One executive function never comes alone: monitoring and its relation to working memory, reasoning, and different executive functions

AbstractObjectives: Sleep quality affects memory and executive function in older adults, but little is known about its effects in midlife. If it affects cognition in midlife, it may be a modifiable factor for later-life functioning. Methods: We examined the association between sleep quality and cognition in 1220 middle-aged male twins (age 51–60 years) from the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. We interviewed participants with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and tested them for episodic memory as well as executive functions of inhibitory and interference control, updating in working memory, and set shifting. Interference control was assessed during episodic memory, inhibitory control during working memory, and non-memory conditions and set shifting during working memory and non-memory conditions. Results: After adjusting for covariates and correcting for multiple comparisons, sleep quality was positively associated with updating in working memory, set shifting in the context of working memory, and better visual-spatial (but not verbal) episodic memory, and at trend level, with interference control in the context of episodic memory. Conclusions: Sleep quality was associated with visual-spatial recall and possible resistance to proactive/retroactive interference. It was also associated with updating in working memory and with set shifting, but only when working memory demands were relatively high. Thus, effects of sleep quality on midlife cognition appear to be at the intersection of executive function and memory processes. Subtle deficits in these age-susceptible cognitive functions may indicate increased risk for decline in cognitive abilities later in life that might be reduced by improved midlife sleep quality. (JINS, 2018, 24, 67–76)

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Executive Function Training in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: Study Protocol

10.21203/rs.2.273/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Krawczyk ◽

Kihwan Han ◽

David Martinez ◽

Jelena Rakic ◽

Matthew Kmiecik ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Working Memory ◽

Executive Function ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Cognitive Rehabilitation ◽

Daily Life ◽

Chronic Phase ◽

Post Injury

Abstract Background: Some individuals who sustain traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) continue to experience significant cognitive impairments chronically (months-to-years post-injury). Many tests of executive function are insensitive to these executive function impairments, as such impairments may only appear during complex daily life conditions. Daily life often requires us to divide our attention and focus on abstract goals. In the current study, we compare the effects of two one-month electronic cognitive rehabilitation programs for individuals with chronic TBI. The active program (Expedition: Strategic Advantage) focuses on improving goal-directed executive functions including working memory, planning, long-term memory, and inhibitory control by challenging participants to accomplish life-like cognitive simulations. The challenge level of the simulations increase in accordance with participant achievement. The control intervention (Expedition: Informational Advantage) is identical to the active; however, the cognitive demand level is capped preventing participants from advancing beyond a set level. We will evaluate these interventions with a military veteran TBI population. Methods: One hundred individuals will be enrolled in this double-blinded clinical trial (all participants and testers are blinded to condition). Each individual will be randomly assigned to one of two interventions. The primary anticipated outcomes are improvement of daily life cognitive function skills and daily life functions. These are measured by a daily life performance task, which tests cognitive skills, and a survey that evaluates daily life functions. Secondary outcomes are also predicted to include improvements in working memory, attention, planning, and inhibitory control as measured by a neuropsychological test battery. Lastly, neuroimaging measures will be used to evaluate changes in brain networks supporting cognition pre-intervention and post-intervention. Discussion: We will test whether electronically delivered cognitive rehabilitation aimed at improving daily life functional skills will provide cognitive and daily life functional improvements for individuals in the chronic phase of TBI recovery (greater than three months post-injury). We aim to better understand the cognitive processes involved in recovery and the characteristics of individuals most likely to benefit. This study will also address the potential to observe generalizability, or transfer, from a software-based cognitive training tool toward daily life improvement. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03704116 (retrospectively registered) https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03704116?term=tbi+krawczyk&rank=1 Keywords: Cognitive rehabilitation, traumatic brain injury, executive functions, daily life functions, memory, attention, planning. Support: Joint Warfighter Program; U. S. Dept. of Defense W81XWH-16-1-0053

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Executive functions in youths with autism spectrum disorder and their unaffected siblings

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291720001075 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Guan-Jye Seng ◽

Wan-Ling Tseng ◽

Yen-Nan Chiu ◽

Wen-Che Tsai ◽

Yu-Yu Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Working Memory ◽

Executive Function ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Spatial Working Memory ◽

Digit Span ◽

Verbal Working Memory ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Planning Problem

Abstract Background Executive dysfunction is one of the main cognitive theories of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite evidence of deficits in executive functions in individuals with ASD, little is known about executive dysfunctions as candidate cognitive endophenotypes for ASD. In this study, we investigated executive functions in youths with ASD, their unaffected siblings and typically developing controls (TDC). Methods We recruited 240 youths with a clinical diagnosis of ASD (aged 6–18 years), 147 unaffected siblings of ASD youths, and 240 TDC youths. TDC youths were recruited based on the age and sex distribution of the ASD youths. Participants were assessed using the verbal Digit Span test and four executive function tasks from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery, including Intra-dimensional/Extra-dimensional Shift (I/ED), Spatial Span (SSP), Spatial Working Memory (SWM), and Stocking of Cambridge (SoC). Results ASD youths, relative to TDC, performed significantly worse in executive function tasks assessing verbal working memory (forward and backward digit span), set-shifting (I/ED), visuospatial working memory (SSP, SWM), and planning/problem solving (SoC). Furthermore, unaffected siblings, relative to TDC, performed worse in forward and backward digit recalls and made more errors in SWM. These results were independent of the effects of age, sex, IQ, and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Conclusions Our findings support impaired executive functions in youths with ASD. However, unaffected siblings were mostly unimpaired except in the areas of verbal and spatial working memory, which may be potential cognitive endophenotypes for ASD.

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Executive functions in children with dyslexia

Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria ◽

10.1590/0004-282x20190033 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 77 (4) ◽

pp. 254-259

Author(s):

Thais Barbosa ◽

Camila Cruz Rodrigues ◽

Claudia Berlim de Mello ◽

Mariana Cristina de Souza e Silva ◽

Orlando Francisco Amodeo Bueno

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Function ◽

Selective Attention ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Neuropsychological Tests ◽

Memory Deficits ◽

Typical Development ◽

Phonological Skill ◽

Memory Inhibition

ABSTRACT This study aimed to verify whether children with dyslexia have difficulties in executive functions (shifting, working memory, inhibition). Methods: A sample of 47 children (ages 8-13 years) participated in the study: 24 who were dyslexic and 23 controls with typical development. A battery of neuropsychological tests was used. Results: Results revealed executive function difficulties among the dyslexic children when compared with controls, encompassing selective attention modulation processes, shifting, and inhibitory control. These difficulties appeared to be affected by phonological working memory deficits, typically associated with dyslexia. Conclusion: Our findings support the consensus among scholars regarding the central involvement of phonological skill dysfunctions in dyslexia.

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Assessment of Executive Functions in Children

10.1093/oso/9780198863564.003.0004 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 79-102

Author(s):

Helen St Clair-Thompson ◽

Yunhong Wen

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Function ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Functional Outcomes ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Measurement Properties ◽

Cognitive Tasks ◽

Different Ages

Executive functions (EFs) are a range of goal-directed cognitive abilities. According to one approach, suggested by according to one approach, there are three main EFs; inhibition, shifting, and updating of working memory. EFs are important, in part because of their ability to predict clinical, educational, and functional outcomes. However, EFs have been assessed using a range of cognitive tasks and behavioural rating measures. This chapter will provide an overview of a range of executive function assessments used to assess EFs in childhood, with a focus on inhibition, shifting, and updating of working memory. It will consider the measurement properties of these tools, including data relating to reliability and validity. The measures will then be considered in terms of their suitability for different purposes and in relation to their use with children of different ages and abilities.

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Threat-Modulation of Executive Functions—A Novel Biomarker of Depression?

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.670974 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Jari Peräkylä ◽

Kaija Järventausta ◽

Piia Haapaniemi ◽

Joan A. Camprodon ◽

Kaisa M. Hartikainen

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Emotion Regulation ◽

Executive Function ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Performance Measures ◽

Cognitive Outcome ◽

Objective Measures ◽

Depression Severity ◽

The Impact

Background: Alterations in executive functions, emotion regulation, and their interaction are common concomitants of depression. Executive dysfunction frequently lingers after treatment, has adverse effects on daily life, and predisposes to recurrence of depression. Yet, sensitive measures of executive function for reliable assessment of cognitive outcomes are still lacking in clinical practice. To better understand the impact of depression and its most effective treatment, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), on cognition, we assessed executive functions pre- and post-ECT and whether objective measures reflecting alterations in emotion–executive function interaction correlate with depression severity or with cognitive outcome.Methods: Executive functions were assessed in 21 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) before and after ECT using subjective measures from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function—Adult version (BRIEF-A) and objective cognitive performance measures derived from computer-based test of executive function, Executive Reaction Time (RT) Test. In addition, we created novel indices reflecting emotional modulation of cognitive performance by subtracting different performance measures in the context of neutral distractors from those in the context of threat-related distractors. We correlated these indices with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and BRIEF-A scores.Results: Depression was significantly alleviated, and executive functions improved post-ECT, as seen in reduced BDI scores, BRIEF-A scores, and number of errors in Executive RT Test. Pre-ECT BDI scores correlated with threat modulation of RT (tmRT) and threat modulation of working memory (tmWM). Post-ECT tmRT correlated with several Behavioral Regulation scales and tmWM with several Metacognition scales of BRIEF-A.Conclusion: While caution is warranted, results from both subjective and objective measures suggest that ECT significantly improves executive functions and emotion regulation along with alleviation of depression. Novel indices derived from threat modulation of executive function and working memory show promise as objective biomarkers of depression severity pre-ECT and cognitive outcome post-ECT with potential for guiding depression treatments.

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Executive Functions in Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder: State or Trait Deficits?

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1080/j.1440-1614.2006.01928.x ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 40 (11-12) ◽

pp. 1031-1038 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Shelley Bannon ◽

Craig J. Gonsalvez ◽

Rodney J. Croft ◽

Philip M. Boyce

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Function ◽

Panic Disorder ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Set Shifting ◽

Design Study ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder

Objective: Despite the neuropsychology literature providing reliable evidence of impaired executive functions in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), to date it has not been determined whether these deficits are trait-related (independent of symptomatology) or state-dependent (dependent on symptomatology). The current research examines the executive functions in OCD in a comprehensive manner and, for the first time, assesses the stability of these deficits over the developmental course of the disorder. Method: Using a cross-sectional design, Study 1 examined the executive functions (set shifting, inhibition, planning, verbal fluency and working memory) in 60 subjects (20 actively Symptomatic OCD, 20 Remitted OCD and 20 Panic Disorder). Using a longitudinal design, Study 2 reassessed a subsample of OCD subjects (participants in Study 1) once they reached remitted status. Results: Study 1 found that the OCD groups exhibited deficits in set shifting and inhibition relative to Panic Disorder controls; however, no deficits were observed in planning, verbal fluency or working memory. There were no differences found between the Symptomatic and Remitted OCD groups on any of the executive function measures. Study 2 found that the identified executive function deficits in individuals were stable over time and remained unchanged despite symptom remittance. Conclusion: Current results confirm the presence of specific executive function deficits in OCD, and indicate that these deficits are trait-like in nature.

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The developmental trajectories of executive function from adolescence to old age

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-80866-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Heather J. Ferguson ◽

Victoria E. A. Brunsdon ◽

Elisabeth E. F. Bradford

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Function ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Old Age ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

Young Adulthood ◽

Older Age ◽

Age Related ◽

Middle Aged Adults

AbstractExecutive functions demonstrate variable developmental and aging profiles, with protracted development into early adulthood and declines in older age. However, relatively few studies have specifically included middle-aged adults in investigations of age-related differences in executive functions. This study explored the age-related differences in executive function from late childhood through to old age, allowing a more informed understanding of executive functions across the lifespan. Three hundred and fifty participants aged 10 to 86 years-old completed a battery of tasks assessing the specific roles of inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and planning. Results highlighted continued improvement in working memory capacity across adolescence and into young adulthood, followed by declines in both working memory and inhibitory control, beginning from as early as 30–40 years old and continuing into older age. Analyses of planning abilities showed continued improvement across adolescence and into young adulthood, followed by a decline in abilities across adulthood, with a small (positive) change in older age. Interestingly, a dissociation was found for cognitive flexibility; switch costs decreased, yet mixing costs increased across the lifespan. The results provide a description of the developmental differences in inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility and planning, above any effects of IQ or SES, and highlight the importance of including middle-aged adults in studies seeking to establish a more comprehensive picture of age-related differences in executive function.

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The Impact of Bilingualism on Everyday Executive Functions of English-Arabic Autistic Children: Through a Parent-Teacher Lens

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders ◽

10.1007/s10803-021-05114-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Shereen Sharaan ◽

Sarah E. MacPherson ◽

Sue Fletcher-Watson

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Function ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Sustained Attention ◽

Parent Ratings ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Interference Control ◽

Autistic Children ◽

Positive Effects ◽

The Impact

AbstractThere is evidence that autistic children may have reduced executive function skills, contributing to day-to-day difficulties, but much remains unknown regarding the influence of bilingualism. We investigated its influence on sustained attention, interference control, flexible switching and working memory, in Arabic-English autistic (n = 27) and typically developing peers (n = 53) children, aged 5 to 12 years old. Parents and teachers completed rating measures assessing children’s daily EF abilities. Results showed generalized positive effects for bilingual autistic children relative to their monolingual peers across all EF domains, but using parent ratings only. The findings indicate that bilingualism does not negatively impact the executive function skills of autistic children, and that it might mitigate difficulties faced on a day-to-day basis.

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Executive function processes mediate the impact of working memory impairment on intelligence in schizophrenia

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2014.06.001 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

P. Wongupparaj ◽

V. Kumari ◽

R.G. Morris

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Function ◽

Executive Functioning ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Structural Equation Modelling ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Intellectual Function ◽

Equation Modelling ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

AbstractObjective:The study investigated working memory, executive functions (conceptualized as response inhibition, updating, and shifting), and intelligence in schizophrenia, using structural equation modelling to determine the relationship between working memory and intelligence, testing whether specific executive functions act as a mediator for the association.Method:One hundred and twenty-five individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and 64 healthy participants were included in the study, tested using measures of working memory, intelligence and executive functioning. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to estimate direct and indirect associations between main measures.Results:The schizophrenia group had significantly lower working memory, executive function and intelligence than the healthy group. The relationship between working memory and intelligence was significantly mediated by inhibition, updating and shifting functions.Conclusion:The study indicates a mediating role of executive functions in determining the association between working memory and intellectual function in schizophrenia. It is further proposed that in people with schizophrenia, cognitive remediation approaches targeting working memory through executive functioning may in turn improve intellectual function generally.

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