Relações possíveis entre funções executivas e dificuldades de aprendizagem em crianças: meta-análise dos últimos cinco anos.

Abstract

The Executive Functions (EF) refers to a complex and integrated set of cognitive abilities that allow the planning, initialization and monitoring of behaviors directed to previously established purposes. It is consensus at the present time that executive skills are predictive of a good performance in learning, and that the impairment in some of these can lead to learning disabilities. Thus, based on a systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis, we aimed to identify the established relationships between FE and learning disabilities in children, in studies published in the last five years. For this purpose, a search for texts on the databases SciELO, MEDLINE, LILACS, LUME-UFRGS, PePSIC and on CAPES periodics was undertaken. We included 33 studies published between the years 2012 and 2017 in Portuguese and English. Descriptive statistical analyzes of frequency and correlation were carried out from the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results revealed relationships between EF and learning difficulties when there are associations with one, two or three components of the executive triad - working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility. There is also a representative index of studies that did not specify the components evaluated, so it is possible to conclude that there is still a lack of theoretical consensus about the structure and composition of the FE. Some studies presented methodological aspects and structure that were not systematic, not showing the reader, in detail, the methodological plan implemented, particularly regarding the period of data collection, ethical procedures, inclusion and exclusion criteria, justifications, limitations and age group of Research participants. Thus, more longitudinal, systematic and controlled field studies are required.