Assessing executive functions in Brazilian children: A critical review of available tools

• Published in: Applied neuropsychology. Child Vol. 11; no. 2; pp. 184 - 196
• Main Authors: Guerra, Amanda, Hazin, Izabel, Siebra, Cibele, Rezende, Marinna, Silvestre, Isadora, Le Gall, Didier, Roy, Arnaud
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Psychology Press 03.04.2022
• Subjects: Atypical development; Brazil; Child; child neuropsychology; Child, Preschool; culture; Executive Function - physiology; executive functions; Humans; Inhibition, Psychological; Memory, Short-Term; normative data; Schools; Brazil; executive functions; normative data; child neuropsychology; culture; Atypical development
• ISSN: 2162-2965; 2162-2973
• DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2020.1775598

The goal of this review is to perform a critical analysis of the instruments used to assess executive functions (EFs) in preschool and school-age children in Brazil. We identified 37 assessment measures through a systematic review. Some performance-based tests for assessing working memory and inhibition were identified. However, there is a lack of rating measures and instruments to assess flexibility and planning in clinical practice. We observed regional differences in the performance of EFs measures. One possible explanation may be the use of normative samples from more highly-developed regions to characterize performance in less-developed regions. However, there may be alternative explanations, such as variations in the exposure to testing and the adequacy of test materials in different regions. Joint efforts among research groups should be encouraged in order to obtain normative references that are more representative of the socio-cultural diversity of the country. This improvement is essential to better understand the typical and atypical development of EFs and how the peculiarities of each country's context and culture can impact its trajectory.