Relationship between verbal cognitive inhibition and language development disorder at school: an approach for comparative study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/saludcyt20251347Keywords:
Cognition, Language, NeuropsychologyAbstract
This study explores the relationship between verbal cognitive inhibition (VCI) and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) in school-aged children. 20 children participated, distributed into two groups: 10 with typical linguistic development (TLD) and 10 diagnosed with DLD. To evaluate VCI, the Stroop test was used, which measures the ability to inhibit automatic responses in a context of cognitive interference. The results showed that, although participants with DLD presented lower performance on reading tasks, their interference index (ICV) was better than that of children with TLD, suggesting that reading ability could be an intervening variable. Statistical analyzes revealed significant differences between groups on inhibition tasks, highlighting the importance of considering variables such as reading ability when interpreting performance on ICV tests. This study contributes to the understanding of the role of cognitive inhibition in DLD and suggests the need for future research that controls these intervening variables for a more precise analysis.
References
1. Kirchner D, Klatzky R. Verbal Rehearsal and Memory in Language-Disordered Children. J Speech Hear Res. 1985; 28:556-565. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.2804.556.
2. Tallal P. Perceptual and linguistic factors in the language impairment of developmental dysphasics: An experimental investigation with the Token Test. Cortex. 1975; 11:196-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0010-9452(75)80002-5
3. Gathercole S, Baddeley A. Phonological memory deficits in language disordered children: Is there a causal connection?. J Mem Lang. 1990;29(3):336-360. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-596X(90)90004-J
4. Masterson J, Evans L, Alola M. Verbal analogical reasoning in children with and without language-learning disabilities. J Speech Hear Res. 1993;36:76-82. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.3601.76
5. Masterson J. The Performance of Children With Language-Learning Disabilities on Two Types of Cognitive Tasks. J Speech Hear Res. 1993;36:1026-1036. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.3605.1026
6. Montgomery J. Sentence Comprehension in Children With Specific Language Impairment: The Role of Phonological Working Memory. J Speech Hear Res. 1995;38:187-199. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.3801.187
7. Gillam R, Cowan N, Day L. Sequential Memory in Children With and Without Language Impairment. J Speech Hear Res. 1995;38:393-402. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.3802.393
8. Edwards J, Lahey M. Nonword repetitions of children with specific language impairment: Exploration of some explanations for their inaccuracies. Appl Psycholinguist. 1998;19(2):279-309. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716400010079
9. Buiza-Navarrete J, Adrián-Torres J, González-Sánchez M. Marcadores neurocognitivos en el trastorno específico del lenguaje. Rev Neurol. 2007;44(6):326-333. https://doi.org/10.33588/rn.4406.2006066
10. Kapa L, Plante E, Doubleday K. Applying an Integrative Framework of Executive Function to Preschoolers With Specific Language Impairment. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 2017 Aug;60:2170–2184. https://doi.org/10.1044/2017_JSLHR-L-16-0027
11. Yang H, Gray S. Executive Function in Preschoolers with Primary Language Impairment. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 2017 Feb;60:379–392. https://doi.org/10.1044/2016_JSLHR-L-15-0267
12. Lepe-Martínez N, Pérez-Salas C, Rojas-Barahona C, Ramos-Galarza C. Funciones ejecutivas en niños preescolares con y sin trastorno del lenguaje. Revista Ecuatoriana de Neurología. 2017;26:197-202. Disponible en: http://scielo.senescyt.gob.ec/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2631-25812017000200197&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en
13. Roebuck H, Sindberg H, Ellis S. The Role of Language in Nonlinguistic Stimuli: Comparing Inhibition in Children With Language Impairment. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 2018 May;61:1216–1225. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_JSLHR-L-17-0294
14. Ladányi E, Lukács A. Word Retrieval Difficulties and Cognitive Control in Specific Language Impairment. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 2019 Apr;62:918–931. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_JSLHR-L-17-0446
15. Larson C, Kaplan D, Kaushanskaya M, Ellis S. Language and Inhibition: Predictive Relationships in Children With Language Impairment Relative to Typically Developing Peers. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 2020. 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_JSLHR-19-00210
16. Golden CJ. Stroop. Test de colores y palabras – Edición revisada (Ruiz-Fernández B, Luque T, Sánchez-Sánchez F, adaptadores). Madrid: TEA; 2020
17. Conca B, Ibarra M. Estandarización de la prueba de colores y palabras de STROOP en niños de 8 a 12 años para la Región Metropolitana [tesis de licenciatura]. Santiago: Universidad de Chile; 2014. https://repositorio.uchile.cl/handle/2250/113385
18. Protopapas A, Archonti A, Skaloumbakas C. Reading ability is negatively related to Stroop interference. Cognitive Psychology. 2007;54:251-282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogpsych.2006.07.003
19. Protopapas A, Vlahou EL, Moirou D, Ziaka L. Word reading practice reduces Stroop interference in children. Acta Psychologica. 2014;148:204-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2014.02.006.
20. Ziaka L, Skoteinou D, Protopapas A. Task format modulates the relationship between reading ability and Stroop interference. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 2022;48(4):275-288. https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000964
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Manuel Matías Ambiado-Lillo (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Unless otherwise stated, associated published material is distributed under the same licence.