Attentional and Executive Functions in Neglected Children

Abstract

This study examined attentional and executive functions of 30 neglected children ages 8 to 12, who were compared with a control group of 30 children. Neuropsychological tests measured aspects of simple and complex attention. The results have shown that neglected children were not different from control children with simple tests of attention. However, neglected children were shown difficulties in executive functions, in particular in tasks requiring mental flexibility. Thus, results supported the presence of difficulties regarding executive functions in neglected children, and supported that this form of maltreatment had consequences on high-level mental functions.

Keywords:

• child neglect
• neuropsychology
• attention
• executive functions
• anxiety

Acknowledgments

Funding for this study was provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada # 410-2006-2437, the Conseil Québecois de la Recherche Sociale, No. RS-3334, and the Fonds Québecois de Recherche sur la Societe et la Culture, No. SR-4709.

The authors would like to thank the Mauricie-Centre-du-Quebec Child Protection Services (Mauricie, Québec, Canada) particularly Daniel Gagnon and Martin Dionne, who facilitated the recruitment of subjects. The authors would also like to thank the staff at the Cardinal-Roy, St-Eugène, St-Paul and Ste-Catherine-de-Sienne/Ste-Dominique schools of the Commission Scolaire Chemin-du-Roy (Mauricie, Quebec, Canada). They would also like to thank Véronique Parent, Andrée-Anne Durocher, Mylène Henry, Isabelle Frigon, Marie-France Gobeil, and Louise Bourassa who made an invaluable contribution to this present study.