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Dissociating verbal mediation and executive function in children with developmental language disorder

Award Number: F32DC020095
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

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Dissociating verbal mediation and executive function in children with developmental language disorder - PROJECT SUMMARY Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a highly prevalent impairment in the use and understanding of spoken and written language that contributes to poor academic outcomes and social-emotional distress. Research suggests that executive function, a set of skills responsible for controlling and monitoring cognitive resources, is also impaired in children with DLD. However, executive function task performance is often facilitated by verbal mediation, or the use of language through internal self-talk to guide behavior. Given evidence that verbal mediation is limited in children with DLD, it is difficult to discern whether poor performance on executive function tasks is due to ineffective verbal mediation, weak executive function, or both. The presence of co-occurring deficits can obscure assessment results and lead to the implementation of ineffective interventions. The long- term goal of this work is to improve assessment and intervention for children with DLD by addressing the critical gap in knowledge about the relations between language and executive function skills. The objective of this project is to dissociate the effects of verbal mediation and executive function on a shifting task in school-aged children with DLD and typical development (TD). Shifting is the ability to alternate between operations or mental sets, and it is critical for planning and problem solving in an academic environment. Aim #1 will examine the effect of verbal mediation on shifting task performance using behavioral measures of switch cost, or the slowing of response following a shift cue, under conditions that allow or prevent the use of verbal mediation. We hypothesize that when verbal mediation is prevented, switch costs will increase for children with TD and stay the same or decrease for children with DLD. This pattern would indicate that ineffective verbal mediation is contributing to poor shifting task performance in children with DLD. Aim #2 will isolate the effect of executive function on shifting task performance using temporally sensitive event-related potentials (ERPs) extracted from electroencephalography (EEG) recorded from the scalp. The project will capitalize on a well-studied ERP marker of shift detection, the cue-P3. We predict that children with DLD will show increased activation of the executive system reflected in an equally large brain response (i.e., large amplitude of the cue-P3) when shifting is needed and when it is not. This pattern would be consistent with previous findings in individuals with a weak executive control system. The proposed project will provide the PI with training in using EEG methodology, analyzing ERP data, establishing a productive and independent line of research, and improving grantsmanship and leadership skills. The proposed research and training activities will take place in an exceptional scientific environment with a highly accomplished mentorship team. Findings from the proposed work will have a positive impact on clinical assessment by encouraging systematic appraisal of how verbal mediation affects commonly used tests of executive function. The outcomes of this study will also impact future research on interventions targeting verbal mediation strategies for children with DLD and executive function challenges.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = -$19,272 )
2025	2023	THE MGH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS, INC.	36 1ST AVE	CHARLESTOWN	MA	02129	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	1	11/27/2024	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	-$612
2025	2023	THE MGH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS, INC.	36 1ST AVE	CHARLESTOWN	MA	02129	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	2	11/27/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$18,660
														Subtotal = -$19,272

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $78,772 )
2023	2023	MGH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS, INC.THE	36 1ST AVE	BOSTON	MA	02129	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	10/21/2022	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$2,500
2023	2023	MGH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS, INC.THE	36 1ST AVE	BOSTON	MA	02129	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	2	12/27/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$74,234
2023	2023	MGH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS, INC.THE	36 1ST AVE	BOSTON	MA	02129	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	2	2/5/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$2,038
														Subtotal = $78,772

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $71,697 )
2022	2022	MGH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS, INC.THE	36 1ST AVE	BOSTON	MA	02129	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	1	12/31/2021	NEW	$0
2022	2022	MGH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS, INC.THE	36 1ST AVE	BOSTON	MA	02129	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	003	1	5/19/2022	NEW	$6
2022	2022	MGH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS, INC.THE	36 1ST AVE	BOSTON	MA	02129	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	12/31/2021	NEW	$70,457
2022	2022	MGH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS, INC.THE	36 1ST AVE	BOSTON	MA	02129	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	1	4/25/2022	NEW	$1,234
														Subtotal = $71,697

Grand Total All Awards = $131,197

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Dissociating verbal mediation and executive function in children with developmental language disorder

Award Number: F32DC020095

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

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