scholarly journals Linking inhibitory control to math achievement via comparison of conflicting decimal numbers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linsah Coulanges ◽  
Roberto A. Abreu-Mendoza ◽  
Sashank Varma ◽  
Melina Uncapher ◽  
Adam Gazzaley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Math Achievement ◽  
Academic Learning ◽  
Whole Number ◽  
Calculation Skills ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Number Knowledge

The relationship between executive functions (EF) and academic achievement is well-established, but leveraging this insight to improve educational outcomes remains elusive. Here, we propose a framework for relating the role of specific EF on specific precursor skills that support later academic learning. Specifically, we hypothesize that executive functions contribute to general math skills both directly – supporting the online execution of problem solving strategies – and indirectly – supporting the acquisition of precursor mathematical content. We test this hypothesis by examining the contribution of inhibitory control on processing rational numbers pairs which conflict with individual’s prior whole number knowledge and on general math knowledge. In 97 college students (79 female, age = 20.63 years), we collected three measures of EF: working memory (backwards spatial span), inhibition (color-word Stroop) and cognitive flexibility (task switching), and timed and untimed standardized measures of math achievement. Our target precursor skill was a decimals comparison task where correct responses were inconsistent with prior whole number knowledge (e.g. 0.27 vs. 0.9). Participants performed worse on these trials relative to the consistent decimals pairs (e.g. 0.2 vs. 0.87). Individual differences on incongruent Stroop trials predicted performance on inconsistent decimal comparisons, which in turn predicted performance on both timed and untimed measures of math achievement. With respect to relating inhibitory control to math achievement, incongruent Stroop performance was an independent predictor of untimed calculation skills after accounting for age, working memory and cognitive flexibility. Finally, we found that inconsistent decimals performance partially mediated the relationship between inhibition and untimed math achievement, consistent with the hypothesis that mathematical precursor skills can explain the relationships between executive functions and academic outcomes, making them promising targets for intervention.

Working Memory and Cognitive Flexibility Mediates Visuoconstructional Abilities in Older Adults with Heterogeneous Cognitive Ability

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 392-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafaela T. Ávila ◽  
Jonas J. de Paula ◽  
Maria A. Bicalho ◽  
Edgar N. Moraes ◽  
Rodrigo Nicolato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Multiple Mediation ◽  
Planning Ability ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractPrevious studies suggest that executive functions influence the performance on visuoconstructional tasks. This study aims to investigate whether the relationship between planning ability and the copy of complex figures is mediated by distinct components of executive functions (i.e., working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility). We included a 129 older adults with Alzheimer’s disease (n=36, AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n=67), and with no evidence of cognitive impairment (controls, n=26). We evaluated the mediation effect of planning abilities, working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control on visuoconstructional tasks using a multiple mediation models. We found a significant direct effect of planning on visuoconstructional abilities and a partial mediation effect of working memory and cognitive flexibility on visuoconstructional abilities. The present results indicate that the performance on visuoconstructional task is mediated by multiple interrelated executive functions components, in particular working memory and cognitive flexibility. (JINS, 2015, 21, 392–398)

P03.05 The use of subcortical intraoperative electrical stimulation mapping for assessment of executive functions: A summary of the evidence so far

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii17-ii18
Author(s):  
M J F Landers ◽  
M M Sitskoorn ◽  
G J M Rutten ◽  
E Mandonnet ◽  
W De Baene
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus ◽  
Neurosurgical Planning ◽  
The Right ◽  
Intraoperative Electrical Stimulation

Abstract BACKGROUND Over the past years, the functional subcortical architecture of the brain has been increasingly acknowledged in neurosurgical planning. A method to study anatomo-functional correlations is direct electrical stimulation (DES). DES is widely used by neurosurgeons and considered as a reliable tool to minimize the occurrence of permanent postoperative motor, language and visual deficits. In recent years, DES has also been used for mapping of other cognitive functions, such as executive functions. MATERIAL AND METHODS We systematically summarized the evidence so far from DES studies on subcortical pathways that are involved in the following three executive functions: (1) inhibitory control, (2) working memory and (3) cognitive flexibility. RESULTS We only found twelve articles that reported on intraoperative electrical stimulation of white matter pathways to map executive functions and explicitly clarified which subcortical tract was stimulated. The results indicate that the second branch of the right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF-II) is involved in inhibitory control, the first branch of the right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF-I) and the third branch of the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF-III) are involved in working memory and the cingulum is involved in cognitive flexibility. CONCLUSION We were unable to draw any specific conclusions, nor unequivocally established the pathways involved in executive functions due to heterogenous study characteristics, methods and tasks, and the limited number of studies that assessed these relationships. Clearly, neurosurgical groups are exploring novel methods to assess cognition during awake neurosurgery, but are far from consensus on indications and protocols, which complicated the comparison and summarization of findings. We will discuss possible approaches for future research to obtain converging and more definite evidence for the involvement of subcortical pathways in specific executive functions.

scholarly journals Listening Effort: Order Effects and Core Executive Functions

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (08) ◽  
pp. 734-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Jonas Brännström ◽  
Elisabeth Karlsson ◽  
Sebastian Waechter ◽  
Tobias Kastberg
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Order Effects ◽  
Listening Effort ◽  
Core Executive ◽  
Babble Noise ◽  
Listening Task

AbstractListening effort seems to depend on input-related listening demands and several factors internal to the individual listener. Input-related demands may be listening in noise compared with listening in quiet, and internal factors may be cognitive functions.The purpose was to apply measures of listening effort and perceived listening effort in participants with normal hearing, to determine if there are any presentation order effects, and to explore the relationship between listening effort measured as accuracy, response times, efficiency of information encoding into long-term memory, perceived listening effort, and core executive functions.A within-subject design with repeated measures was used and a study of relationships between variables was made.Thirty-two healthy adults with normal hearing.Participants were tested individually by a listening task using a dual-task paradigm. The listening task was performed in quiet and in multitalker babble noise at 10 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Perceived listening effort and core executive functions (working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility) were also assessed.The measures of listening effort (correct responses, response times, and immediate and delayed listening comprehension) failed to demonstrate increased listening effort in multitalker babble noise (10 dB SNR) compared with quiet, although a significant test order effect was seen for correct responses indicating that participants who first listened in noise did not improve in quiet. Perceived listening effort increased significantly in noise compared with quiet. No relationship was found between measures of listening effort and ratings of perceived listening effort. Working memory and cognitive flexibility were not related to ratings of perceived listening effort. In contrast, better inhibitory control was related to higher ratings in both quiet and in noise.It is possible that the SNR and measures used were not as sensitive as required to measure listening effort behaviorally. In the present experimental setup, prior noise exposure impedes the beneficial effects of performing a task in quiet. Self-reports seem to provide a valid measure of perceived listening effort that is related to the individual’s inhibitory control. The present findings suggest that participants with better inhibitory control are more susceptible to the task demand level both in quiet and in noise.

scholarly journals Executive Functions and Quality of Classroom Interactions in Kindergarten Among 5–6-Year-Old Children

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksander Veraksa ◽  
Daria Bukhalenkova ◽  
Olga Almazova
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Classroom Interaction ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Classroom Organization ◽  
High Level

According to international longitudinal studies, the quality of preschool education is of great importance for children’s further development. The modern research’s greatest interest in the field of studying the quality of preschool education is precisely the assessment of the relationship between the teacher and children as well as the teaching quality in kindergarten groups. In this regard, the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) seems to be the one of the most relevant for the educational environment quality evaluation. The CLASS methodology (which includes emotional support, classroom organization, and instrumental support) is based on the cultural-historical approach, which shows the interaction between students and adults as the main mechanism for child’s development. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between different aspects of the classroom organization quality in kindergarten groups and executive functions components (such as cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory) in 5–6-year-old children. The quality of classroom interaction was measured by the CLASS. The study used the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) method to assess cognitive flexibility and the NEPSY-II subtests “Inhibition” to assess inhibitory control and “Memory for Designs” and “Sentences Repetition” to assess visuo-spatial and verbal working memory, respectively. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Psychology at Lomonosov Moscow State University. The study involved 26 kindergarten groups in Moscow. While conducting the research, extreme groups were identified (5 with low quality and 10 with high-quality levels of classroom interaction). Then, three kindergarten groups with low level (65 children) and three groups with high level (68 children) of interaction within classroom were selected and compared. The results revealed that children from groups with low level of classroom interaction have higher results in cognitive flexibility tasks when compared with children from groups with high level of interaction. Also, children from groups with high-quality classroom interaction demonstrated higher results in visuo-spatial working memory tasks and inhibitory control tasks as contrasted with children from low-quality groups. These findings attest to the importance of classroom interaction quality for the executive functions development in the preschool age.

The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Executive Functions Among Youth in Low-Income Urban Schools in the Northeast and Southwest United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 292-306
Author(s):  
Jesse Mala ◽  
Jennifer McGarry ◽  
Kristen E. Riley ◽  
Elaine C.-H. Lee ◽  
Lindsay DiStefano
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
High Poverty ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Pearson Correlations

The purpose of this study was to examine if physical activity is related to greater executive functions among youth in poverty. Executive functions (cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and working memory) and physical activity were measured in participants (N = 149) in the fifth to eighth grade from three schools located in high-poverty districts. Pearson correlations revealed a statistically significant correlation between physical activity and cognitive flexibility (r = .18, p < .05). Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that physical activity significantly improved prediction for cognitive flexibility, R2 = .09, F(6, 142) = 2.26, p = .041, adjusted R2 = .05, above sex, maturity, and school district. A two-way multivariate analysis of covariance revealed statistically significant differences in working memory in more active youth compared with less active but no statistically significant differences in cognitive flexibility or inhibition (p < .05). Greater physical activity is associated with greater working memory among youth in poverty.

scholarly journals The developmental trajectories of executive function from adolescence to old age

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.

The relationship between early musical training and executive functions: Validation of effects of the sensitive period

2021 ◽  
pp. 030573562097869
Author(s):  
Jiejia Chen ◽  
Meike Scheller ◽  
Chuanyu Wu ◽  
Biyu Hu ◽  
Rong Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Musical Training ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Music Training ◽  
Inhibition Response ◽  
The Relationship

Interest in the influence of musical training on executive functions (EFs) has been growing in recent years. However, the relationship between musical training and EFs remains unclear. By dividing EFs into inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, this study systematically examined its association with musical training in children, and further verified whether there was a sensitive period for the influence of music training on EFs. In Experiment 1, musically trained and untrained children were asked to complete the Go/No-go, Stroop, Continuous Performance, and Switching tasks. Results showed that musically trained children had an advantage in attention inhibition, response inhibition, and working memory, but not in cognitive flexibility. Moreover, the level of musical training was positively correlated with response inhibition and working memory abilities. In Experiment 2, results showed that early-trained musicians performed better on measures of attention inhibition, response inhibition, and working memory than did the age-matched control group, but late-trained musicians only performed better in attention inhibition. Thus, our findings suggest that music training is associated with enhanced EF abilities and provide the first evidence that early childhood is a sensitive period when musical training has a more powerful effect on the development of EFs.

scholarly journals Associations Between Executive Functions and Physical Fitness in Preschool Children

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksander Veraksa ◽  
Alla Tvardovskaya ◽  
Margarita Gavrilova ◽  
Vera Yakupova ◽  
Martin Musálek
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Preschool Period ◽  
Determining Factors ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Different Levels

Considering the current agreement on the significance of executive functions, there is growing interest in determining factors that contribute to the development of these skills, especially during the preschool period. Although multiple studies have been focusing on links between physical activity, physical fitness and executive functions, this topic was more investigated in schoolchildren and adults than in preschoolers. The aim of the current study was to identify different levels of physical fitness among pre-schoolers, followed by an analysis of differences in their executive functions. Participants were 261 5–6-years old children. Inhibitory control and working memory were positively linked with physical fitness. Cognitive flexibility was not associated with physical fitness. The research findings are considered from neuropsychological grounds, Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, and the cultural-historical approach.

scholarly journals Investigating the Relationship of Working Memory and Inhibitory Control: Bilingual Education and Pedagogical Implications in Elementary School

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 163-183
Author(s):  
Maria Sofologi ◽  
Makrina Zafiri ◽  
Vassiliki Pliogou
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Elementary School ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Bilingual Students ◽  
Learning Abilities ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Present study aims to shed light on the relationship of working memory and executive functioning in bilingual elementary school children when compared with monolingual population of the same age. The investigation of the relationship between working memory and language learning abilities of children, who are bilingual, is particularly important as it plays a key role in understanding the literacy and language competence of bilingual populations. The purpose of this study was to examine Verbal Working Memory and Executive Functions in 20 bilingual elementary school students who were compared to 20 monolingual school-age students in different cognitive tasks. The research results showed that bilingual students did not appear to perform better in Working Memory compared to the performance of monolingual students of the same age. Correspondingly, bilingual students performed better in the task of inhibitory control and cognitive change. The findings of the present study reinforce the hypothesis that when learning a language, be it the mother tongue or the foreign /second language, the working memory does not correlate to all executive functions but forms a separate cognitive function. The implications of bilingual learning strategies in multicultural class settings are discussed as a pedagogical memory frame that can empower academic achievement while acknowledging the importance of acquiring standardized language skills by promoting a variety of memory strategies.

scholarly journals Executive Functions in Children with ADHD and/or Reading Difficulty

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Estephane Enadir Lucena Duarte Pereira ◽  
Carla Alexandra da Silva Moita Minervino ◽  
Lara Fechine Piquet da Cruz ◽  
Rauni Jandé Roama-Alves ◽  
Josemberg Moura Andrade
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Reading Difficulties ◽  
Reading Difficulty ◽  
Visuospatial Working Memory ◽  
Children With Adhd ◽  
Semantic Verbal Fluency

Abstract The objective of this study was to compare the Executive Functions performance (EFs: inhibitory control, auditory and visuospatial working memory, cognitive flexibility and verbal fluency) between children with ADHD, reading difficulties (RD), comorbidity ADHD/RD and without complaints of ADHD and RD (WRD). Participated 104 children, of both sexes, aged between eight and 11 years old. The results indicated worse performance of ADHD/RD group in the majority EFs. ADHD presented better performance than DL in semantic verbal fluency. The WRD obtained better scores than the ADHD / DL and DL in practically all the evaluated EFs, but did not differ of ADHD.

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