Cortical thickness mediates the relationship between DRD2 C957T polymorphism and executive function across the adult lifespan

Abstract The development of executive function is linked to maturation of prefrontal cortex (PFC) in childhood. Childhood obesity has been associated with changes in brain structure, particularly in PFC, as well as deficits in executive functions. We aimed to determine whether differences in cortical structure mediate the relationship between executive function and childhood obesity. We analyzed MR-derived measures of cortical thickness for 2700 children between the ages of 9 and 11 years, recruited as part of the NIH Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. We related our findings to measures of executive function and body mass index (BMI). In our analysis, increased BMI was associated with significantly reduced mean cortical thickness, as well as specific bilateral reduced cortical thickness in prefrontal cortical regions. This relationship remained after accounting for age, sex, race, parental education, household income, birth-weight, and in-scanner motion. Increased BMI was also associated with lower executive function. Reduced thickness in the rostral medial and superior frontal cortex, the inferior frontal gyrus, and the lateral orbitofrontal cortex partially accounted for reductions in executive function. These results suggest that childhood obesity is associated with compromised executive function. This relationship may be partly explained by BMI-associated reduced cortical thickness in the PFC.

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The relationship of the feedback-P3 to executive function and decision-making in adolescents and young adults

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e571212013-439 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Tina Zottoli ◽

Rose Aime ◽

Danielle Faele ◽

Jill Grose-Fifer

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Young Adults ◽

Executive Function ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

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Camouflaging in non-autistic adults is associated with poorer mental health

10.31234/osf.io/myp4g ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Mark Somerville ◽

Sarah E. MacPherson ◽

Sue Fletcher-Watson

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Executive Function ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Self Report ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Mental Health Symptoms ◽

Health Symptoms ◽

Autistic People ◽

Autistic Adults ◽

The Relationship

Camouflaging is a frequently reported behaviour in autistic people, which entails the use of strategies to compensate for and mask autistic traits in social situations. Camouflaging is associated with poor mental health in autistic people. This study examined the manifestation of camouflaging in a non-autistic sample, examining the relationship between autistic traits, camouflaging, and mental health. In addition, the role of executive functions as a mechanism underpinning camouflaging was explored. Sixty-three non-autistic adults completed standardised self-report questionnaires which measured: autistic traits, mental health symptoms, and camouflaging behaviours. In addition, a subset (n=51) completed three tests of executive function measuring inhibition, working memory, and set-shifting. Multiple linear regression models were used to analyse data. Results indicated that autistic traits are not associated with mental health symptoms when controlling for camouflaging, and camouflaging predicted increased mental health symptoms. Camouflaging did not correlate with any measure of executive function. These findings have implications for understanding the relationship between autistic traits and mental health in non-autistic people and add to the growing development of theory and knowledge about the mechanism and effects of camouflaging.

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The relationship between executive function and emotional regulation through emotional clarity

THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY ◽

10.35574/kjdp.2020.6.33.2.87 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 87-102

Author(s):

InYoung Choi ◽

YoonKung Jeong

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Emotional Regulation ◽

Emotional Clarity ◽

The Relationship

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Self-Rated Health Status as a Predictor of Executive Function in Older Latinos

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1063 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 331-332

Author(s):

Jacqueline Guzman ◽

Yuliana Soto ◽

David Marquez ◽

Susan Aguinaga

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

High Risk ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

Excellent Health ◽

Trail Making ◽

Fair Poor ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Latinos have high risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Self-rated health (SRH) has been used to predict cognitive decline. Early detection of executive function changes may help identify those at higher risk of cognitive decline. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between SRH and executive function in Latinos. Latinos (N=333, 84.4% female, Mage= 64.9 ± 7.08) from the BAILA randomized controlled trial self-rated their health as 1) poor/fair, 2) good, and 3) very good/excellent. Executive function was assessed by the Trail-making B, Verbal Fluency, Stroop C & CW, and the Digit Modality tests and stratified by SRH. One-way analysis of variance showed that the effect of SRH was significant for Trails B, F(2,298)=4.01, p=.019 and Stroop CW, F(2,298)=3.07, p=.048. Tukey’s test indicated that participants who rated their health as fair/poor took longer to complete Trails B (M=196.78±83.0 seconds) compared to those who rated their health as good (M=185.25 ± 85.1 seconds) and very good/excellent (M=149.25±95.3 seconds). Stroop CW results demonstrated that those in the fair/poor health category scored lower (M=17.22±6.6) than those in good (M=19.70±8.5 words/minutes) and very good/excellent health categories (M=18.73±8.2 words/minute). In sum, the results suggest SRH is related to executive function such that lower categories of SRH are indicative of poorer executive function. SRH might be used as a proxy for executive function and as a tool that community leaders can use to identify individuals at high risk of ADRD in need of behavioral interventions.

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Study of the Interaction between Executive Function and Adaptive Behavior at School in Girls with Fragile X Syndrome

Genes ◽

10.3390/genes12081108 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 1108

Author(s):

Lorena Joga-Elvira ◽

Jennifer Martinez-Olmo ◽

María-Luisa Joga ◽

Carlos Jacas ◽

Ana Roche-Martínez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Fragile X Syndrome ◽

Adaptive Behavior ◽

Neuropsychological Tests ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Fragile X ◽

School Setting ◽

Control Group ◽

The Relationship

The aim of this research is to analyze the relationship between executive functions and adaptive behavior in girls with Fragile X syndrome (FXS) in the school setting. This study is part of a larger investigation conducted at the Hospital Parc Tauli in Sabadell. The sample consists of a total of 40 girls (26 with FXS and 14 control) aged 7–16 years, who were administered different neuropsychological tests (WISC-V, NEPSY-II, WCST, TOL) and questionnaires answered by teachers (ABAS-II, BRIEF 2, ADHD Rating Scale). The results show that there is a greater interaction between some areas of executive function (cognitive flexibility, auditory attention, and visual abstraction capacity) and certain areas of adaptive behavior (conceptual, practical, social, and total domains) in the FXS group than in the control group. These results suggest that an alteration in the executive functions was affecting the daily functioning of the girls with FXS to a greater extent.

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Decision making under ambiguity and risk in adolescent-onset schizophrenia

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-021-03230-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Dandan Li ◽

Fengyan Zhang ◽

Lu Wang ◽

Yifan Zhang ◽

Tingting Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Executive Function ◽

Iowa Gambling Task ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Syndrome Scale ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Abnormal Pattern ◽

Negative Syndrome ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Objective Numerous studies have identified impaired decision making (DM) under both ambiguity and risk in adult patients with schizophrenia. However, the assessment of DM in patients with adolescent-onset schizophrenia (AOS) has been challenging as a result of the instability and heterogeneity of manifestations. The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Game of Dice Task (GDT), which are frequently used to evaluate DM respectively under ambiguity and risk, are sensitive to adolescents and neuropsychiatric patients. Our research intended to examine the performance of DM in a relatively large sample of patients with AOS using the above-mentioned two tasks. We also aimed to take a closer look at the relationship between DM and symptom severity of schizophrenia. Methods We compared the performance of DM in 71 patients with AOS and 53 well-matched healthy controls using IGT for DM under ambiguity and GDT for DM under risk through net scores, total scores and feedback ration. Neuropsychological tests were conducted in all participants. Clinical symptoms were evaluated by using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in 71 patients with AOS. Pearson’s correlation revealed the relationship among total score of DM and clinical and neuropsychological data. Results Compared to healthy controls, patients with AOS failed to show learning effect and had a significant difference on the 5th block in IGT and conducted more disadvantageous choices as well as exhibited worse negative feedback rate in GDT. Apart from DM impairment under risk, diminished DM abilities under ambiguity were found related to poor executive function in AOS in the present study. Conclusions Our findings unveiled the abnormal pattern of DM in AOS, mainly reflected under the risky condition, extending the knowledge on the performance of DM under ambiguity and risk in AOS. Inefficient DM under risk may account for the lagging impulse control and the combined effects of developmental disease. In addition, our study demonstrated that the performance on IGT was related to executive function in AOS.

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The Relationship of Psychiatric Symptoms with Performance-Based and Self-Reported Cognitive Function After Ischemic Stroke

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617721000187 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Elisabeth Kliem ◽

Elise Gjestad ◽

Truls Ryum ◽

Alexander Olsen ◽

Bente Thommessen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Executive Function ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Psychiatric Symptoms ◽

Post Stroke ◽

Cognitive Difficulties ◽

Memory And Attention ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Objective: Findings on the relationship of psychiatric symptoms with performance-based and self-reported cognitive function post-stroke are inconclusive. We aimed to (1) study the relation of depression and anxiety to performance-based cognitive function and (2) explore a broader spectrum of psychiatric symptoms and their association with performance-based versus self-reported cognitive function. Method: Individuals with supratentorial ischemic stroke performed neuropsychological examination 3 months after stroke. For primary analyses, composite scores for memory and attention/executive function were calculated based on selected neuropsychological tests, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used. Psychiatric symptoms and self-reported cognitive function for secondary aims were assessed using the Symptom-Checklist-90 – Revised (SCL-90-R). Results: In a sample of 86 patients [mean (M) age: 64.6 ± 9.2; Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), 3–7 days post-stroke: M = 28.4 ± 1.7; National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) after 3 months: M = 0.7 ± 1.6] depressive symptoms (HADS) were associated with poorer memory performance after controlling for age, sex, and education (p ≤ .01). In a subsample (n = 41; Age: M = 65.7 ± 8.1; MMSE: M = 28.4 ± 1.8; NIHSS: M = 1.0 ± 1.9), symptoms of phobic anxiety (SCL-90-R) were associated with poorer performance-based memory and attention/executive function, and symptoms of anxiety (SCL-90-R) with lower attention/executive function. Higher levels of self-reported cognitive difficulties were associated with higher scores in all psychiatric domains (p ≤ .05). Conclusion: Even in relatively well-functioning stroke patients, depressive symptoms are associated with poorer memory. The results also suggest that various psychiatric symptoms are more related to self-reported rather than to performance-based cognitive function. Screening for self-reported cognitive difficulties may not only help to identify patients with cognitive impairment, but also those who need psychological treatment.

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