Publicación Oficial de la Sociedad Ecuatoriana de Neurología, de la Liga Ecuatoriana Contra la Epilepsia y de la Sociedad Iberoamericana de Enfermedad Cerebrovascular

Memoria de Trabajo

 

Rehabilitación neuropsicológica de la memoria de trabajo sobre la conducta ejecutiva y el rendimiento académico en un niño con trastorno específico del aprendizaje. Neuropsychological rehabilitation of working memory on executive behavior and academic performance in a child with specific learning disorder

Introduction: Learning disorders are a clinical condition that manifests itself at school age, affecting the cognitive, social and emotional functioning of the individuals who suffer from it. There are studies that show a positive effect of interventions on executive functioning, impacting the executive behaviors and ac ademic performance of children.

Objective: To assess the effect of a neuropsychological rehabilitation program for working memory on executive behavior and academic performance in a child with specific learning disor der.

Clinical case: An 11-year-old boy, diagnosed with a specific learning disorder according to the DSM-5, a working memory rehabilitation program was designed and applied and its impact on executive behaviors and academic performance was measured.

Results: The measurements of the treatment phase show a downward trend reflecting a positive impact. For the global index of executive function, the percentage of data that exceeds the median (PEM= 100%) indicates a very effective treatment and the non-overlapping of all pairs (NAP=89%) indicates a medium effect of the intervention.

Discussion: The results suggest a positive impact at the level of cognitive, behavioral and emotional functioning of the patient, reflected in executive behavior and academic performance.

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Palabras clave: Conductas ejecutivas, Memoria de Trabajo, rehabilitación neuropsicológica, Trastornos Específicos del Aprendizaje,

Keywords: executive behaviors, neuropsychological rehabilitation, Specific Learning Disorders, working memory,

Construcción teórica neuropsicológica de las funciones ejecutivas. Theoretical neuropsychological construction of executive functions

Executive functions (EF) constitute a large conglomerate of cognitive abilities that, as their name indicates, carry out decisive actions in decision-making and human behavior. They are of a cognitive and socio-emotional nature, they coordinate the input and output information to regulate the behaviors, thoughts, and emotions of a task to be performed. Alexander Luria raises its conceptualization at the beginning of the seventies, being Muriel Lezak the one in charge of its scientific dissemination. In this article, a bibliographic compilation on EFs, their best known theoretical models, their neuropsychological evaluation process, the most common disorders and the most relevant studies in recent years is made.

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Palabras clave: Corteza prefrontal, flexibilidad mental, Funciones Ejecutivas, lóbulo frontal, Memoria de Trabajo,

Keywords: Executive functions, frontal lobe, mental flexibility, Prefrontal cortex, working memory,

Propuesta de un paradigma computarizado para valorar memoria de trabajo. Proposal of a computerized paradigm for evaluation of working memory.

A paradigm for evaluating working memory was validated with the use of N-back tasks in a computer program to be applied within Functional Magnetic Resonance (RMF). The study hypothesis is based on the fact that a verbal 2-back difficulty level increases the success in the performance of the task in working memory, valid to be used in RMF. Through a quantitative cross-sectional study, the N-back paradigm was adapted to a PshicoPy computer program. The task consisted of responding to the stimulus or letter that is the same as the one that appeared two places behind (2 back). 4 blocks of 30 seconds each were presented, and 4 blocks of rest of 30 seconds; in total it lasts 4 minutes. To study the validity of the paradigm, an expert validation and a pilot test were carried out with the participation of 18 adult university subjects. The data was tabulated in a spreadsheet, using statistical contingency table tests; and of sensitivity and specificity. The results offered data greater than 80% sensitivity and specificity regarding the subject’s performance before the test, and the validity of the stimuli. It is concluded that the test can be used to assess working memory by means of a computer program, which can also be used in applications such as RMF.

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Palabras clave: Memoria de Trabajo, N-back, Paradigma, PsycoPy, RMf,

Keywords: fMRI, N-back, Paradigm, PsycoPy, working memory,

Efectos del ajedrez en el funcionamiento neuropsicológico infantil de la memoria de trabajo y la planificación. 
Effects of chess on child neuropsychological functioning working memory and planning.

Introduction. Chess is a sport and game that benefits different cognitive capacities in the infant stage due to its actions of moving pieces, game rules, decision making and problem solving.

Objective. This article analyzes the benefit of chess in the working memory and planning of boys and girls between 7 and 11 years of age (Mage = 9.00, SD = 1.08).

Method. The design followed is of a comparative type with 30 chess players and 30 non-chess players.

Results. Statistically significant differences were found in the comparisons between the groups in: Labyrinth of Porteus t (58) = 2.38, p = .02, d = .30; ENFEN t (58) = 3.53, p = .001, d = .42, Color paths t (58) = 2.26, p = .03, d = .28 and Ring Test t (58) = 2.35, p = .02, d = .29. In the Parent Observation Questionnaire, no significant differences were found.

Conclusions. The results are discussed around previous research and underlining the positive impact that chess activity produces in the improvement of working memory and planning.

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Palabras clave: ajedrez, Funciones Ejecutivas, Memoria de Trabajo, planificación,

Keywords: chess, Executive functions, Planning, working memory,

Las Funciones Ejecutivas del Lóbulo Frontal y su Asociación con el Desempeño Académico de Estudiantes de Nivel Superior. The Executive Functions Of The Frontal Lobe And Its Association With The Academic Performance Of Students In Higher Education.

Introduction. Executive functions (EF) are a set of mental skills that allow to regulate the behavior, metacognition and emotions; executing a conscious control of the own thought. The development is progressive along the vital cycle of the human being, therefore, they meet involved in the social, emotional and academic development of the persons. There exist studies that affirm that the academic performance meets influenced by the level of development of the EF (inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, monitoring and self-regulation) which relation has been progressively studied in diverse ages ranges and educational levels. Method. This article, has the aim to define and explain principal EF that they influence in the academic performance in university students. For it, there was realized a method of systematic review that allows to compile the investigations that affirm the above mentioned relation. Results and Conclusions. The scopes of the studies affirm that the principal EF involved in the academic performance of the university students is the working memory and in minor measure, the skills of planning, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility. Finally, there are discussed the limitations and projections that this study allows to approach; considering the EF to be a key factor for the academic university success and the implementation of instances of pedagogic supports that should favor the professional development of the students. 

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Palabras clave: Funciones Ejecutivas, Memoria de Trabajo, rendimiento académico, universitarios,

Keywords: academic performance, Executive functions, university students, working memory,

La Memoria de Trabajo y su relación con otras funciones cognitivas en la Enfermedad de Parkinson.

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurological illness due to degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons of the nigro-striatal pathway. Each of the five frontal-subcortical circuits contributes in a different way to PD’s symptoms. The clinical manifestations are variable; they include non cognitive deficits like: rigidity, tremor, bradykinesia, and other motor deficits like hypomimic (mask-like face), hypophonia, dysarthria, dystonia and abnormal postures among others. The emotional disorders in PD include depression and anxiety. The frontotemporal dementia in PD has been described. The neuropsychological examination of the PD patient is done considering whether the main symptoms are bradykinesia and rigidity, since these patients show more severe cognitive decline. We must examine the attention, which is between the normal limits in simple tasks, but it shows deficits in more complex tasks; memory and learning are disturbed, orientation is intact; in verbal functions we evaluate vocabulary, syntaxes and grammar which are relatively intact, although the sentence length tend to be reduced; the visuospatial disorders are frequent in PD; thinking and reasoning must also be examined, in both of them there is normal performance and they show a realistic appreciation of their condition and limitations; the executive functions are evaluated, there are consistent failures in tests that require concept formation and thinking flexibility. PD treatment can be medical using L-Dopa, or surgery through techniques by lesion or stimulation to different surgical targets like the internal globus pallidus, the subthalamic nucleus, or the ventral medial thalamic nucleus, unilateral or bilaterally. The PD repercussions in working memory (WM) will be studied related to executive functions, speech, cronometraje, saccades and attention.

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Palabras clave: Atención, Cronometraje, deterioro cognitivo, enfermedad de Parkinson, Funciones Ejecutivas, Habla, Memoria de Trabajo, Sacadas,

Keywords: Attention, Cognitive decline, Cronometraje, Executive functions, Parkinson’s disease, Saccades, Speech, working memory,

Sistema de actividades para la compensación de la memoria de trabajo en adultos con ataxia por trauma craneoencefálico.

Introduction: Working memory or operational memory is considered a distinct element of the executive function. Objective: To propose a system of activities that will contribute to the compensation of working memory in adults with Ataxia by craneoencephalic trauma assisted in CIREN.

Material and methods: A pre experiment with a single group was carried out, initial tests were applied to determine the cognitive deficits in the amnesic process, before implementing the strategy, and at the end of the intervention, the results were compared to quantify evolutionary development in the work of clearing of memory in these people with special educational needs.

Results: The results of the diagnostic analysis favored the interpretation of the need to implement corrective treatments – countervailing duties taking into account the allocation of the basic mechanisms of working memory to improve the prognosis of evolution of this amnesic skill.

Discussion: A system of activities is proposed as part of considering the diagnosis as an important element in the corrective compensatory work looking for restoration to the highest possible physical, psychological functioning and social adaptation of persons towards an optimal level of social integration.

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Palabras clave: Ataxia, Compensación, Memoria de Trabajo, Sistema de Actividades, Trauma Craneoencefálico,

Keywords: ataxia, Chraneoencephalic Trauma, Compensation, system of activities, working memory,
 
 
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