Boelema Sarai R, Harakeh Zeena, Ormel Johan, Hartman Catharina A, Vollebergh Wilma A M, van Zandvoort Martine J E
Faculty of Social and Behavioral Science.
Interdisciplinary Centre for Psychiatric Epidemiology.
Neuropsychology. 2014 Mar;28(2):177-87. doi: 10.1037/neu0000049. Epub 2013 Dec 23.
Maturation of executive functioning (EF) is topical, especially in relation to adolescence, yet longitudinal research covering early and late adolescence is lacking. This, however, is a prerequisite for drawing conclusions on normal cognitive development, and understanding deviant maturation. The aim of this study is to longitudinally investigate 6 subcomponents of EF in early (mean age 11) and late adolescence (mean age 19) and to investigate the influence of sex and socioeconomic status (SES).
We used data of the TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). A number of 2,217 participants carried out tasks of the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks (ANT), measuring Focused Attention, Inhibition, Sustained Attention, Speed of Processing, Working Memory, and Shift Attention.
Linear growth model with individual varying times of observation showed significant slopes for all 6 measures. Sex differences were found for the majority of the measures, where boys showed more maturation. Maturation was influenced by SES for Sustained Attention and Inhibition.
Results show that significant maturation takes place for all the measured subcomponents over adolescence. Overall, girls show better baseline performance and smaller maturational rates, suggesting more mature skills in early adolescence. Maturation is only influenced by SES for Sustained Attention and Inhibition. Findings underline that for making statements about EF maturation in adolescence, it is essential to look at subcomponents. Furthermore, sex differences are an important factor when investing (ab)normal maturation of EF.
执行功能（EF）的成熟是一个热门话题，尤其是与青春期相关的方面，但缺乏涵盖青春期早期和晚期的纵向研究。然而，这是得出关于正常认知发展结论以及理解异常成熟的先决条件。本研究的目的是纵向调查青春期早期（平均年龄11岁）和晚期（平均年龄19岁）EF的6个亚成分，并调查性别和社会经济地位（SES）的影响。
我们使用了青少年个体生活追踪调查（TRAILS）的数据。2217名参与者完成了阿姆斯特丹神经心理学任务（ANT），测量了集中注意力、抑制、持续注意力、处理速度、工作记忆和注意力转移。
具有个体不同观察时间的线性增长模型显示，所有6项测量指标都有显著的斜率。大多数测量指标存在性别差异，男孩表现出更明显的成熟。持续注意力和抑制的成熟受SES影响。
结果表明，在青春期，所有测量的亚成分都发生了显著的成熟。总体而言，女孩表现出更好的基线表现和更小的成熟率，表明在青春期早期技能更成熟。成熟仅在持续注意力和抑制方面受SES影响。研究结果强调，要对青春期EF的成熟情况做出陈述，必须关注亚成分。此外，性别差异是研究EF（异常）成熟的一个重要因素。
