Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2022 May 11;65(5):1906-1920. doi: 10.1044/2022_JSLHR-21-00420. Epub 2022 Apr 8.
This study examined working memory in children with developmental language disorder (DLD). The overarching goal of this work was to integrate three primary processing-based hypotheses of DLD, (a) limited verbal working memory, (b) slowed processing speed, and (c) inefficient inhibition of interference, by using the serial-order-in-a-box-complex span (SOB-CS) computational model as our theoretical framework. We also examined the role of domain in working memory performance by varying the domain of interference and recall (i.e., verbal vs. nonverbal) task demands.
Participants were 55 school-age children, 21 children with DLD and 34 age-matched typically developing (TD) peers (9-13 years old).
Findings indicated that verbal and nonverbal working memory performance was poorer in the DLD than TD group. There was a modest benefit of dispersing interference and recall task demands across domains relative to task demands being within one domain, yet verbal interference affected performance to a greater degree than nonverbal interference in the DLD group.
Overall findings supported a role for each of the processing-based hypotheses of DLD, albeit an incomplete role. In contrast, the SOB-CS model accounted for interrelationships among these processing-based factors and provided an explanation across patterns of findings. Thus, the SOB-CS model represents a useful step forward in explaining processing in children with DLD.
本研究考察了发育性语言障碍（DLD）儿童的工作记忆。这项工作的总体目标是通过使用序列顺序盒复杂跨度（SOB-CS）计算模型作为我们的理论框架，整合 DLD 的三个主要基于处理的假设，（a）有限的言语工作记忆，（b）处理速度较慢，（c）干扰抑制效率低下。我们还通过改变干扰和回忆的域（即言语与非言语）任务要求，考察了工作记忆性能的域作用。
参与者为 55 名学龄儿童，21 名 DLD 儿童和 34 名年龄匹配的典型发育（TD）同伴（9-13 岁）。
研究结果表明，DLD 组的言语和非言语工作记忆表现均较差。与任务要求在一个域内相比，将干扰和回忆任务要求分散在不同域中具有适度的益处，但在 DLD 组中，言语干扰对性能的影响大于非言语干扰。
总体研究结果支持 DLD 的每个基于处理的假设都有作用，尽管作用不完整。相比之下，SOB-CS 模型解释了这些基于处理的因素之间的相互关系，并解释了各种发现模式。因此，SOB-CS 模型代表了在解释 DLD 儿童处理方面向前迈出的有用一步。
