore, the third ventricle group's compromised performance on the delayed recall trial and average performance on the delayed recognition trial is suggestive of underlying retrieval deficits.     

Sustained attention development during the toddlerhood to preschool period: associations with toddlers' emotion regulation strategies and maternal behaviour

The current study examined the role of maternal behaviour and toddlers' emotion regulation strategies in the development of children's sustained attention abilities. Participants for this study included 447 children (232 girls) obtained from three different cohorts participating in a larger ongoing longitudinal study. When the children were 2 years of age, mothers brought their children to the laboratory and were videotaped during several tasks designed to elicit emotion regulation and mother–child interaction. Sustained attention was also measured at the same visit via a laboratory task and in a subsequent visit when children were 4.5 years of age. Results indicated that toddlers' use of help‐seeking emotion regulation strategies was positively related to sustained attention, while avoidance behaviours and maternal behaviour characterized by high levels of overcontrolling/intrusiveness were negatively related to sustained attention at age 2. Significant interactions emerged such that high levels of maternal warmth/responsiveness buffered the negative associations between low use of distraction and high use of self‐comforting emotion regulation strategies and sustained attention at age 2. Maternal behaviour characterized by high levels of warmth/responsiveness also predicted greater growth in sustained attention from age 2 to 4.5. These findings are discussed in terms of how maternal behaviours and children's use of active versus passive emotion regulation strategies relate to sustained attention abilities. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

联合注意:早期发展的里程碑

联合注意作为早期的社会认知能力,对语言、社会认知等能力的发展有很大的影响。文章综述了联合注意出现的先兆、联合注意的行为、联合注意的形式与功能,并阐述了其在发展中的重要作用。最后文章讨论了当前研究中存在的问题并指出联合注意新的研究方向。     

The Effect of External and Internal Focus of Attention on Gait Variability in Older Adults

Internal focus of attention on a movement or focusing on an external target are both strategies that can affect motor performance. The authors explored whether manipulating subjects' focus of attention while walking would alter gait variability, a measure reflecting consistency of gait and associated with the risk of falling in older adults. Twenty community-living older adults participated in the study and were tested while focusing their attention on (a) gait consistency (internal focus) or (b) metronome beats (external focus). In both conditions gait variability increased (i.e., worsened p < .05) or did not change. No benefit was found in instructing subjects to focus on gait consistency or metronome beats. Such instructions may actually have distracted and interfered with the execution of gait.     

从知觉负载理论来理解选择性注意

知觉负载理论被认为解决了选择性注意研究的早选择和晚选择观点之争。当前任务对注意资源的耗用程度决定了与任务无关的干扰刺激得到多少加工,从而导致在低知觉负载下,注意资源自动溢出去加工干扰刺激（晚选择）,而在高知觉负载下,注意资源被当前任务耗尽而无法加工干扰刺激（早选择）。知觉负载理论提出后,研究者进行了一系列研究。一部分工作专注于知觉负载对选择性注意的调节作用;另外一些工作则关注其他认知过程如何影响注意资源的分配,其中知觉负载与工作记忆负载的关系是当前关注重点。     

注意资源、学习方式与年龄因素对协作抑制的影响

本研究在前人研究的基础上,试图探讨不同编码因素对协作抑制效应的制约作用,从协作抑制角度为挖掘集体记忆的作用机制提供证据。实验1结果发现,集中注意条件下,出现协作抑制;分配注意条件下,协作抑制消失。说明学习时注意资源的投入程度,对协作抑制有影响。实验2结果发现不同的学习方式对协作抑制的影响在不同年龄被试身上表现不同。本研究将视角聚焦于编码因素,研究结果证实,协作抑制受到不同编码因素的制约,此外,本结果亦为协作抑制的提取策略破坏假说提供了新的证据。     

小学生选择性注意能力发展的研究

本研究采用注意线索范式对小学生视觉选择性注意的发展及其影响因素进行了研究.被试为小学一、三、五年级学生,研究主要考察分心物数量、线索有效性和目标新异性对小学生注意发展的影响.研究结果表明:(1)小学三年级(8~9岁)儿童表现出显著的注意阶段性波动,该结果与国外研究有一定的一致性,也有待于进一步研究证实;(2)小学阶段儿童在相同任务上的选择注意加工速度比成人慢300~1100ms;(3)分心物数量、线索有效性和目标新异性对儿童选择注意发展的影响与成人的结论一致,而且呈现持续发展趋势.     

汉语发展性阅读障碍儿童视觉注意广度的发展及其对阅读流畅性的作用

以85名小学2~6年级儿童为研究对象,采用方差分析、分层回归探讨小学高、低年龄阶段发展性阅读障碍儿童视觉注意广度的发展变化,并以同年龄正常阅读者作为对照组;同时在不同年龄阶段探究视觉注意广度对阅读流畅性发展的预测作用。结果显示：（1）发展性阅读障碍儿童存在视觉注意广度缺陷,并呈现出在小学高年龄阶段更严重的趋势;（2）在阅读障碍儿童中,视觉注意广度对汉语流畅阅读的显著预测作用随发展增强;而对于正常阅读者,视觉注意广度仅显著预测低年龄段学生的句子朗读流畅阅读能力。以上结果表明视觉注意广度与汉语流畅阅读能力关系密切,今后汉语阅读障碍的相关干预研究可以尝试从视觉注意广度训练方面切入。     

孤独症儿童共同注意的神经基础及早期干预

共同注意是指两个人共同对某一事物加以注意, 分享对该事物的兴趣, 它是儿童社会认知发展的奠基性能力。首先, 孤独症儿童共同注意发展主要体现在注视转换、主动展示、分享等能力发展滞后及缺陷; 孤独症儿童共同注意的神经基础：应答性共同注意主要涉及后部皮层注意网络(如颞上沟后部、顶内沟等), 自发性共同注意涉及前部皮层注意网络(如前扣带皮层、背内侧额叶等); 最后, 以回合式教法和关键反应训练为基本方法, 论述了共同注意干预的新近模式和效果评估。未来研究应在孤独症儿童的共同注意发展的年龄特征及机制、共同注意的脑区可塑性及脑网络的发展以及开发更有效的干预方法等方面展开大量研究。     

Attention,Response Inhibition,and Face-Information Processing in Children: The Role of Task Characteristics,Age, and Gender

The aim of the study was to assess: (a) developmental changes in attention, response inhibition, and face-information processing using the new Balloons task and (b) to evaluate the association between measures derived from the task with reported behavior problems. One hundred and thirty-four typically developing children (53 boys and 81 girls) were tested with the Balloons. Their parents and teachers completed the Child Behavior Checklist. Our results validate the Balloons as a reliable task with significant effects of manipulations in difficulty level (speed, processing load, and processing type). The results suggest that face-information processing undergoes significant changes during the age period between 7 and 13 years with significant gender differences. Modest but significant correlations were found between the Balloons' measures and behavior problems.     

The Relation Between Self-Report Mindfulness and Performance on Tasks of Sustained Attention

Validation of self-report mindfulness measures has been promising, although comparisons with non-self-report instruments are lacking. Because past research suggests that mindfulness training is associated with improved attention, this study predicted that higher self-report mindfulness would be positively related to performance on tasks of sustained attention. Fifty undergraduates completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS), the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale, Revised (CAMS-R), and performed the Continuous Performance Test II (CPT-II) and the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT). Mindfulness scores, as measured by the MAAS and CAMS-R, were negatively related to target omissions on the CPT-II (ps ≤ 0.001), but were not related to PASAT performance (ps ≥ 0.11). Scores on the KIMS were not related to the CPT-II or PASAT (ps ≥ 0.15). Results suggest that self-report mindfulness is related to exaggerated lapses of attention, as measured by the CPT-II.     

不同特征维度下ADHD儿童的任务切换特点

本研究采用双向刺激设置,通过操纵两实验的特征维度,以考察任务维度对ADHD儿童任务切换的影响。结果发现,在两个实验中,相对于正常组儿童,ADHD儿童在任务切换上都表现出缺损。当注意维度相同时,ADHD儿童在固定顺序上的切换损耗大于随机顺序,但在跨维度任务中,ADHD儿童在固定顺序上的切换损耗则小于随机顺序,这与正常儿童的表现模式不一致。该结果表明,工作记忆会对ADHD儿童产生影响,但这取决于任务的特征维度是否一致。