Comparing Load of Working Memory during Spontaneous and Active EEG in Children with Specific Learning Disorder

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

3 Associate Professor of Family Research Center of Shahid Beheshti University

Abstract

The goal of the present study is to compare working memory load during spontaneous EEG (Electroencephalogram) with task condition by monitoring theta power in frontal regions of brain, in children with specific learning disorder. Theta recording was done during eyes closed (EC), eyes opened (EO) and task (VCPT) conditions for 52 children with specific learning disorder aged between 7 to 12 years old (22= girls, 30= boys). The learning disorder diagnosis was done by means of stanford binet IQ test, and Persian Academic Achievement test. EEG data was collected and digitized by means of WinEEG software and analyzed in SPSS with paired samples t-test. The results showed significant differences between theta power in VCPT condition with both EC and EO conditions in Fz. This finding is consistent with finding about normal groups. Although working memory deficit is one of core cognitive deficits in this group, but still cognitive efforts happen for mental processing. Strong significance can shows a source for omission errors in this group, because high amplitude of frontal midline theta may happens with the entrance of irrelevant information in attentional pathways.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Applied Psychological Research
Volume 10, Issue 4
February 2020
Pages 217-227

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