Specific early vulnerability of high-order executive function to focal brain lesions and long-term impact on educational persistence: Sparing of incidental episodic memory

Abstract

Objective: We investigated mental functions expected to remain impaired or not ain adulthood following childhood-onset brain lesions.

Methods: Thirty unilaterally lesioned young adults were tested a decade after lesion onset with an effort-demanding complex executive function (EF) task as well as a task of incidental declarative retrospective episodic recognition memory (IRM). Thirty neurotypical participants were also tested.

Results: The EF task was significantly impaired in the lesion group and significantly more so than the IRM task. Regarding the lesioned cases, performance on EF, but not IRM, was significantly positively correlated with long-term educational persistence (EP). Both EF and EP but not IRM were significantly positively correlated with the age of onset of the lesion. Severity of neurological impairment was unrelated to any variable.

Conclusion: Mental abilities acquired through early schooling remain impaired into adulthood when early schooling is disturbed, not everyday memory which does not depend on schooling.

• Executive function
• incidental memory
• early vulnerability
• unilateral brain lesions

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.