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Executive function is defined as a set of cognitive skills that are necessary to plan, monitor, and execute a sequence of goal-directed complex actions. Executive function is influenced by a variety of factors, including habitual sleep duration and diabetes. In the present study, we investigated in 18,769 Swedish adults (mean age: 61 y) the association between executive function, diabetes, and self-reported sleep duration. We observed a significant interaction between diabetes and sleep duration for the Trail Making Test (TMT) ratio (P < 0.01). This ratio is a measure of executive function where higher values indicate worse performance. Among diabetic participants (n = 1,523), long (defined as ≥9 h per day) vs. normal sleep duration (defined as 7-8 hours per day) was associated with a higher TMT ratio (P < 0.05). Similar significant results were observed in diabetic individuals without pharmacological treatment for diabetes (n = 1,062). Among non-diabetic participants (n = 17,246), no association between long sleep duration and the TMT ratio was observed (P > 0.05). Instead, short (defined as <7 h per day) vs. normal sleep duration was linked to a higher TMT ratio (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the association between sleep duration and executive function differs between diabetic and non-diabetic middle-aged and older adults. Based on the cross-sectional design of the study, no firm conclusions can be drawn on the causality of the relations.

Executive function is defined as a set of cognitive skills that are necessary to plan, monitor, and execute a sequence of goal-directed complex actions. Executive function is influenced by a variety of factors, including habitual sleep duration and diabetes. In the present study, we investigated in 18,769 Swedish adults (mean age: 61 y) the association between executive function, diabetes, and self-reported sleep duration. We observed a significant interaction between diabetes and sleep duration for the Trail Making Test (TMT) ratio (P < 0.01). This ratio is a measure of executive function where higher values indicate worse performance. Among diabetic participants (n = 1,523), long (defined as ≥9 h per day) vs. normal sleep duration (defined as 7-8 hours per day) was associated with a higher TMT ratio (P < 0.05). Similar significant results were observed in diabetic individuals without pharmacological treatment for diabetes (n = 1,062). Among non-diabetic participants (n = 17,246), no association between long sleep duration and the TMT ratio was observed (P > 0.05). Instead, short (defined as <7 h per day) vs. normal sleep duration was linked to a higher TMT ratio (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the association between sleep duration and executive function differs between diabetic and non-diabetic middle-aged and older adults. Based on the cross-sectional design of the study, no firm conclusions can be drawn on the causality of the relations.

This paper shares the results of an exploratory study that measured the change in Executive Function (EF) skills of At-Risk third-grade students with varying Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) before and after an Arts-Integration (AI) program. Student EF skills were measured using the Minnesota Executive Function Scale (MEFS) and a statistically significant increase in EF skills was observed in the post-test. In addition, a regression analysis was conducted to determine if students with a high level of ACEs improved at a different rate than students with a low level of ACEs and it was found that the number of ACEs was a significant predictor of improvement on the MEFS.  The article describes why students with high ACEs would likely have EF skill deficiencies, why EF skills are important for success in school, and how using the arts in curricula can help develop EF skills in students.

Executive function is defined as a set of cognitive skills that are necessary to plan, monitor, and execute a sequence of goal-directed complex actions. Executive function is influenced by a variety of factors, including habitual sleep duration and diabetes. In the present study, we investigated in 18,769 Swedish adults (mean age: 61 y) the association between executive function, diabetes, and self-reported sleep duration. We observed a significant interaction between diabetes and sleep duration for the Trail Making Test (TMT) ratio (P < 0.01). This ratio is a measure of executive function where higher values indicate worse performance. Among diabetic participants (n = 1,523), long (defined as ≥9 h per day) vs. normal sleep duration (defined as 7-8 hours per day) was associated with a higher TMT ratio (P < 0.05). Similar significant results were observed in diabetic individuals without pharmacological treatment for diabetes (n = 1,062). Among non-diabetic participants (n = 17,246), no association between long sleep duration and the TMT ratio was observed (P > 0.05). Instead, short (defined as <7 h per day) vs. normal sleep duration was linked to a higher TMT ratio (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the association between sleep duration and executive function differs between diabetic and non-diabetic middle-aged and older adults. Based on the cross-sectional design of the study, no firm conclusions can be drawn on the causality of the relations.

It is difficult to maintain cognitive functioning in threatening contexts, even when it is imperative to do so. Research indicates that precarious situations can impair subsequent executive functioning, depending on whether they are appraised as threatening. Here, we used virtual reality to place participants at ground level or at a virtual height in order to examine the impact of a threat-related context on concurrent executive function and whether this relationship was modulated by negative appraisals of heights. Executive function was assessed via the Go/NoGo and N-Back tasks, indexing response inhibition and working memory updating respectively. Participants with negative appraisals of heights exhibited impaired executive function on both tasks when performing at a virtual height (i.e., a threat-related context) but not at ground-level, demonstrating the importance of considering the cognitive consequences of individual differences in negative interpretations of emotionally-evocative situations. We suggest that a virtual reality approach holds practical benefits for understanding how individuals are able to maintain cognitive ability when embedded within threatening situations.

This paper presents the findings of a study conducted with preschool teachers trialling an intervention in which executive function activities are embedded in teachers’ daily practices and imaginary play is used to build meaningful problem situations that children solve using executive functions. The participants were 227 preschool children (53% male, M age = 55.5 months, SD = 4.2) in 10 preschool groups from Brisbane, Australia. The intervention consisted of educators and children creating and developing an imaginary situation (playworld) over an extended period (e.g. one school term). Executive function was assessed pre- and post-intervention. A repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated significant differences between Time 1 and Time 2 on all executive function measures. The study found that teachers can develop children’s executive functions when executive function activities are embedded in teachers’ daily practices, and when imaginary play is used to build meaningful problem situations that children solve using executive functions.

Background Intraoperative functional mapping with direct electrical stimulation during awake surgery for patients with diffuse low-grade glioma has been used in recent years to optimize the balance between surgical resection and quality of life following surgery. Mapping of executive functions is particularly challenging because of their complex nature, with only a handful of reports published so far. Here, we propose the recording of neural activity directly from the surface of the brain using electrocorticography to map executive functions and demonstrate its feasibility and potential utility. Methods To track a neural signature of executive function, we recorded neural activity using electrocorticography during awake surgery from the frontal cortex of three patients judged to have an appearance of diffuse low-grade glioma. Based on existing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) evidence from healthy participants for the recruitment of areas associated with executive function with increased task demands, we employed a task difficulty manipulation in two counting tasks performed intraoperatively. Following surgery, the data were extracted and analyzed offline to identify increases in broadband high-gamma power with increased task difficulty, equivalent to fMRI findings, as a signature of activity related to executive function. Results All three patients performed the tasks well. Data were recorded from five electrode strips, resulting in data from 15 channels overall. Eleven out of the 15 channels (73.3%) showed significant increases in high-gamma power with increased task difficulty, 26.6% of the channels (4/15) showed no change in power, and none of the channels showed power decrease. High-gamma power increases with increased task difficulty were more likely in areas that are within the canonical frontoparietal network template. Conclusions These results are the first step toward developing electrocorticography as a tool for mapping of executive function c

This paper shares the results of an exploratory study that measured the change in Executive Function (EF) skills of At-Risk third-grade students with varying Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) before and after an Arts-Integration (AI) program. Student EF skills were measured using the Minnesota Executive Function Scale (MEFS) and a statistically significant increase in EF skills was observed in the post-test. In addition, a regression analysis was conducted to determine if students with a high level of ACEs improved at a different rate than students with a low level of ACEs and it was found that the number of ACEs was a significant predictor of improvement on the MEFS.  The article describes why students with high ACEs would likely have EF skill deficiencies, why EF skills are important for success in school, and how using the arts in curricula can help develop EF skills in students.

BACKGROUND:Executive function (EF) is vital to human beings. It has been linked to many genes and family environmental factors in separate studies, but few studies have examined the potential interactions between gene(s) and environmental factor(s). The current study explored the whole genome to identify SNPs, genes, and pathways that interacted with parental warmth (PW) on EF. RESULTS:Nine EF tasks were used to measure its three components (common EF, updating, shifting) based on the model proposed by Miyake et al. (2000). We found that rs111605473, LAMP5, SLC4A7, and LRRK1 interacted significantly with PW to affect the updating component of EF, and the GSE43955 pathway interacted significantly with PW to affect the common EF component. CONCLUSIONS:The current study is the first to identify genes that interacted with PW to affect EF. Further studies are needed to reveal the underlying mechanism.

Background Intraoperative functional mapping with direct electrical stimulation during awake surgery for patients with diffuse low-grade glioma has been used in recent years to optimize the balance between surgical resection and quality of life following surgery. Mapping of executive functions is particularly challenging because of their complex nature, with only a handful of reports published so far. Here, we propose the recording of neural activity directly from the surface of the brain using electrocorticography to map executive functions and demonstrate its feasibility and potential utility. Methods To track a neural signature of executive function, we recorded neural activity using electrocorticography during awake surgery from the frontal cortex of three patients judged to have an appearance of diffuse low-grade glioma. Based on existing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) evidence from healthy participants for the recruitment of areas associated with executive function with increased task demands, we employed a task difficulty manipulation in two counting tasks performed intraoperatively. Following surgery, the data were extracted and analyzed offline to identify increases in broadband high-gamma power with increased task difficulty, equivalent to fMRI findings, as a signature of activity related to executive function. Results All three patients performed the tasks well. Data were recorded from five electrode strips, resulting in data from 15 channels overall. Eleven out of the 15 channels (73.3%) showed significant increases in high-gamma power with increased task difficulty, 26.6% of the channels (4/15) showed no change in power, and none of the channels showed power decrease. High-gamma power increases with increased task difficulty were more likely in areas that are within the canonical frontoparietal network template. Conclusions These results are the first step toward developing electrocorticography as a tool for mapping of executive function c

The Met-allele of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism slows metabolism and increases bioavailability of dopamine (DA) in the prefrontal cortex compared to the Val-allele. Healthy Met-carriers outperform Val-carriers on executive function (EF) tests, yet this 'advantage' disappears in methamphetamine (METH) dependence. Met-carriers may be disproportionately vulnerable to METH-related perturbations of DA, yet it is unknown whether COMT modulates METH effects on CSF DA biomarkers. Participants were 75 METH+ and 47 METH- men who underwent neurocognitive testing, COMT genotyping, and lumbar puncture. CSF was assayed for DA and its metabolite, homovanillic acid (HVA). Separate linear models regressed DA, HVA, and HVA/DA ratios on COMT, METH and their interaction. Pearson correlations examined associations between DA and EF. Significant interactions indicated that METH+ had lower DA and higher HVA/DA ratios among Met/Met, but not Val/Met-or Val/Val. Met/Met-exhibited the highest DA levels among METH-, whereas DA levels were comparable between Met/Met-and Val-carriers among METH+. Higher DA correlated with better EF in METH- Met/Met, but did not predict EF in the entire sample. DA was expectedly higher in METH- Met/Met, yet a discordant genotype-phenotype profile emerged in METH+ Met/Met, consistent with the notion that slow DA clearance exacerbates METH-associated DA dysregulation.

Executive function is defined as a set of cognitive skills that are necessary to plan, monitor, and execute a sequence of goal-directed complex actions. Executive function is influenced by a variety of factors, including habitual sleep duration and diabetes. In the present study, we investigated in 18,769 Swedish adults (mean age: 61 y) the association between executive function, diabetes, and self-reported sleep duration. We observed a significant interaction between diabetes and sleep duration for the Trail Making Test (TMT) ratio (P < 0.01). This ratio is a measure of executive function where higher values indicate worse performance. Among diabetic participants (n = 1,523), long (defined as ≥9 h per day) vs. normal sleep duration (defined as 7-8 hours per day) was associated with a higher TMT ratio (P < 0.05). Similar significant results were observed in diabetic individuals without pharmacological treatment for diabetes (n = 1,062). Among non-diabetic participants (n = 17,246), no association between long sleep duration and the TMT ratio was observed (P > 0.05). Instead, short (defined as <7 h per day) vs. normal sleep duration was linked to a higher TMT ratio (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the association between sleep duration and executive function differs between diabetic and non-diabetic middle-aged and older adults. Based on the cross-sectional design of the study, no firm conclusions can be drawn on the causality of the relations.

Background: Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by demyelinated lesions and axonal loss in white matter regions of the brain. Spatially normalizing brain MRI data is performed to better facilitate comparisons between individuals or groups. MS-related brain pathologies however, can compromise spatial normalization methods. This study therefore compared five normalization methods. This study then used that identified method to investigate relationships between executive function and microstructure throughout the default mode network and executive control network white matter. Methods: Using 20 MS participants and 1 healthy control, we lesion-filled each participant’s T1-weighted brain image to the Montreal Neurological Institute template using 5 normalization approaches (total: 400 normalizations). Inter-subject variability was quantified using mutual information and coefficient of variation and normalization lesion volumes were evaluated using paired sample t-tests. Using SPMCAT12 we used diffusion tensor imaging metrics, FA and MD maps from 103 participants to extract values from DMN and ECN regions via the UManitoba-Functionally-Defined Human White Matter Atlases. Executive function was assessed using the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Color-Word Interference Test. One-tailed Spearman correlations assessed relations between DMN and ECN white matter microstructure and individual differences in executive function. Results: SPM CAT12 with lesion filling is the most robust method for spatially normalizing MS brain imaging data. Lowest average Coefficient of Variation maps were SPM: 9.6 and 21.4 was highest for FSL. This study then found executive function scores to be significantly correlated with individual differences in white matter MD measurements from both the DMN (rho = 0.194; 96% CI = 0.0031 to 0.0347; p = 0.027) and the ECN (rho= 0.192; 95% = 0.029 to 0.345; p= 0.029), but not from global white matter (rho = 0.106; 95% CI =

Background Intraoperative functional mapping with direct electrical stimulation during awake surgery for patients with diffuse low-grade glioma has been used in recent years to optimize the balance between surgical resection and quality of life following surgery. Mapping of executive functions is particularly challenging because of their complex nature, with only a handful of reports published so far. Here, we propose the recording of neural activity directly from the surface of the brain using electrocorticography to map executive functions and demonstrate its feasibility and potential utility. Methods To track a neural signature of executive function, we recorded neural activity using electrocorticography during awake surgery from the frontal cortex of three patients judged to have an appearance of diffuse low-grade glioma. Based on existing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) evidence from healthy participants for the recruitment of areas associated with executive function with increased task demands, we employed a task difficulty manipulation in two counting tasks performed intraoperatively. Following surgery, the data were extracted and analyzed offline to identify increases in broadband high-gamma power with increased task difficulty, equivalent to fMRI findings, as a signature of activity related to executive function. Results All three patients performed the tasks well. Data were recorded from five electrode strips, resulting in data from 15 channels overall. Eleven out of the 15 channels (73.3%) showed significant increases in high-gamma power with increased task difficulty, 26.6% of the channels (4/15) showed no change in power, and none of the channels showed power decrease. High-gamma power increases with increased task difficulty were more likely in areas that are within the canonical frontoparietal network template. Conclusions These results are the first step toward developing electrocorticography as a tool for mapping of executive function c

Background Intraoperative functional mapping with direct electrical stimulation during awake surgery for patients with diffuse low-grade glioma has been used in recent years to optimize the balance between surgical resection and quality of life following surgery. Mapping of executive functions is particularly challenging because of their complex nature, with only a handful of reports published so far. Here, we propose the recording of neural activity directly from the surface of the brain using electrocorticography to map executive functions and demonstrate its feasibility and potential utility. Methods To track a neural signature of executive function, we recorded neural activity using electrocorticography during awake surgery from the frontal cortex of three patients judged to have an appearance of diffuse low-grade glioma. Based on existing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) evidence from healthy participants for the recruitment of areas associated with executive function with increased task demands, we employed a task difficulty manipulation in two counting tasks performed intraoperatively. Following surgery, the data were extracted and analyzed offline to identify increases in broadband high-gamma power with increased task difficulty, equivalent to fMRI findings, as a signature of activity related to executive function. Results All three patients performed the tasks well. Data were recorded from five electrode strips, resulting in data from 15 channels overall. Eleven out of the 15 channels (73.3%) showed significant increases in high-gamma power with increased task difficulty, 26.6% of the channels (4/15) showed no change in power, and none of the channels showed power decrease. High-gamma power increases with increased task difficulty were more likely in areas that are within the canonical frontoparietal network template. Conclusions These results are the first step toward developing electrocorticography as a tool for mapping of executive function c

Background Intraoperative functional mapping with direct electrical stimulation during awake surgery for patients with diffuse low-grade glioma has been used in recent years to optimize the balance between surgical resection and quality of life following surgery. Mapping of executive functions is particularly challenging because of their complex nature, with only a handful of reports published so far. Here, we propose the recording of neural activity directly from the surface of the brain using electrocorticography to map executive functions and demonstrate its feasibility and potential utility. Methods To track a neural signature of executive function, we recorded neural activity using electrocorticography during awake surgery from the frontal cortex of three patients judged to have an appearance of diffuse low-grade glioma. Based on existing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) evidence from healthy participants for the recruitment of areas associated with executive function with increased task demands, we employed a task difficulty manipulation in two counting tasks performed intraoperatively. Following surgery, the data were extracted and analyzed offline to identify increases in broadband high-gamma power with increased task difficulty, equivalent to fMRI findings, as a signature of activity related to executive function. Results All three patients performed the tasks well. Data were recorded from five electrode strips, resulting in data from 15 channels overall. Eleven out of the 15 channels (73.3%) showed significant increases in high-gamma power with increased task difficulty, 26.6% of the channels (4/15) showed no change in power, and none of the channels showed power decrease. High-gamma power increases with increased task difficulty were more likely in areas that are within the canonical frontoparietal network template. Conclusions These results are the first step toward developing electrocorticography as a tool for mapping of executive function c

Executive function is defined as a set of cognitive skills that are necessary to plan, monitor, and execute a sequence of goal-directed complex actions. Executive function is influenced by a variety of factors, including habitual sleep duration and diabetes. In the present study, we investigated in 18,769 Swedish adults (mean age: 61 y) the association between executive function, diabetes, and self-reported sleep duration. We observed a significant interaction between diabetes and sleep duration for the Trail Making Test (TMT) ratio (P < 0.01). This ratio is a measure of executive function where higher values indicate worse performance. Among diabetic participants (n = 1,523), long (defined as ≥9 h per day) vs. normal sleep duration (defined as 7-8 hours per day) was associated with a higher TMT ratio (P < 0.05). Similar significant results were observed in diabetic individuals without pharmacological treatment for diabetes (n = 1,062). Among non-diabetic participants (n = 17,246), no association between long sleep duration and the TMT ratio was observed (P > 0.05). Instead, short (defined as <7 h per day) vs. normal sleep duration was linked to a higher TMT ratio (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the association between sleep duration and executive function differs between diabetic and non-diabetic middle-aged and older adults. Based on the cross-sectional design of the study, no firm conclusions can be drawn on the causality of the relations.

Networks in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) that are important for executive function are also engaged in adaptive responding to negative events. These networks are particularly vulnerable to age-related structural atrophy and an associated loss of executive function, yet existing evidence suggests preserved emotion processing ability in ageing. Using longitudinally acquired data from a battery of cognitive tasks, we defined a metric for the rate of decline of executive function. With this metric, we investigated relationships between changes in executive function and emotion reappraisal ability and brain structure, in 34 older adults, using functional and structural MRI. During task-based fMRI, participants were asked to cognitively reappraise negatively valenced images. We hypothesised one of two associations with decreasing executive function over time: 1) a decreased ability to reappraise reflected in decreased PFC and increased amygdala activation, or 2) a neural compensation mechanism characterised by increased PFC activation but no differential amygdala activation. Structurally, for a decreased reappraisal ability, we predicted a decrease in grey matter in PFC and/or a decrease of white matter integrity in amygdala-PFC pathways. Neither of the two hypotheses relating to brain function were completely supported, with the findings indicating a steeper decline in executive function associated with both increased PFC and increased left amygdala activity when reappraising negative stimuli. In addition, white matter integrity of the uncinate fasciculus, a primary white matter tract connecting the amygdala and ventromedial areas of PFC, was lower in those individuals who demonstrated a greater decrease in executive function. These findings highlight the association of diminishing cognitive ability with brain structure and function linked to emotion regulation.

Background & aims Children and adolescents born very preterm are at increased risk to develop executive function deficits and to suffer from social, emotional and attentional problems. This study investigated whether executive function deficits contribute to behavioral problems in children and adolescents born very preterm at school-age. Study design Thirty-eight children and adolescents born very preterm and 41 age-matched term-born peers were assessed at a mean age of 12.9 (±1.8) years with a comprehensive battery of executive function tests, including working memory, planning, cognitive flexibility, and verbal fluency. A composite score was calculated to reflect overall executive function abilities. To assess behavioral problems, parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Mediation analysis was applied to quantify the effect of preterm birth on behavioral problems with executive function abilities as a mediating variable. Results Executive function abilities were poorer in the very preterm compared to the term-born group (d = 0.62, p = .005) and the parents of very preterm children reported more behavioral problems on the SDQ Total Difficulties Score (d = 0.54, p = .01). The effect of birth status on behavioral problems was significantly mediated by executive function abilities while adjusting for age at assessment, sex, and socioeconomic status (F(2, 76) = 6.42, p = .002, R2 = 0.14). Conclusion Results from this study suggest that the increase in behavioral symptoms in very preterm children at school-age compared to term-born peers may partly be explained by their executive function deficits. These findings highlight the importance of continuously monitoring the development of children born very preterm to provide optimal care as they grow up.

Background: Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by demyelinated lesions and axonal loss in white matter regions of the brain. Spatially normalizing brain MRI data is performed to better facilitate comparisons between individuals or groups. MS-related brain pathologies however, can compromise spatial normalization methods. This study therefore compared five normalization methods. This study then used that identified method to investigate relationships between executive function and microstructure throughout the default mode network and executive control network white matter. Methods: Using 20 MS participants and 1 healthy control, we lesion-filled each participant’s T1-weighted brain image to the Montreal Neurological Institute template using 5 normalization approaches (total: 400 normalizations). Inter-subject variability was quantified using mutual information and coefficient of variation and normalization lesion volumes were evaluated using paired sample t-tests. Using SPMCAT12 we used diffusion tensor imaging metrics, FA and MD maps from 103 participants to extract values from DMN and ECN regions via the UManitoba-Functionally-Defined Human White Matter Atlases. Executive function was assessed using the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Color-Word Interference Test. One-tailed Spearman correlations assessed relations between DMN and ECN white matter microstructure and individual differences in executive function. Results: SPM CAT12 with lesion filling is the most robust method for spatially normalizing MS brain imaging data. Lowest average Coefficient of Variation maps were SPM: 9.6 and 21.4 was highest for FSL. This study then found executive function scores to be significantly correlated with individual differences in white matter MD measurements from both the DMN (rho = 0.194; 96% CI = 0.0031 to 0.0347; p = 0.027) and the ECN (rho= 0.192; 95% = 0.029 to 0.345; p= 0.029), but not from global white matter (rho = 0.106; 95% CI =

Objective: Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) is associated with a range of cognitive deficits, including mild to moderate problems in higher order executive functions evident in neuropsychological assessments. Previous research has also suggested a lack of self-awareness in persons with AgCC. Method: We investigated daily executive functioning and self-awareness in 36 individuals with AgCC by analyzing self-ratings on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A), as well as ratings on the same instrument from close relatives. Discrepancies between self- and informant-ratings were compared to the normative sample and exploratory analyses examined possible moderating effects of participant and informant characteristics. Results: Significant deficiencies were found in the Behavioral Regulation and Metacognitive indices for both the self and informant results, with elevated frequency of metacognition scores in the borderline to clinical range. Informants also endorsed elevated frequency of borderline to clinically significant behavioral regulation scores. The proportion of AgCC participants whose self-ratings indicated less metacognitive impairment than informant-ratings was greater than in the normative sample. Self-ratings of behavioral regulation impairment decreased with age and informant-ratings of metacognition were higher in males than females. Conclusions: These findings provide evidence that individuals with AgCC experience mild to moderate executive functioning problems in everyday behavior which are observed by others. Results also suggest a lack of self-understanding or insight into the severity of these problems in the individuals with AgCC, particularly with respect to their metacognitive functioning.

Executive function (EF) may predict sexual risk-taking and HIV risk in young women in rural South Africa. We tested associations between EF and seven risky behavioural outcomes: binge drinking, illicit substance use, unprotected vaginal sex, concurrent sexual relationships, transactional sex, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection, and HIV infection. We compared EF in young women with HIV to matched controls. 1080 young women underwent cognitive assessments. Better verbal short-term memory was associated with a lower risk of HSV-2 (OR 0.77; 95% CI 0.69, 0.86; p < 0.001). Uncorrected trends (p < 0.05) were better verbal working memory being associated with a lower risk of concurrency, better planning with a lower risk of illicit drug use, and better affective inhibition with a lower risk of transactional sex. 78 participants with sexually acquired HIV were matched with 153 HIV-negative controls and had poorer verbal working memory than controls (Hedge's g = -0.38; 95% CI -0.66, -0.10; p = 0.0076), but this was non-significant after adjustment. EF's contribution to young women's risky behaviour in this context does not hold when stringent statistical corrections are applied, with only verbal short term memory reaching statistical significance as predictor. Replication in other samples is recommended.

Children in foster care have a high prevalence of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis, together with other difficulties in inattentive/hyperactive behaviors, executive and cognitive processes. Early exposure to adversity is a risk factor for developing ADHD via neurodevelopmental pathways. The goal of this research is (a) to study the cognitive and executive performance and inattentive/hyperactive behavior of ADHD-diagnosed children living in Foster families in Spain, and (b) to analyze the role of placement variables in their performance. The simple was composed of 102 ADHD-diagnosed children aged 6- to 12-years-old, divided into two groups: 59 children living with non-relative foster families and 43 children not involved with protection services. Children’s executive function–inhibition, working memory, flexibility, attention, intelectual capacity, verbal comprehension, perceptive reasoning, working memory and processing speed were assessed using objective testing measures. At the same time, parents and teachers reported on children’s inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. Children in foster care obtained lower scores in the general ability index than the control group after controlling the age at assessment. However, no differences were found in executive processes. Regarding placement factors, children with shorter exposure to adversities in their birth families and more time in foster care showed better executive performance. Professionals should consider the placement history of children in foster care and its influence on their symptomatology and cognitive capacities.

Paediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI) results in inconsistent changes to regional morphometry of the brain across studies. Structural-covariance networks represent the degree to which the morphology (typically cortical-thickness) of cortical-regions co-varies with other regions, driven by both biological and developmental factors. Understanding how heterogeneous regional changes may influence wider cortical network organization may more appropriately capture prognostic information in terms of long term outcome following a pTBI. The current study aimed to investigate the relationships between cortical organisation as measured by structural-covariance, and long-term cognitive impairment following pTBI. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from n = 83 pTBI patients and 33 typically developing controls underwent 3D-tissue segmentation using Freesurfer to estimate cortical-thickness across 68 cortical ROIs. Structural-covariance between regions was estimated using Pearson's correlations between cortical-thickness measures across 68 regions-of-interest (ROIs), generating a group-level 68 × 68 adjacency matrix for patients and controls. We grouped a subset of patients who underwent executive function testing at 2-years post-injury using a neuropsychological impairment (NPI) rule, defining impaired- and non-impaired subgroups. Despite finding no significant reductions in regional cortical-thickness between the control and pTBI groups, we found specific reductions in graph-level strength of the structural covariance graph only between controls and the pTBI group with executive function (EF) impairment. Node-level differences in strength for this group were primarily found in frontal regions. We also investigated whether the top n nodes in terms of effect-size of cortical-thickness reductions were nodes that had significantly greater strength in the typically developing brain than n randomly selected regions. We found that acute cortical-thickness reductions post-p

Paediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI) results in inconsistent changes to regional morphometry of the brain across studies. Structural-covariance networks represent the degree to which the morphology (typically cortical-thickness) of cortical-regions co-varies with other regions, driven by both biological and developmental factors. Understanding how heterogeneous regional changes may influence wider cortical network organization may more appropriately capture prognostic information in terms of long term outcome following a pTBI. The current study aimed to investigate the relationships between cortical organisation as measured by structural-covariance, and long-term cognitive impairment following pTBI. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from n = 83 pTBI patients and 33 typically developing controls underwent 3D-tissue segmentation using Freesurfer to estimate cortical-thickness across 68 cortical ROIs. Structural-covariance between regions was estimated using Pearson's correlations between cortical-thickness measures across 68 regions-of-interest (ROIs), generating a group-level 68 × 68 adjacency matrix for patients and controls. We grouped a subset of patients who underwent executive function testing at 2-years post-injury using a neuropsychological impairment (NPI) rule, defining impaired- and non-impaired subgroups. Despite finding no significant reductions in regional cortical-thickness between the control and pTBI groups, we found specific reductions in graph-level strength of the structural covariance graph only between controls and the pTBI group with executive function (EF) impairment. Node-level differences in strength for this group were primarily found in frontal regions. We also investigated whether the top n nodes in terms of effect-size of cortical-thickness reductions were nodes that had significantly greater strength in the typically developing brain than n randomly selected regions. We found that acute cortical-thickness reductions post-p

Background Maternal depression during the perinatal period predicts adverse developmental outcomes for children, via poorly understood mechanisms. One plausible pathway may involve child executive function, a suite of cognitive capacities associated with social, emotional and educational outcomes. Systematic review and meta-analysis are applied to evaluate evidence of association between maternal perinatal depression and child executive function. Methods Medline, Embase, PubMed, PsycInfo, and SCOPUS were searched for relevant articles to August 2020, with hand-search of relevant bibliographies. Original research published in English measuring maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy and the first year postpartum, and child executive function outcomes at any age was included. 27 studies met criteria for review. 16 studies reporting raw data of the association between depressive symptoms and executive function were used for meta-analysis. Results Our systematic review identified inadequate assessment of maternal depression, and unreliable measures of executive function in many studies. Assessment of confounders was also inconsistent. Our meta-analysis identified a small, statistically significant relationship between perinatal depression and child executive function (effect size r = 0.07; 95% CI 0.03-0.10); equivalent to Cohen's d = 0.14. Limitations Variable quality of available studies leads to cautious interpretation of results. Conclusions This meta-analysis is consistent with the hypothesis that maternal perinatal depression does have an impact on executive function in offspring. Future studies must use robust measurement of depression and executive function, and account for the chronicity of maternal depression, and developmental context to produce meaningful results.

This study represents a first attempt to examine in a non-clinical population the interplay between social engagement, executive function and Theory of Mind within a social motivation theory framework. One hundred and seventy participants (135 female; M age = 19.01, SD age = 1.27) completed measures of theory of mind (ToM; Faux Pas task), autistic traits (Autism Spectrum Quotient), social engagement (Reward Dependence Subscale of The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-RD), sociability and executive function (both sub-scales of the Adult Temperament Questionnaire; ATQ). Path analyses found executive function, sociability and social engagement were negatively associated with autistic traits both directly and indirectly. Results indicate that executive function may impact sociability and social engagement and their interaction may relate to the degree of autistic traits shown in a typical sample. However, ToM (as measured by the Faux Pas test) was not related to any of the other variables. Sociability, social engagement and effortful control deficits may be linked to higher levels of autistic traits. These factors appear to form a hierarchy of factors underpinning ASD, with executive function contributing to all aspects, followed by sociability and social engagement at a higher level. Future research examining in clinical populations the utility of a more integrated model of social motivation that incorporates executive functions appears warranted.

Background Early bisphenol exposure may have consequences for executive function development, but less is known about potential sex effects. We hypothesized that early bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS) exposures would be associated with sex-dependent changes in preschool executive function. Methods A subsample of the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) cohort (n = 312) provided maternal second trimester (prenatal) and 3-month postpartum (postnatal) urine samples, from which BPA and BPS concentrations were quantified. When children were age 2 and 4, mothers completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version (BRIEF-P). Changes in standardized T scores on the BRIEF-P indexes of inhibitory self-control, flexibility, and emergent metacognition were investigated. Results Adjusted multivariate regression analyses showed that child sex modified the associations between maternal postnatal BPA and changes in executive function. Higher maternal postnatal BPA concentrations predicted increasing difficulties from age 2 to 4 in the domains of inhibitory self-control and emergent metacognition in female, but not male children. The other bisphenol concentrations were not associated with changes in executive function. Conclusion Due to the ubiquity of BPA exposure among breastfeeding women, these findings justify further investigation on the effects of postnatal bisphenol exposure on child cognitive development. Impact Higher concentrations of maternal BPA at 3-month postpartum were associated with increasing difficulties in inhibitory self-control and emergent metacognition from age 2 to 4 in girls, but not boys. Prenatal BPA and prenatal/postnatal BPS were not significant predictors of changes in executive function in boys and girls. The current study extends previous research to show that maternal postnatal BPA could also impact child executive function. Due to the ubiquity of BPA exposure among breastfeeding women, the current find

This quasi-experimental research sought to determine through a quantitative study if there was an EF advantage in socio-demographically matched bilingual professors relative to their monolingual counterparts, and if there was a mediation or confounding effect on EFs due to the role of SES (socioeconomic status). The data was collected using two tests and one task to quantify each element of the tripartite of the EFs, those materials are: 1) the Stroop test to measure the inhibition component, 2) task switching to measure the shifting component, and 3) the Corsi block-tapping task to measure the updating component. These were used to assess the EF outcomes on bilingual and monolingual professors and teachers from institutions in Pereira. They were filtered beforehand with the help of a sociodemographic language questionnaire to match them as much as possible in terms of their background, so that more accurate results could be gathered, and therefore contribute to the current state of the art. There were two hypotheses that this paper sought to determine experimentally 1) there is a bilingual advantage regarding on of the aspects in the EFs tripartite (inhibition, shifting, or updating), 2) there is a bilingual advantage in the executive function performance as a whole, instead of benefiting just one component, or 3) both groups obtain similar results in the overall of the different tasks and test in the tripartite of the EFs. The contri bution of this paper will be useful to widen the current state of the art in this field in the Colombian context, and it will also help to build a stronger foundation by shedding light on the issue about knowing whether bilingualism affects or not the executive function performance., Esta investigación cuasi-experimental buscó determinar a través de un estudio cuantitativo si había una ventaja de funciones ejecutivas en profesores bilingües emparejados sociodemográficamente en relación con sus contrapartes monolingües y si había un efecto de mediación en los funciones ejecutivas debido al rol del estado socioeconómico. Los datos se recopilaron mediante dos pruebas y una tarea para cuantificar cada elemento del tripartito de las funciones ejecutivas, esos materiales son: 1) la prueba de Stroop para medir el componente de inhibición, 2) el cambio de tarea para medir el componente de cambio y 3) el Corsi block-tapping task para medir el componente de actualización. Estos se utilizaron para evaluar los resultados de EF en profesores y docentes bilingües y monolingües de instituciones de Pereira. Fueron filtrados de antemano con la ayuda de un cuestionario de lenguaje sociodemográfico para igualarlos tanto c omo fuera posible en términos de sus antecedentes, de modo que se pudieran recopilar resultados más precisos y, por lo tanto, contribuir a la literatura actual. Hubo tres hipótesis que este trabajo buscó determinar experimentalmente: 1) existe una ventaja bilingüe con respecto a uno de los aspectos en las funciones ejecutivas (inhibición, cambio o actualización), 2) existe una ventaja bilingüe en el desempeño de la funciones ejecutiva en general, en lugar de beneficiar a un solo componente, o 3) ambos grupos tienen un desempeño similiar en las funciones ejecutivas. El porte de este trabajo será útil para ampliar el estado actual de la literatura en este campo en el contexto Colombiano. También ayudará a construir una base más sólida al arrojar luz sobre el tema de saber si el bilingüismo afecta o no el rendimiento en las funciones ejecutivas.

Children in foster care have a high prevalence of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis, together with other difficulties in inattentive/hyperactive behaviors, executive and cognitive processes. Early exposure to adversity is a risk factor for developing ADHD via neurodevelopmental pathways. The goal of this research is (a) to study the cognitive and executive performance and inattentive/hyperactive behavior of ADHD-diagnosed children living in Foster families in Spain, and (b) to analyze the role of placement variables in their performance. The simple was composed of 102 ADHD-diagnosed children aged 6- to 12-years-old, divided into two groups: 59 children living with non-relative foster families and 43 children not involved with protection services. Children’s executive function–inhibition, working memory, flexibility, attention, intelectual capacity, verbal comprehension, perceptive reasoning, working memory and processing speed were assessed using objective testing measures. At the same time, parents and teachers reported on children’s inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. Children in foster care obtained lower scores in the general ability index than the control group after controlling the age at assessment. However, no differences were found in executive processes. Regarding placement factors, children with shorter exposure to adversities in their birth families and more time in foster care showed better executive performance. Professionals should consider the placement history of children in foster care and its influence on their symptomatology and cognitive capacities.

This quasi-experimental research sought to determine through a quantitative study if there was an EF advantage in socio-demographically matched bilingual professors relative to their monolingual counterparts, and if there was a mediation or confounding effect on EFs due to the role of SES (socioeconomic status). The data was collected using two tests and one task to quantify each element of the tripartite of the EFs, those materials are: 1) the Stroop test to measure the inhibition component, 2) task switching to measure the shifting component, and 3) the Corsi block-tapping task to measure the updating component. These were used to assess the EF outcomes on bilingual and monolingual professors and teachers from institutions in Pereira. They were filtered beforehand with the help of a sociodemographic language questionnaire to match them as much as possible in terms of their background, so that more accurate results could be gathered, and therefore contribute to the current state of the art. There were two hypotheses that this paper sought to determine experimentally 1) there is a bilingual advantage regarding on of the aspects in the EFs tripartite (inhibition, shifting, or updating), 2) there is a bilingual advantage in the executive function performance as a whole, instead of benefiting just one component, or 3) both groups obtain similar results in the overall of the different tasks and test in the tripartite of the EFs. The contri bution of this paper will be useful to widen the current state of the art in this field in the Colombian context, and it will also help to build a stronger foundation by shedding light on the issue about knowing whether bilingualism affects or not the executive function performance., Esta investigación cuasi-experimental buscó determinar a través de un estudio cuantitativo si había una ventaja de funciones ejecutivas en profesores bilingües emparejados sociodemográficamente en relación con sus contrapartes monolingües y si había un efecto de mediación en los funciones ejecutivas debido al rol del estado socioeconómico. Los datos se recopilaron mediante dos pruebas y una tarea para cuantificar cada elemento del tripartito de las funciones ejecutivas, esos materiales son: 1) la prueba de Stroop para medir el componente de inhibición, 2) el cambio de tarea para medir el componente de cambio y 3) el Corsi block-tapping task para medir el componente de actualización. Estos se utilizaron para evaluar los resultados de EF en profesores y docentes bilingües y monolingües de instituciones de Pereira. Fueron filtrados de antemano con la ayuda de un cuestionario de lenguaje sociodemográfico para igualarlos tanto c omo fuera posible en términos de sus antecedentes, de modo que se pudieran recopilar resultados más precisos y, por lo tanto, contribuir a la literatura actual. Hubo tres hipótesis que este trabajo buscó determinar experimentalmente: 1) existe una ventaja bilingüe con respecto a uno de los aspectos en las funciones ejecutivas (inhibición, cambio o actualización), 2) existe una ventaja bilingüe en el desempeño de la funciones ejecutiva en general, en lugar de beneficiar a un solo componente, o 3) ambos grupos tienen un desempeño similiar en las funciones ejecutivas. El porte de este trabajo será útil para ampliar el estado actual de la literatura en este campo en el contexto Colombiano. También ayudará a construir una base más sólida al arrojar luz sobre el tema de saber si el bilingüismo afecta o no el rendimiento en las funciones ejecutivas.

This study contributes to understandings of early childhood self-regulation and executive function, and their components, through taking a person-centered approach to investigating how these skills cluster together in children aged 4–5years. A sample of children (N=206) from preschools in low socioeconomic communities were assessed through teacher report of self-regulation and three executive function tasks at the commencement of the preschool year. Outcome variables included teacher report of social skills and behavioral problems, and children’s school readiness and visual motor integration skills were directly assessed. When the scores from this low-income sample were compared to available norms, over 70% of children scored below the 50th percentile in executive function measures, approximately 20% were below average in self-regulation skills, 48% were delayed in school readiness scores, 36% had above average levels of internalizing problems, and 25% were above average in externalizing problems. A series of four latent profile models each used different measurement approaches and combinations of self-regulation and executive function components. In three of the four models (two which combined self-regulation and executive function measures and one with teacher report of self-regulation only), a high skill and low skill profile were found with 31 to 42% of children in the low profile depending on the model. Children were very similarly classified across all three models. When three executive function scores were modeled alone, a more complex three-profile solution emerged (low, moderate, and high) with 52% in the low profile. Children identified in the low profiles across all models were at greater risk of poorer school readiness, visual motor integration and social skills, and increased behavioral problems. Taken together, the findings suggest that self-regulation and executive function skills tend to cluster together at this age and in this low-income sample. Com

Executive function is a very key component of development. Awareness of executive function has become more prominent in education. Research has been able to determine how the executive function develops in children versus adults. Specific areas of executive function have been identified. When the area was identified and how they influence behavior, interventions and strategies could be developed to counter the deficit. In the education world, assessing students with the purpose of identifying the deficits was difficult. Administering assessment naturally took care of the need for EF skills. New assessments needed to be developed. Companies have made those developments. Affective interventions for executive function have been developed. They are successfully implemented. Affective interventions for reading deficits have been successful. Data has been collected on both individually. Research needs to combine the interventions on both working together.

Children in foster care have a high prevalence of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis, together with other difficulties in inattentive/hyperactive behaviors, executive and cognitive processes. Early exposure to adversity is a risk factor for developing ADHD via neurodevelopmental pathways. The goal of this research is (a) to study the cognitive and executive performance and inattentive/hyperactive behavior of ADHD-diagnosed children living in foster families in Spain, and (b) to analyze the role of placement variables in their performance. The sample was composed of 102 ADHD-diagnosed children aged 6- to 12-years-old, divided into two groups: 59 children living with non-relative foster families and 43 children not involved with protection services. Children’s executive function–inhibition, working memory, flexibility, attention, intellectual capacity, verbal comprehension, perceptive reasoning, working memory and processing speed were assessed using objective testing measures. At the same time, parents and teachers reported on children’s inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. Children in foster care obtained lower scores in the general ability index than the control group after controlling the age at assessment. However, no differences were found in executive processes. Regarding placement factors, children with shorter exposure to adversities in their birth families and more time in foster care showed better executive performance. Professionals should consider the placement history of children in foster care and its influence on their symptomatology and cognitive capacities.

Purpose: The study aimed at comparing the effects of a neuromotor multicomponent training program (MCTP) on executive function, functional fitness, blood pressure, body composition and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), compared with a concurrent strength and endurance exercise training program (CONTROL-EXE) and a cognitive training program (CONTROL-COG). Methods: 56 older women (73 ± 6 years) completed the 30-weeks intervention. The three groups attended two 60-min sessions per week and they were assessed before and after the intervention. Results: MCTP showed a moderate improvement in Stroop C condition (28 ± 7 vs 32 ± 8 correct items; p = 0.001; d = 0.53) and Stroop interference score (−7.4 ± 7.3 vs −3.7 ± 6.1; p = 0.035; d = 0.55), while no changes were observed among control groups. MCTP showed a small to moderate improvement in Timed Up and Go test (TUGT) (5.85 ± 0.58 vs 5.46 ± 0.56 s; p < 0.001; d = 0.71) and Chair-Stand test (CST) (18 ± 4 vs 19 ± 4 repetitions; p < 0.001; d = 0.47); while CONTROL-EXE only improved moderately at TUGT (7.02 ± 1.1 vs 6.44 ± 0.91 s; p = 0.005; d = 0.59) and CONTROL-COG showed a moderate to small worsening in TUGT, CST and handgrip strength. Additionally, MCTP enhanced body composition and HRQOL. Lastly, both exercise groups showed lowered blood pressure values. Conclusions: Our results suggest that a neuromotor MCTP could be considered as a highly suitable training to enhance executive function, functional fitness, HRQOL and body composition in older women.

Paediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI) results in inconsistent changes to regional morphometry of the brain across studies. Structural-covariance networks represent the degree to which the morphology (typically cortical-thickness) of cortical-regions co-varies with other regions, driven by both biological and developmental factors. Understanding how heterogeneous regional changes may influence wider cortical network organization may more appropriately capture prognostic information in terms of long term outcome following a pTBI. The current study aimed to investigate the relationships between cortical organisation as measured by structural-covariance, and long-term cognitive impairment following pTBI. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from n = 83 pTBI patients and 33 typically developing controls underwent 3D-tissue segmentation using Freesurfer to estimate cortical-thickness across 68 cortical ROIs. Structural-covariance between regions was estimated using Pearson's correlations between cortical-thickness measures across 68 regions-of-interest (ROIs), generating a group-level 68 × 68 adjacency matrix for patients and controls. We grouped a subset of patients who underwent executive function testing at 2-years post-injury using a neuropsychological impairment (NPI) rule, defining impaired- and non-impaired subgroups. Despite finding no significant reductions in regional cortical-thickness between the control and pTBI groups, we found specific reductions in graph-level strength of the structural covariance graph only between controls and the pTBI group with executive function (EF) impairment. Node-level differences in strength for this group were primarily found in frontal regions. We also investigated whether the top n nodes in terms of effect-size of cortical-thickness reductions were nodes that had significantly greater strength in the typically developing brain than n randomly selected regions. We found that acute cortical-thickness reductions post-p

Executive function deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) occur early in disease progression and may be predictive of cognitive decline. However, no preclinical studies have identified deficits in rewarded executive function in the commonly used APPSwe/PS1∆E9 (APP/PS1) mouse model. To address this, we assessed 12-26 month old APP/PS1 mice on rewarded reversal and/or extinction tasks. 16-month-old, but not 13- or 26-month-old, APP/PS1 mice showed an attenuated rate of extinction. Reversal deficits were seen in 22-month-old, but not 13-month-old APP/PS1 animals. We then confirmed that impairments in reversal were unrelated to previously reported visual impairments in both AD mouse models and humans. Age, but not genotype, had a significant effect on markers of retinal health, indicating the deficits seen in APP/PS1 mice were directly related to cognition. This is the first characterisation of rewarded executive function in APP/PS1 mice, and has great potential to facilitate translation from preclinical models to the clinic.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is expected to triple by 2050, affecting 16 million Americans. As a result, it is essential to combat this alarming increase in cognitive impairment through early detection. Cardiometabolic risk factors have shown to be associated with higher risk of AD. The purpose of this study was to determine if cardiometabolic risk factors could predict executive function scores in a high-risk population. Fifty (60.9±8.8 years) high-risk adults (classified by the Australian National University Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Index) were enrolled in this study. Participants completed a 6-minute walking test, venous blood draw, blood pressure measurement, and the digit coding symbol test (DCS). Results were examined through a multiple linear regression with DCS as the dependent variable and age, sex, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), glucose, 6-minute walking test, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) as predictor variables. The model explained 42% of the variance of DCS (p = .04) with SBP (45%; p = .003) as a significant predictor. LDL (p = .087) and DBP (p = .123) accounted for 24% and 22% of the variance for this model, respectively. These results suggest cardiometabolic risk factors predict executive function values in high-risk individuals. Higher SBP was significantly associated with lower DCS scores indicating SBP as a valuable tool for practitioners when evaluating cognitive decline. Further research should expand sample size and track values longitudinally to substantiate these claims.

Executive function (EF) is a concept widely used to describe higher order cognitive functioning. However, the concept seems to lack a precise definition upon which even experts in the area can agree. Examples of existing definitions describe EF as capacities for independent self-serving behavior and aspects of working memory, planning and organizational skills. It has been argued that the definition of EF is too imprecise, in terms of informing effective interventions. To possibly understand the range of behaviors termed EF in a more workable way, we administered a well-known computerized test (the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; WCST) of EF to a sample of normal functioning participants (n = 11). During administration, they were asked questions about their ways of thinking. Transcriptions of questions and answers were analyzed in search of common patterns, using a behavioral theory of language and cognition (relational frame theory; RFT). The analysis suggested that a specific relationship between deictic and temporal framing, on the one hand, and coordination and spatial framing, on the other, was in effect when participants performed well on the WCST. At critical time points during the test (i.e., when need for EF was arguably most acute), deictic and temporal framing dominated participants' behavior, whereas coordination and spatial framing were used relatively less.

Executive function (EF) is a concept widely used to describe higher order cognitive functioning. However, the concept seems to lack a precise definition upon which even experts in the area can agree. Examples of existing definitions describe EF as capacities for independent self-serving behavior and aspects of working memory, planning and organizational skills. It has been argued that the definition of EF is too imprecise, in terms of informing effective interventions. To possibly understand the range of behaviors termed EF in a more workable way, we administered a well-known computerized test (the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; WCST) of EF to a sample of normal functioning participants (n = 11). During administration, they were asked questions about their ways of thinking. Transcriptions of questions and answers were analyzed in search of common patterns, using a behavioral theory of language and cognition (relational frame theory; RFT). The analysis suggested that a specific relationship between deictic and temporal framing, on the one hand, and coordination and spatial framing, on the other, was in effect when participants performed well on the WCST. At critical time points during the test (i.e., when need for EF was arguably most acute), deictic and temporal framing dominated participants' behavior, whereas coordination and spatial framing were used relatively less.

Executive function (EF) is a concept widely used to describe higher order cognitive functioning. However, the concept seems to lack a precise definition upon which even experts in the area can agree. Examples of existing definitions describe EF as capacities for independent self-serving behavior and aspects of working memory, planning and organizational skills. It has been argued that the definition of EF is too imprecise, in terms of informing effective interventions. To possibly understand the range of behaviors termed EF in a more workable way, we administered a well-known computerized test (the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; WCST) of EF to a sample of normal functioning participants (n = 11). During administration, they were asked questions about their ways of thinking. Transcriptions of questions and answers were analyzed in search of common patterns, using a behavioral theory of language and cognition (relational frame theory; RFT). The analysis suggested that a specific relationship between deictic and temporal framing, on the one hand, and coordination and spatial framing, on the other, was in effect when participants performed well on the WCST. At critical time points during the test (i.e., when need for EF was arguably most acute), deictic and temporal framing dominated participants' behavior, whereas coordination and spatial framing were used relatively less.

Children in foster care have a high prevalence of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis, together with other difficulties in inattentive/hyperactive behaviors, executive and cognitive processes. Early exposure to adversity is a risk factor for developing ADHD via neurodevelopmental pathways. The goal of this research is (a) to study the cognitive and executive performance and inattentive/hyperactive behavior of ADHD-diagnosed children living in Foster families in Spain, and (b) to analyze the role of placement variables in their performance. The simple was composed of 102 ADHD-diagnosed children aged 6- to 12-years-old, divided into two groups: 59 children living with non-relative foster families and 43 children not involved with protection services. Children’s executive function–inhibition, working memory, flexibility, attention, intelectual capacity, verbal comprehension, perceptive reasoning, working memory and processing speed were assessed using objective testing measures. At the same time, parents and teachers reported on children’s inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. Children in foster care obtained lower scores in the general ability index than the control group after controlling the age at assessment. However, no differences were found in executive processes. Regarding placement factors, children with shorter exposure to adversities in their birth families and more time in foster care showed better executive performance. Professionals should consider the placement history of children in foster care and its influence on their symptomatology and cognitive capacities.

Children in foster care have a high prevalence of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis, together with other difficulties in inattentive/hyperactive behaviors, executive and cognitive processes. Early exposure to adversity is a risk factor for developing ADHD via neurodevelopmental pathways. The goal of this research is (a) to study the cognitive and executive performance and inattentive/hyperactive behavior of ADHD-diagnosed children living in Foster families in Spain, and (b) to analyze the role of placement variables in their performance. The simple was composed of 102 ADHD-diagnosed children aged 6- to 12-years-old, divided into two groups: 59 children living with non-relative foster families and 43 children not involved with protection services. Children’s executive function–inhibition, working memory, flexibility, attention, intelectual capacity, verbal comprehension, perceptive reasoning, working memory and processing speed were assessed using objective testing measures. At the same time, parents and teachers reported on children’s inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. Children in foster care obtained lower scores in the general ability index than the control group after controlling the age at assessment. However, no differences were found in executive processes. Regarding placement factors, children with shorter exposure to adversities in their birth families and more time in foster care showed better executive performance. Professionals should consider the placement history of children in foster care and its influence on their symptomatology and cognitive capacities.

This quasi-experimental research sought to determine through a quantitative study if there was an EF advantage in socio-demographically matched bilingual professors relative to their monolingual counterparts, and if there was a mediation or confounding effect on EFs due to the role of SES (socioeconomic status). The data was collected using two tests and one task to quantify each element of the tripartite of the EFs, those materials are: 1) the Stroop test to measure the inhibition component, 2) task switching to measure the shifting component, and 3) the Corsi block-tapping task to measure the updating component. These were used to assess the EF outcomes on bilingual and monolingual professors and teachers from institutions in Pereira. They were filtered beforehand with the help of a sociodemographic language questionnaire to match them as much as possible in terms of their background, so that more accurate results could be gathered, and therefore contribute to the current state of the art. There were two hypotheses that this paper sought to determine experimentally 1) there is a bilingual advantage regarding on of the aspects in the EFs tripartite (inhibition, shifting, or updating), 2) there is a bilingual advantage in the executive function performance as a whole, instead of benefiting just one component, or 3) both groups obtain similar results in the overall of the different tasks and test in the tripartite of the EFs. The contri bution of this paper will be useful to widen the current state of the art in this field in the Colombian context, and it will also help to build a stronger foundation by shedding light on the issue about knowing whether bilingualism affects or not the executive function performance., Esta investigación cuasi-experimental buscó determinar a través de un estudio cuantitativo si había una ventaja de funciones ejecutivas en profesores bilingües emparejados sociodemográficamente en relación con sus contrapartes monolingües y si había un efecto de mediación en los funciones ejecutivas debido al rol del estado socioeconómico. Los datos se recopilaron mediante dos pruebas y una tarea para cuantificar cada elemento del tripartito de las funciones ejecutivas, esos materiales son: 1) la prueba de Stroop para medir el componente de inhibición, 2) el cambio de tarea para medir el componente de cambio y 3) el Corsi block-tapping task para medir el componente de actualización. Estos se utilizaron para evaluar los resultados de EF en profesores y docentes bilingües y monolingües de instituciones de Pereira. Fueron filtrados de antemano con la ayuda de un cuestionario de lenguaje sociodemográfico para igualarlos tanto c omo fuera posible en términos de sus antecedentes, de modo que se pudieran recopilar resultados más precisos y, por lo tanto, contribuir a la literatura actual. Hubo tres hipótesis que este trabajo buscó determinar experimentalmente: 1) existe una ventaja bilingüe con respecto a uno de los aspectos en las funciones ejecutivas (inhibición, cambio o actualización), 2) existe una ventaja bilingüe en el desempeño de la funciones ejecutiva en general, en lugar de beneficiar a un solo componente, o 3) ambos grupos tienen un desempeño similiar en las funciones ejecutivas. El porte de este trabajo será útil para ampliar el estado actual de la literatura en este campo en el contexto Colombiano. También ayudará a construir una base más sólida al arrojar luz sobre el tema de saber si el bilingüismo afecta o no el rendimiento en las funciones ejecutivas.

Background Maternal depression during the perinatal period predicts adverse developmental outcomes for children, via poorly understood mechanisms. One plausible pathway may involve child executive function, a suite of cognitive capacities associated with social, emotional and educational outcomes. Systematic review and meta-analysis are applied to evaluate evidence of association between maternal perinatal depression and child executive function. Methods Medline, Embase, PubMed, PsycInfo, and SCOPUS were searched for relevant articles to August 2020, with hand-search of relevant bibliographies. Original research published in English measuring maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy and the first year postpartum, and child executive function outcomes at any age was included. 27 studies met criteria for review. 16 studies reporting raw data of the association between depressive symptoms and executive function were used for meta-analysis. Results Our systematic review identified inadequate assessment of maternal depression, and unreliable measures of executive function in many studies. Assessment of confounders was also inconsistent. Our meta-analysis identified a small, statistically significant relationship between perinatal depression and child executive function (effect size r = 0.07; 95% CI 0.03-0.10); equivalent to Cohen's d = 0.14. Limitations Variable quality of available studies leads to cautious interpretation of results. Conclusions This meta-analysis is consistent with the hypothesis that maternal perinatal depression does have an impact on executive function in offspring. Future studies must use robust measurement of depression and executive function, and account for the chronicity of maternal depression, and developmental context to produce meaningful results.

There is a consensus on the centrality of restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) in the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), yet the origins of these behaviors are still debated. We reconsider whether executive function (EF) accounts of RRBs should be revisited. EF deficits and high levels of RRBs are often pronounced in individuals with ASD and are also prevalent in young typically developing children. Despite this, the evidence is mixed, and there has been no systematic attempt to evaluate the relationship across studies and between task batteries. We examine recent evidence, and in three highly powered random-effects analyses (N = 2964), examine the strength of the association between RRB levels and performance on set shifting, inhibitory control, and parental-report based EF batteries. The analyses confirm significant associations between high levels of the behaviors and poor EF skills. Moreover, the associations remained stable across typical development and in individuals with ASD and across different types of EF measures. These meta-analyses consolidate recent evidence identifying that cognitive mechanisms correlate with high RRBs that are seen in individuals with ASD, as well as in typical development. We propose that the EF account may be critical for guiding future interventions in ASD research. Lay Summary: Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are diagnostic criteria for Autism yet also common in typical development, and if they persist over time some can have a negative impact on learning and social acceptance. The present meta-analyses found that high levels of RRBs related to poor performance on set-shifting and inhibitory control tasks, as well as high ratings on parental report scales. Future studies should create interventions that aim to improve these skills as they may help manage challenging RRBs. © 2021 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Executive function (EF) is a concept widely used to describe higher order cognitive functioning. However, the concept seems to lack a precise definition upon which even experts in the area can agree. Examples of existing definitions describe EF as capacities for independent self-serving behavior and aspects of working memory, planning and organizational skills. It has been argued that the definition of EF is too imprecise, in terms of informing effective interventions. To possibly understand the range of behaviors termed EF in a more workable way, we administered a well-known computerized test (the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; WCST) of EF to a sample of normal functioning participants (n = 11). During administration, they were asked questions about their ways of thinking. Transcriptions of questions and answers were analyzed in search of common patterns, using a behavioral theory of language and cognition (relational frame theory; RFT). The analysis suggested that a specific relationship between deictic and temporal framing, on the one hand, and coordination and spatial framing, on the other, was in effect when participants performed well on the WCST. At critical time points during the test (i.e., when need for EF was arguably most acute), deictic and temporal framing dominated participants' behavior, whereas coordination and spatial framing were used relatively less.

Cognitive control/executive function (EF) and attention deficits are prevalent among students and impact comprehension performance. While EF and attention impairments are well-studied, the interaction between cognitive control/EF, attention, arousal/engagement, and comprehension has yet to be explored. Undergraduates’ ADHD symptoms, cognitive abilities, and cognitive control were assessed prior to listening to passages of varying degrees of emotional valence and responding to comprehension questions. Exploratory EEG data were also collected to examine patterns of cognitive engagement/emotional arousal. Results showed that comprehension for participants with high numbers of ADHD symptoms and/or proactive cognitive control types were influenced by the emotional valence of the context. In emotional contexts, those with high ADHD symptoms showed better comprehension overall and deep levels of processing, and those with proactive cognitive control types showed better deep processing. These findings indicate the need for further research to tease apart the interaction of EF, attention, and arousal on comprehension across different contexts.

Children in foster care have a high prevalence of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis, together with other difficulties in inattentive/hyperactive behaviors, executive and cognitive processes. Early exposure to adversity is a risk factor for developing ADHD via neurodevelopmental pathways. The goal of this research is (a) to study the cognitive and executive performance and inattentive/hyperactive behavior of ADHD-diagnosed children living in Foster families in Spain, and (b) to analyze the role of placement variables in their performance. The simple was composed of 102 ADHD-diagnosed children aged 6- to 12-years-old, divided into two groups: 59 children living with non-relative foster families and 43 children not involved with protection services. Children’s executive function–inhibition, working memory, flexibility, attention, intelectual capacity, verbal comprehension, perceptive reasoning, working memory and processing speed were assessed using objective testing measures. At the same time, parents and teachers reported on children’s inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. Children in foster care obtained lower scores in the general ability index than the control group after controlling the age at assessment. However, no differences were found in executive processes. Regarding placement factors, children with shorter exposure to adversities in their birth families and more time in foster care showed better executive performance. Professionals should consider the placement history of children in foster care and its influence on their symptomatology and cognitive capacities.

Children in foster care have a high prevalence of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis, together with other difficulties in inattentive/hyperactive behaviors, executive and cognitive processes. Early exposure to adversity is a risk factor for developing ADHD via neurodevelopmental pathways. The goal of this research is (a) to study the cognitive and executive performance and inattentive/hyperactive behavior of ADHD-diagnosed children living in Foster families in Spain, and (b) to analyze the role of placement variables in their performance. The simple was composed of 102 ADHD-diagnosed children aged 6- to 12-years-old, divided into two groups: 59 children living with non-relative foster families and 43 children not involved with protection services. Children’s executive function–inhibition, working memory, flexibility, attention, intelectual capacity, verbal comprehension, perceptive reasoning, working memory and processing speed were assessed using objective testing measures. At the same time, parents and teachers reported on children’s inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. Children in foster care obtained lower scores in the general ability index than the control group after controlling the age at assessment. However, no differences were found in executive processes. Regarding placement factors, children with shorter exposure to adversities in their birth families and more time in foster care showed better executive performance. Professionals should consider the placement history of children in foster care and its influence on their symptomatology and cognitive capacities.