Prefrontal cognitive processes: Working memory and inhibition in the antisaccade task.

1994 ◽  
Vol 123 (4) ◽  
pp. 374-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph J. Roberts ◽  
Lisa D. Hager ◽  
Christine Heron
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Antisaccade Task

Working Memory and Attention Influence Antisaccade Error Rate in Schizophrenia

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth H.X. Thomas ◽  
Susan L. Rossell ◽  
Jessica B. Myles ◽  
Eric J. Tan ◽  
Erica Neill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Error Rate ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Antisaccade Task ◽  
Attentional Processes ◽  
Neuropsychological Measures ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Task Parameters

AbstractObjectives: Antisaccade error rate has been proposed to be one of the most promising endophenotypes for schizophrenia. Increased error rate in patients has been associated with working memory, attention and other executive function impairments. The relationship between antisaccade error rate and other neuropsychological processes in patients compared to healthy controls has not been explored in depth. This study aimed to replicate the finding of heightened antisaccade error rate in patients and determine which cognitive processes were most strongly associated with antisaccade error rate in both patients and controls. In addition, the study investigated whether different antisaccade task paradigms engage different cognitive processes. Methods: One hundred and ninety-one participants (54 patients with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder and 137 controls) completed the antisaccade task, which included both gap and step task parameters. Neuropsychological measures were obtained using the MCCB and the Stroop task. Results: The current study replicated a pronounced antisaccade error rate deficit in patients. In patients, working memory variance was most significantly associated with antisaccade errors made during the step condition, while attentional processes were most associated with errors made during the gap condition. In controls, overall global cognitive performance was most associated with antisaccade rates for both gap and step conditions. Conclusions: The current study demonstrates that in schizophrenia patients, but not controls, elevated antisaccade error rate is associated with attention and working memory, but not with global cognitive impairment or psychopathological processes. Our novel findings demonstrate that the gap and step conditions of the antisaccade task engage different cognitive processes. (JINS, 2019, 25, 174–183)

Differential Effects of Executive Processes on Working Memory

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 239-249
Author(s):  
Xuezhu Ren ◽  
Tengfei Wang ◽  
Karl Schweizer ◽  
Jing Guo
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Latent Variable ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Attention Control ◽  
Executive Processes ◽  
Differential Effects ◽  
Prepotent Response ◽  
Two Measures

Abstract. Although attention control accounts for a unique portion of the variance in working memory capacity (WMC), the way in which attention control contributes to WMC has not been thoroughly specified. The current work focused on fractionating attention control into distinctly different executive processes and examined to what extent key processes of attention control including updating, shifting, and prepotent response inhibition were related to WMC and whether these relations were different. A number of 216 university students completed experimental tasks of attention control and two measures of WMC. Latent variable analyses were employed for separating and modeling each process and their effects on WMC. The results showed that both the accuracy of updating and shifting were substantially related to WMC while the link from the accuracy of inhibition to WMC was insignificant; on the other hand, only the speed of shifting had a moderate effect on WMC while neither the speed of updating nor the speed of inhibition showed significant effect on WMC. The results suggest that these key processes of attention control exhibit differential effects on individual differences in WMC. The approach that combined experimental manipulations and statistical modeling constitutes a promising way of investigating cognitive processes.

Time-Based Measures of Monitoring in Association With Executive Functions in Kindergarten Children

2020 ◽  
Vol 228 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja Kälin ◽  
Claudia M. Roebers
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Kindergarten Children ◽  
Metacognitive Monitoring

Abstract. Repeatedly, the notion has been put forward that metacognition (MC) and executive functions (EF) share common grounds, as both describe higher order cognitive processes and involve monitoring. However, only few studies addressed this issue empirically and so far their findings are rather inconsistent. Addressing the question whether measurement differences may in part be responsible for the mixed results, the current study included explicitly reported as well as time-based measures of metacognitive monitoring and related them to EF. A total of 202 children aged 4–6 years were assessed in terms of EF (inhibition, working memory, shifting) and monitoring. While there was no significant link between explicitly reported confidence and EF, latencies of monitoring judgments were significantly related to time- and accuracy-based measures of EF. Our findings support the association between EF and MC and the assumption that better inhibition abilities help children to engage in more thorough monitoring.

Automatic and Strategic Processes in Advertising Effects

1996 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 88-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus G. Grunert
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Automatic Processes ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Product Involvement ◽  
High Involvement ◽  
Capacity Limitations ◽  
Brand Evaluation ◽  
Advertising Effects ◽  
Strategic Processes

The author distinguishes two kinds of cognitive processes: automatic processes, which are mostly subconscious, are learned and changed slowly and are not subject to the capacity limitations of working memory, and strategic processes, which are conscious, are subject to capacity limitations, and can easily be adapted to situational circumstances. The perception of advertising and the way it influences brand evaluation involves both processes. Automatic processes govern the recognition of advertising stimuli, the relevance decision that determines further higher-level processing, the retrieval of information, and the provision of a heuristic for brand evaluation. Strategic processes govern learning and inference formation. The relative importance of both types of processes depends on product involvement. The distinction of these two types of processes leads to some conclusions that are at variance with current notions about advertising effects. For example, the attention span problem is relevant only for strategic processes. A certain amount of learning can occur with little conscious effort, and advertising's effect on brand evaluation may be more stable for low- than for high-involvement products.

scholarly journals Experiential and Strategic Emotional Intelligence Are Implicated When Inhibiting Affective and Non-Affective Distractors: Findings from Three Emotional Flanker N-Back Tasks

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Ming D. Lim ◽  
Damian P. Birney
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Low Load ◽  
Affective Information ◽  
Accuracy Rates

Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to a set of competencies to process, understand, and reason with affective information. Recent studies suggest ability measures of experiential and strategic EI differentially predict performance on non-emotional and emotionally laden tasks. To explore cognitive processes underlying these abilities further, we varied the affective context of a traditional letter-based n-back working-memory task. In study 1, participants completed 0-, 2-, and 3-back tasks with flanking distractors that were either emotional (fearful or happy faces) or non-emotional (shapes or letters stimuli). Strategic EI, but not experiential EI, significantly influenced participants’ accuracy across all n-back levels, irrespective of flanker type. In Study 2, participants completed 1-, 2-, and 3-back levels. Experiential EI was positively associated with response times for emotional flankers at the 1-back level but not other levels or flanker types, suggesting those higher in experiential EI reacted slower on low-load trials with affective context. In Study 3, flankers were asynchronously presented either 300 ms or 1000 ms before probes. Results mirrored Study 1 for accuracy rates and Study 2 for response times. Our findings (a) provide experimental evidence for the distinctness of experiential and strategic EI and (b) suggest that each are related to different aspects of cognitive processes underlying working memory.

scholarly journals Brain hemodynamic response in Examiner–Examinee dyads during spatial short-term memory task: an fNIRS study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Panico ◽  
Stefania De Marco ◽  
Laura Sagliano ◽  
Francesca D’Olimpio ◽  
Dario Grossi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
The Real

AbstractThe Corsi Block-Tapping test (CBT) is a measure of spatial working memory (WM) in clinical practice, requiring an examinee to reproduce sequences of cubes tapped by an examiner. CBT implies complementary behaviors in the examiners and the examinees, as they have to attend a precise turn taking. Previous studies demonstrated that the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) is activated during CBT, but scarce evidence is available on the neural correlates of CBT in the real setting. We assessed PFC activity in dyads of examiner–examinee participants while completing the real version of CBT, during conditions of increasing and exceeding workload. This procedure allowed to investigate whether brain activity in the dyads is coordinated. Results in the examinees showed that PFC activity was higher when the workload approached or reached participants’ spatial WM span, and lower during workload conditions that were largely below or above their span. Interestingly, findings in the examiners paralleled the ones in the examinees, as examiners’ brain activity increased and decreased in a similar way as the examinees’ one. In the examiners, higher left-hemisphere activity was observed suggesting the likely activation of non-spatial WM processes. Data support a bell-shaped relationship between cognitive load and brain activity, and provide original insights on the cognitive processes activated in the examiner during CBT.

Unraveling What’s on Our Minds

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire M. Zedelius ◽  
Jonathan W. Schooler
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Positive Mood ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Different Types ◽  
And Behavior

Mind-wandering encompasses a variety of different types of thought, involving various different experiential qualities, emotions, and cognitive processes. Much is lost by simply lumping them together, as is typically done in the literature. The goal of this chapter is to explore the nuances that distinguish different types of mind-wandering. The chapter draws on research on mind-wandering as well as other literatures to gain a better understanding of how these different types of mind-wandering affect cognition and behavior. It specifically discusses the distinct effects of different types of mind-wandering on task performance, working memory, mood, and creativity. Finally, the chapter discusses the idea of deliberate engagement in particular types of mind-wandering as a way to achieve desirable outcomes, such as maintaining a positive mood, enhancing creativity, or aiding decision-making.

The contribution of cognition to the rehabilitation of language and communication deficits

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Bijoyaa Mohapatra
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Communication Disorders ◽  
World Health ◽  
International Classification Of Functioning ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Language Functions

Background/Aims There is growing evidence to suggest that cognitive processes, in particular working memory and executive functions, are related to language functions such as syntactic processing, reading comprehension, narration and conversational discourse. This article offers rehabilitation considerations for speech-language pathologists to include cognitive assessment and treatment in their clinical practice. The information presented will also be useful in promoting multidisciplinary rehabilitation. Methods A critical review of the literature on the interaction between cognitive processes and linguistic functions in communication disorders was undertaken. Specific key terms including but not limited to executive functioning, working memory, language, assessment, intervention and communication disorders were searched on the Google Scholar database. Relevant literature from the last three decades pertaining to cognitive behavior, assessment and intervention in communication disorders of all age groups and severities is included in the review. Results The review presents analyses of the multidimensional and dynamic interaction of language and cognition in children (specific language impairment, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, stuttering) and adults (traumatic brain injury, stroke, dementia) with communication disorders. The article elaborates on the speech-language pathologist's scope of practice in cognitive assessment and intervention that are consistent with the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework. Conclusions By documenting cognitive-communication behaviour, speech-language pathologists are able to effectively contribute to the clinical assessment and management of cognitive deficits. However, future research efforts are required to develop clinically reliable tests of cognitive functioning in communication disorders and promote evidence-based cognitive treatment practices.

scholarly journals The Hyperfocusing Hypothesis: A New Account of Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 991-1000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J Luck ◽  
Britta Hahn ◽  
Carly J Leonard ◽  
James M Gold
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Term Outcome ◽  
Long Term Outcome ◽  
Good Target ◽  
Processing Resources ◽  
Nonspecific Factors ◽  
New Treatments

Abstract Impairments in basic cognitive processes such as attention and working memory are commonly observed in people with schizophrenia and are predictive of long-term outcome. In this review, we describe a new theory—the hyperfocusing hypothesis—which provides a unified account of many aspects of impaired cognition in schizophrenia. This hypothesis proposes that schizophrenia involves an abnormally narrow but intense focusing of processing resources. This hyperfocusing impairs the ability of people with schizophrenia to distribute attention among multiple locations, decreases the number of representations that can simultaneously be maintained in working memory, and causes attention to be abnormally captured by irrelevant inputs that share features with active representations. Evidence supporting the hyperfocusing hypothesis comes from a variety of laboratory tasks and from both behavioral and electrophysiological measures of processing. In many of these tasks, people with schizophrenia exhibit supranormal effects of task manipulations, which cannot be explained by a generalized cognitive deficit or by nonspecific factors such as reduced motivation or poor task comprehension. In addition, the degree of hyperfocusing in these tasks is often correlated with the degree of impairment in measures of broad cognitive function, which are known to be related to long-term outcome. Thus, the mechanisms underlying hyperfocusing may be a good target for new treatments targeting cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document