engleski

The relationship between executive functions and language in adult age

The rationship between executive functions and language abilities is well established in the literature. Previous research on this topic is mostly based on children's development and language acquisition or on clinical population. However, the dynamic nature of those constructs changes significantly throughout the lifespan, so exploring their interactions in adult age would contribute to a better and wider understanding of that relationship. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between specific executive functioning components and language abilities in adult age. Participants in the study were 30 healthy adults, ages 20 to 40. Executive function components (spatial working memory, planning, cognitive flexibility and cognitive inhibition) were assessed with CANTAB battery of tests, whereas verbal working memory was measured with a subtest of WISC-IV test - the Memory for Digit Span. Test of receptive vocabulary (PPVT- III-HR) and test for the reception of grammar (TROG-2:HR) were conducted in order to assess language abilities The results of regression analysis showed significant relation between executive functions and grammatically complex sentence comprehension. The relationship between executive functions and simple sentences or receptive vocabulary was not found. These results could implicate that the involvement of executive functions in language in adulthood is only required when facing with with more complex syntactic structures that put greater demands on language processing.

Executive functions, language, receptive vocabulary, receptive grammar, adult age

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