Improvement of executive functions after the application of a neuropsychological intervention program (PEFEN) in pre-term children

Abstract

Prematurity is one of the most prevalent health problems in developed countries. It is associated with important clinical and educational consequences, problems in activities of daily life, as well as alterations in different domains of executive functions (EF).The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a stimulation program for the EF (PEFEN Program) in a group of premature children and compare the effects with a control group, who worked with routine curricular skills. The participants were children aged 4 and 5 years, born preterm between 32 and 37 weeks of gestation with a weight between 1500-2499 grams, without severe chronic pathology, or disability equal to or greater than 33% (mental, sensorial and/or motor).The participants were evaluated individually using the BENCI, CUMANIN, and BRIEF-P neuropsychological tests, before and after both interventions. The results showed that the preterm-children who received the PEFEN program significantly improved in the domains of verbal understanding, phonic fluency, verbal fluency, working memory, visual memory, verbal memory, rhythm, and attention, in comparison with the control group. It is recommended to implement programs such as PEFEN to improve the development of EF in the school environment and prevent the deficit in populations at risk.

Effects of an executive function programme (PEFEN) on preschool children: a pilot study / Efectos de un programa para la estimulación de las funciones ejecutivas (PEFEN) en alumnos de preescolar: un estudio piloto

“…The objective of this study was to verify the effectiveness of the PEFEN programme in preschool children without neuropsychological difficulties. Following previous studies (Diamond & Lee, 2011;García-Bermúdez et al, 2019), improvements in core EFs (such as flexibility, inhibition and working memory) and other neuropsychological variables associated with them were generally expected in children who participated in the PEFEN programme (intervention group) compared to those who undertook curricular activities (control group).…”

“…Por lo que respecta al CUMANIN, los resultados revelan diferencias en función del momento temporal (inicial/final) en las subescalas de lenguaje articulatorio, atención y percepción visual. En línea con otros estudios que han hecho uso del programa PEFEN (García-Bermúdez et al, 2019), se observó un incremento general en el tiempo para las primeras dos subescalas, lo que también refleja el periodo crítico de desarrollo neuropsicológico propiamente dicho en la muestra evaluada. Es importante destacar que se observaron mejoras en psicomotricidad, estructuración espacial y percepción visual.…”

“…Furthermore, the PEFEN programme provides a conceptualization of the components that require practice (operationalized through demands that become progressively more difficult) and incorporates tasks that involve changes, are dynamic, have to be carried out quickly and/ or are novel for children García-Bermúdez et al, 2019). The programme is divided into five modules with specific tasks for each one.…”

Differences in Neuropsychological Performance between Refugee and Non-Refugee Children in Palestine

“…Further details on the tests used to measure these functions can be found in previous studies [27][28][29]. BENCI has been used in different contexts to evaluate neurodevelopment and has shown good psychometric properties [30]. In addition, this battery has been validated and adapted to Arab culture and its good reliability and validity on Arab children has been demonstrated [27].…”

Validity of the Computerized Battery for Neuropsychological Evaluation of Children (BENCI) in Spanish Children: Preliminary Results

“…BENCI scores appear to be sensitive to specific neuropsychological interventions. Children aged 4 years who received an executive function stimulation program showed improvements in attention, visual perception, and executive function, as evaluated with BENCI and the CUMANIN (Childhood Neuropsychological Maturity Questionnaire) and BRIEF-P (Behavioral Evaluation of Executive Functioning–Children’s Version) instruments [ 15 ].…”