Memoria de trabajo y control inhibitorio en beisbolistas universitarios (Working Memory and Inhibitory Control in College Baseball Players)

El rendimiento óptimo en el deporte requiere de procesos neuropsicológicos como las funciones ejecutivas. Entre estas, están la memoria de trabajo (MT) y el control inhibitorio (CI). Se ha descrito que quienes practican deportes de ritmo propio como el béisbol obtienen puntajes ubicados en el rango alto en tareas correspondientes a la MT y el IC, así como que los bateadores suelen obtener puntajes más altos en tareas de control inhibitorio en comparación con quienes no batean y atletas de otros deportes. Este estudio evalúa las diferencias en el rendimiento en tareas de IC y MT de beisbolistas universitarios y su relación con el tiempo practicando este deporte. Treinta y dos jugadores pertenecientes a un selectivo de béisbol universitario fueron evaluados por medio de subpruebas pertenecientes a la Batería BANFE-2. Los resultados muestran puntajes correspondientes al rango alto en las tareas correspondientes a la MT y el IC para todos los participantes. Se encontraron diferencias significativas en los puntajes de IC entre los bateadores y los lanzadores (p < .01). En las tareas de MT las diferencias no fueron significativas (p < .5). Los resultados obtenidos apoyan la hipótesis de que los bateadores obtienen puntajes más altos que en IC que quienes no batean y que los beisbolistas en general tienen un desempeño alto en capacidades como el IC y la MT por lo que se puede inferir que las exigencias del béisbol son un factor importante en el desarrollo de procesos como los abordados en este estudio. Abstract. Optimal performance in sport requires neuropsychological processes such as executive functions. Among these are working memory (WM) and inhibitory control (IC). It has been described that those who practice self-paced sports such as baseball obtain scores located in the high range in tasks corresponding to the WM and IC, as well as batters tend to obtain higher scores in tasks of inhibitory control compared to those who do not hit and athletes from other sports. This study evaluates the differences in the performance of university baseball players in IC and WM tasks and their relationship with the time practicing this sport. Thirty-two players belonging to a university baseball team were evaluated by means of subtests belonging to Battery BANFE-2. The results show scores corresponding to the high range in the tasks corresponding to the WM and the IC for all participants. Significant differences were found in CI scores between hitters and pitched (p <.01). In the TM tasks the differences were not significant (p <.5). The results obtained support the hypothesis that hitters obtain higher scores than in IC than non-hitters and that baseball players in general have a high performance in capacities such as IC and WM, so it can be inferred that the demands of baseball they are an important factor in the development of processes such as those addressed in this study.

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

10.31234/osf.io/qsuz9 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

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.

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

Neuro-Oncology ◽

10.1093/neuonc/noab180.057 ◽

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.

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Listening Effort: Order Effects and Core Executive Functions

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.17024 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 29 (08) ◽

pp. 734-747 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

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.

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

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2020.603776 ◽

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.

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The Effect of Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation on Cognitive Training Outcome in Healthy Aging

Frontiers in Neurology ◽

10.3389/fneur.2021.625359 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Michela Brambilla ◽

Lars Dinkelbach ◽

Annelien Bigler ◽

Joseph Williams ◽

Nahid Zokaei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Cognitive Training ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Cognitive Functions ◽

Random Noise ◽

Logical Reasoning ◽

Performance Change ◽

Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation

Background and Objective: Aging is associated with a decline in attentional and executive abilities, which are linked to physiological, structural, and functional brain changes. A variety of novel non-invasive brain stimulation methods have been probed in terms of their neuroenhancement efficacy in the last decade; one that holds significant promise is transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) that delivers an alternate current at random amplitude and frequency. The aim of this study was to investigate whether repeated sessions of tRNS applied as an add-on to cognitive training (CT) may induce long-term near and far transfer cognitive improvements.Methods: In this sham-controlled, randomized, double-blinded study forty-two older adults (age range 60–86 years) were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups that received 20 min of 0.705 mA tRNS (N = 14), 1 mA tRNS (N = 14), or sham tRNS (N = 19) combined with 30 min of CT of executive functions (cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, working memory). tRNS was applied bilaterally over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortices for five sessions. The primary outcome (non-verbal logical reasoning) and other cognitive functions (attention, memory, executive functions) were assessed before and after the intervention and at a 1-month follow-up.Results: Non-verbal logical reasoning, inhibitory control and reaction time improved significantly over time, but stimulation did not differentially affect this improvement. These changes occurred during CT, while no further improvement was observed during follow-up. Performance change in logical reasoning was significantly correlated with age in the group receiving 1 mA tRNS, indicating that older participants profited more from tRNS than younger participants. Performance change in non-verbal working memory was significantly correlated with age in the group receiving sham tRNS, indicating that in contrast to active tRNS, older participants in the sham group declined more than younger participants.Interpretation: CT induced cognitive improvements in all treatment groups, but tRNS did not modulate most of these cognitive improvements. However, the effect of tRNS depended on age in some cognitive functions. We discuss possible explanations leading to this result that can help to improve the design of future neuroenhancement studies in older populations.

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

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s135561771500034x ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (5) ◽

pp. 392-398 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

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)

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The Differential Role of Executive Functions in the Cognitive Control of Language Switching

Languages ◽

10.3390/languages5020019 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 19

Author(s):

Jared A. Linck ◽

John W. Schwieter ◽

Gretchen Sunderman

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Control ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Speech Production ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Language Production ◽

Language Switching ◽

Switch Costs ◽

Language Control ◽

Global And Local

Studies of bilingual speech production suggest that different executive functions (EFs) contribute to the cognitive control of language production. However, no study has simultaneously examined the relationship between different EFs and language control during online speech production. The current study examined individual differences in three EFs (working memory updating, inhibitory control, and task-set switching) and their relationship with performance in a trilingual language-switching task for a group of forty-seven native English (L1) speakers learning French (L2) and Spanish (L3). Analyses indicate complex interactions between EFs and language switching: better inhibitory control was related to smaller L1 switch costs, whereas better working memory was related to larger L1 switch costs. Working memory was also related to larger L2 switch costs, but only when switching from L1. These results support theories of cognitive control that implicate both global and local control mechanisms, and suggest unique contributions of each EF to both global and local cognitive control during language switching. Finally, we discuss the implications for theories of multilingual language control.

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SPORT SPECIALIZATION AND COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP BELIEFS AND FINANCIAL INVESTMENT AMONG HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL PARENTS

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967120s00219 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (4_suppl3) ◽

pp. 2325967120S0021

Author(s):

Eric G. Post ◽

Michael D. Rosenthal ◽

Mitchell J. Rauh

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

The United States ◽

Sport Performance ◽

San Diego County ◽

Parent Beliefs ◽

Baseball Players ◽

Financial Investment ◽

Collegiate Baseball ◽

College Baseball ◽

Baseball Team

BACKGROUND: Youth athletes are increasingly encouraged to specialize in a single sport and participate on club teams year-round to be offered a college scholarship. For collegiate baseball, only 11.7 scholarships are available for a 35-player team. Presently, the beliefs of parents of baseball athletes towards sport specialization are unknown along with whether they have an accurate understanding of college baseball scholarship availability. PURPOSE: To describe the beliefs of parents of high school baseball players regarding sport specialization and college scholarships. A secondary purpose was to compare child baseball participation characteristics by parent median household income (MHI) categories. METHODS: During the 2019 spring baseball season, 155 parents (female N=82 (52.9%), age: 49.45.5 years) of high school baseball players from six San Diego county high schools completed an anonymous questionnaire concerning parent and child demographics, child baseball participation information (e.g., club baseball team participation), money spent on their child’s baseball participation, sport specialization status, and parent beliefs regarding sport specialization and college scholarships. Sport specialization status was determined using a validated 3-point specialization scale. Parent MHI was estimated using residence zip code and categorized into MHI tertiles (low, middle, high). RESULTS: Seventy-three parents (47.7%) classified their children as highly specialized and 110 parents (71.0%) reported their child played club baseball in addition to their high school team. Parents reported spending a median of $3000 [$1500-6000] on their child’s baseball participation during the previous year. Only 44 parents (28.4%) reported being concerned about sport specialization. Most parents (69.9%) believed that specialization would increase their child’s chances of making a college team. Parents underestimated the number of college baseball scholarships available per team (median [IQR]: 5 [0-5]), but 55 parents (35.9%) believed it was “somewhat” or “very likely” their child would receive a college baseball scholarship. Compared to low MHI parents, high MHI parents were more likely to classify their child as highly specialized (65.8% vs. 31.7%, p=0.02), and have a child participating in club baseball (82.1% vs. 58.3%, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Parents who reported a greater financial investment in their child’s baseball participation believed it would improve their child’s sport performance to play college baseball. Despite having a realistic understanding of the limited college scholarships available, parents were optimistic that their child would receive a baseball scholarship. The current year-round, highly specialized environment of youth sports in the United States may favor families with more financial resources.

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