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Background Older people with impaired executive function (EF) might have an increased fall risk, but prospective studies with prolonged follow-up are scarce. This study aimed to investigate the association between a) EF at baseline; b) 6-year decline in EF performance; and fall status 6 years later. Methods Participants were 906 community-dwelling adults aged 65–69 years, enrolled in the Lausanne 65 + cohort. EF was measured at baseline and at 6 years using clock drawing test (CDT), verbal fluency (VF), Trail Making Test (TMT) A and B, and TMT ratio (TMT-B – TMT-A/TMT-A). EF decline was defined as clinically meaningful poorer performance at 6 years. Falls data were collected at 6 years using monthly calendars over 12 months. Results Over 12-month follow-up, 13.0% of participants reported a single benign fall, and 20.2% serious (i.e., multiple and/or injurious) falls. In multivariable analysis, participants with worse TMT-B performance (adjusted Relative Risk Ratio, adjRRRTMT-B worst quintile = 0.38, 95%CI:0.19–0.75, p = .006) and worse TMT ratio (adjRRRTMT ratio worst quintile = 0.31, 95%CI:0.15–0.64, p = .001) were less likely to report a benign fall, whereas no significant association was observed with serious falls. In a subgroup analysis among fallers, participants with worse TMT-B (OR:1.86, 95%CI = 0.98–3.53, p = .059) and worse TMT ratio (OR:1.84,95%CI = 0.98–3.43,p = .057) tended to have higher odds of serious falls. EF decline was not associated to higher odds of falls. Conclusions Participants with worse EF were less likely to report a single benign fall at follow-up, while fallers with worse EF tended to report multiple and/or injurious falls more frequently. Future studies should investigate the role of slight EF impairment in provoking serious falls in active young-old adults.

The development of the ability to anticipate-as manifested by preparatory actions and neural activation related to the expectation of an upcoming stimulus-may play a key role in the ontogeny of cognitive skills more broadly. This preregistered study examined anticipatory brain potentials and behavioral responses (reaction time; RT) to anticipated target stimuli in relation to individual differences in the ability to use goals to direct action (as indexed by measures of executive function; EF). A cross-sectional investigation was conducted in 40 adults (aged 18-25 years) and 40 children (aged 6-8 years) to examine the association of changes in the amplitude of modality-specific alpha-range rhythms in the electroencephalogram (EEG) during anticipation of lateralized visual, tactile, or auditory stimuli with inter- and intraindividual variation in RT and EF. Children and adults exhibited contralateral anticipatory reductions in the mu rhythm and the visual alpha rhythm for tactile and visual anticipation, respectively, indicating modality and spatially specific attention allocation. Variability in within-subject anticipatory alpha lateralization (the difference between contralateral and ipsilateral alpha power) was related to single-trial RT. This relation was more prominent in adults than in children, and was not apparent for auditory stimuli. Multilevel models indicated that interindividual differences in anticipatory mu rhythm lateralization contributed to the significant association with variability in EF, but this was not the case for visual or auditory alpha rhythms. Exploratory microstate analyses were undertaken to cluster global field power (GFP) into a distribution-free temporal analysis examining developmental differences across samples and in relation to RT and EF. Anticipation is suggested as a developmental bridge construct connecting neuroscience, behavior, and cognition, with anticipatory EEG oscillations being discussed as quantifiable and potentially malleable indicators of stimulus prediction.

Background: Exercise has the potential to reduce cognitive decline in people with Down syndrome by maximising their cognitive function. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of regular exercise on cognitive functioning in young people with Down syndrome. Method: People with Down syndrome were eligible if aged between 13 and 35 years and enrolled to participate in an exercise programme (called FitSkills). The intervention was a 12-week community-based exercise programme completed with a student mentor. Outcomes were assessed before (week 0) and immediately after (week 13) the intervention. Executive functioning (planning, response inhibition, attention shifting) was assessed using Tower of London, Sustained Attention to Response Task, CANTAB Intra-extra Dimensional Set Shift Test, Cognitive Scale for Down Syndrome, and Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Working memory was assessed using the CANTAB Paired Associates Learning task, and information processing speed was assessed using the Motor Screening Task. Outcomes were analysed using ANCOVA with the baseline measure as the covariate. Results: Twenty participants (9 women; mean age 23.6 ± 6.6 years) enrolled. Between-group differences, in favour of the experimental group, were found for the global executive composite score of the BRIEF (mean difference −4.77 units, 95% CI −9.30 to −0.25). There were no between group differences for any other outcome measured. Conclusion: Participation in a 12-week exercise programme was effective in improving everyday executive functions in young people with Down syndrome. These preliminary findings need to be confirmed in future randomised controlled trials of community-based exercise with larger sample sizes.

The intergenerational transmission of executive function may be enhanced or interrupted by culturally salient environmental stressors that shape the practice of executive function in the family. Building upon past research, the current study tests whether culturally relevant stressors such as economic stress and foreigner stress have a direct effect on adolescent executive function, as well as whether they modify the intergenerational transmission of mother–child executive function (i.e., working memory, inhibitory control, and shifting) in low-income Mexican immigrant families. The sample consists of 179 Mexican American adolescents (Mage = 17.03 years; SDage = 0.83; 58% females) and their Mexico-born mothers (Mage = 43.25 years; SDage = 5.90). Results show that mothers’ perceived economic stress is associated with poor inhibitory control in adolescents. Low levels of mothers’ perceived foreigner stress related to a stronger association between mothers’ and adolescents’ working memory, while high levels of mothers’ perceived foreigner stress related to enhanced intergenerational transmission of poor shifting ability. Study findings demonstrate the prominence of perceived foreigner stress as a contextually relevant factor moderating the intergenerational transmission of mother–child executive function in low-income Mexican immigrant families.

Research has rarely considered within-person variability in executive function. Using a web-based program, this study investigated end-of-day executive function for 2 weeks among 178 racially/ethnically diverse adolescents (Mage = 14.53). For each core component of executive function (cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, working memory), short-term practice effects were identified for the first 4 days of assessments, and no fatigue effects emerged for the remaining days. Another 5 days were needed to achieve good reliability for assessing executive function at the between-person level. Considerable daily variation was identified for each component and the overall construct of executive function, with between 40% and 55% of the variation attributed to within-person variability. These daily variations were associated with adolescents' affective and academic experiences during the day. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Background Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with impaired executive function (EF), depressive/anxiety symptoms, and poor quality of life (QoL). In this study, we aimed to investigate correlations among these variables and to build a simple or serial mediation model for exploring the mechanisms between adult ADHD and QoL. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. The sample included 223 participants with ADHD and 54 healthy volunteers. Participants were required to complete the following scales: ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS), Brief Version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF), Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). Correlations among EF, depressive/anxiety symptoms and QoL were analyzed using Pearson correlation. The simple and serial mediation models were analyzed using PROCESS (version 3.3). Results The correlations between EF and QoL, depressive/anxiety symptoms and QoL, and depressive/anxiety symptoms and EF were statistically significant. In ADHD adults with comorbidities, the correlation coefficients were between -0.19 and -0.47, -0.20 and -0.62, 0.28 and 0.50, respectively. In simple mediation models, EF and depressive/anxiety symptoms were significant mediators respectively between ADHD and QoL, respectively. In a serial two-mediator model, ADHD could affect QoL indirectly via EF and then via depressive/anxiety symptoms significantly. Limitations The average age was young, the degree of education was high, and only self-reported scales were relied on. Conclusions There is a mutual effect between EF and emotional symptoms. This was the first study to build a serial two-mediator model between ADHD and QoL, suggesting the importance of EF and depressive/anxiety symptoms.

Background Executive function difficulties in youth with Down syndrome (DS) are well recognised using informant-report measures. However, the profile of relative challenges and strengths has not yet been evaluated using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition (BRIEF-2), which includes a new internal factor structure. Method Using the BRIEF-2, profiles of everyday parent-reported executive function (EF) were evaluated in youth with DS (n = 34) and compared with age-based and sex-based norms. EF profiles were also compared across raters (parent vs. teacher, n = 20) and relative to mental age-matched typically developing controls (ns = 19 in each group). Results Although within-group differences were not revealed on indexes, significant differences were found among BRIEF-2 scales. Across raters, teachers reported significantly more difficulties than parents. Compared with mental age-matched typically developing controls, the DS group was rated more poorly on some but not all BRIEF-2 scales. Conclusions At the scale, but not the index level, the BRIEF-2 identifies a variegated EF profile in children with DS. For several of the scales, significant differences were noted relative to both chronological age expectations (using norms) and mental-age expectations (using a developmentally matched comparison group). At the scale level, the BRIEF-2 continues to be a sensitive tool for identifying executive function difficulties as well as profiles of relative strengths and weaknesses in children with DS.

Background:Adults with simple congenital heart defects (CHD) have increased risk of neurodevelopmental challenges including executive dysfunction. It is unknown if the executive dysfunction is universal or if it is driven by dysfunction in specific clinical subscales and how it might affect psychosocial aspects of everyday life.Methods:The self-reported and informant-reported executive function of adults with an average age of 26 ± 5 (range 18–41) who underwent childhood surgery for atrial septal defects (n = 34) or ventricular septal defects (n = 32) and matched controls (n = 40) were evaluated using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions - Adult version (BRIEF-A).Results:The CHD group reported having more executive dysfunction than controls in all BRIEF-A clinical subscales (p < 0.020) and more than their informants reported on their behalf (p < 0.006). The CHD group had received three times more special teaching (44% compared to 16%) and pedagogical psychological counselling (14% compared to none) and had a three times higher occurrence of psychiatric disorders than controls (33% compared to 11%). Lower educational levels and psychiatric disorders were associated with higher BRIEF-A scores (p < 0.03).Conclusions:Adults operated for septal defects in childhood report more challenges with all aspects of the executive functions than controls and more than relatives are aware of.

BackgroundCOVID-19 has impacted adolescents' interpersonal relationships, life attitudes, and mental health during the past 3 years. However, previous studies predominantly focused on negative problems, while few studies assessed the situation of teenagers from the perspective of positive psychology. Therefore, this study explores the creativity level of Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, the relationship between sleep quality and creativity, and the mediating role of executive function.MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted across six colleges in Heilongjiang in China, with a sample of 4,258 college students recruited via stratified cluster sampling. Data were collected through an online survey. A mediation model was constructed, and SPSS PROCESS macro was used to analyze the data.ResultsThe creativity score of Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic was 106.48 ± 13.61. Correlation analysis demonstrated that sleep quality correlated negatively with creativity (r = −0.08, P < 0.01) but positively with executive function (r=0.45, P < 0.01), whilst executive function correlated negatively with creativity (r = −0.10, P < 0.01). Moreover, the mediation model revealed that executive function partially mediated the relationship between sleep quality and creativity in college students (indirect effect = −0.017, SE = 0.004, 95% CI = [−0.025, −0.008]). Executive function accounted for 48.6% of the variance in college students' creativity.ConclusionSchool administrators should implement measures such as sleep education to enhance students' sleep quality. Concurrently, curriculum and assessment implementation should enhance executive function. Such measures can contribute to improved student creativity, thus helping students overcome the negative emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minimal but increasing number of assessment instruments for Executive functions (EFs) and adaptive functioning (AF) have either been developed for or adapted and validated for use among children in low and middle income countries (LAMICs). However, the suitability of these tools for this context is unclear. A systematic review of such instruments was thus undertaken. The Systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) checklist (Liberati et al., in BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 339, 2009). A search was made for primary research papers reporting psychometric properties for development or adaptation of either EF or AF tools among children in LAMICs, with no date or language restrictions. 14 bibliographic databases were searched, including grey literature. Risk of bias assessment was done following the COSMIN (COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments) guidelines (Mokkink et al., in Quality of Life Research,63, 32, 2014). For EF, the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF- multiple versions), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Go/No-go and the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure (ROCF) were the most rigorously validated. For AFs, the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales (VABS- multiple versions) and the Child Function Impairment Rating Scale (CFIRS- first edition) were most validated. Most of these tools showed adequate internal consistency and structural validity. However, none of these tools showed acceptable quality of evidence for sufficient psychometric properties across all the measured domains, particularly so for content validity and cross-cultural validity in LAMICs. There is a great need for adequate adaptation of the most popular EF and AF instruments, or alternatively the development of purpose-made instruments for assessing children in LAMICs.Systematic Review Registration numbers: CRD42020202190 (EF tools systematic review) and CRD42020203968 (AF tools systematic review) registered on PROSPERO website (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/).

Studies have shown that when listening to speech sounds that express different emotions through prosodic and lexical content, adults tend to judge a speaker's emotion based on prosody, while young children tend to judge a speaker's emotion based on lexical content. This study examined three factors that can help 3- to 5-year-old children overcome their lexical bias and use prosody to judge a speaker's emotion. The results showed that an understanding of the usefulness of prosody to infer emotion from speech influenced young children's tendency to focus on prosody, and that only children with well-developed executive functions could judge a speaker's emotions by focusing on prosody-to the extent that they could read emotions from it. To achieve this, in addition to understanding, children needed to switch their attention away from lexical content and read emotions from prosody.

OBJECTIVES: Decision making (DM) is a component of executive functioning, essential for choosing appropriate decisions. Executive dysfunctioning is particularly common in late-life depression, however the literature is scarce on DM. This case-control study aimed to evaluate the DM profile and performance in participants with and without unipolar major depression.METHOD: The DM profile and performance were assessed by the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), respectively, in three groups of older adults from a university-based geriatric psychiatry clinic, i.e. current depression (n = 30), remitted depression (n = 43) and healthy controls (n = 59). The Hamilton Depression scale (HAM-D) 21 items, the Hamilton Anxiety scale, and the Mini-Mental State Examination were used to access depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and cognitive impairment, respectively. Multinomial, nominal and binary logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations between depression, depressive symptomatology and DM.RESULTS: In comparison to the control group, patients with current depression presented higher scores in buck-passing and proscratination DM profiles. In the hypervigilance profile, there was a significant difference between current and remitted depression groups. A higher value ​in the HAM-D scale increased the probability of disadvantageous DM profiles. Depressive patients showed a tendency of a higher mean score in both disadvantageous decks (A and B) of IGT. Patients with current depression showed a worse performance compared to the remitted depression group in the IGT netscore.CONCLUSION: Older adults with current depression showed DM profiles considered maladaptive or disadvantageous compared to both remitted depression and healthy controls groups.

This editorial presents an introduction to and an overview of the current JIDR special issue on "Executive Function in Intellectual Disability." The articles included in this special issue provide a contemporary, in depth exploration of questions regarding the nature of EF in individuals with ID. Topics include the emergence of EF during early childhood in ID-related conditions, the influence of EF on other domains of development, and the relationship between EF and adaptation throughout the lifespan. This editorial synthesizes the findings presented in this special issue and identifies methodological challenges that researchers will continue to face in future investigations of this important area.

Objective: Executive function (EF) performance and structure in nondemented aging are frequently examined with variable-centered approaches. Person-centered analytics can contribute unique information about classes of persons by simultaneously considering EF performance and structure. The risk predictors of these classes can then be determined by machine learning technology. Using data from the Victoria Longitudinal Study we examined two goals: (a) detect different underlying subgroups (or classes) of EF performance and structure and (b) test multiple risk predictors for best discrimination of these detected subgroups. Method: We used a classification sample (n = 778; Mage = 71.42) for the first goal and a prediction subsample (n = 570; Mage = 70.10) for the second goal. Eight neuropsychological measures represented three EF dimensions (inhibition, updating, shifting). Fifteen predictors represented five domains (genetic, functional, lifestyle, mobility, demographic). Results: First, we observed two distinct classes: (a) lower EF performance and unidimensional structure (Class 1) and (b) higher EF performance and multidimensional structure (Class 2). Second, Class 2 was predicted by younger age, more novel cognitive activity, more education, lower body mass index, lower pulse pressure, female sex, faster balance, and more physical activity. Conclusions: Data-driven modeling approaches tested the possibility of an EF aging class that displayed both preserved EF performance levels and sustained multidimensional structure. The two observed classes differed in both performance level (lower, higher) and structure (unidimensional, multidimensional). Machine learning prediction analyses showed that the higher performing and multidimensional class was associated with multiple brain health-related protective factors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Background This investigation examined whether aspects of attention and executive functioning differed between Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients with freezing of gait (FOG) based on responsiveness to dopamine. We also explored association of cognition with FOG severity and gait metrics. Methods Fifty-four individuals with PD completed the study protocol: 17 without freezing (PDC), 23 with dopa-responsive FOG (RFOG), and 14 with dopa-unresponsive (URFOG). Standardized neuropsychological tests assessed attention (focused and sustained), psychomotor speed, and set-switching (time and errors). FOG severity was measured using the new FOG Questionnaire (nFOG-Q). Metrics from timed up and go (TUG) tasks were obtained while “on” and “off” dopamine, with and without dual cognitive tasks. Results After controlling for clinical and demographic factors, analysis of covariance revealed a significant between-group difference for set-switching errors; planned contrasts revealed increased set-switching errors in URFOG relative to RFOG and PD control groups. Groups were not different in other cognitive domains. FOG severity was modestly associated with set-switching errors in RFOG but not URFOG. TUG performances while “on” were associated with set-switching errors in PD controls, and with focused attention in RFOG. Conclusion PD patients with dopa-unresponsive FOG are more prone to set-switching errors than those who respond to treatment. Furthermore, executive function appears relevant to FOG severity only in patients who show dopamine response. Together, these findings suggest disruption of a common dopamine-mediated pathway for FOG and ability to monitor rules while alternating cognitive processes. Consideration of dopa-response could be useful in characterizing cohorts and treating FOG in PD.

Background: Despite emerging evidence about the association between social frailty and cognitive impairment, little is known about the role of executive function in this interplay, and whether the co-existence of social frailty and cognitive impairment predisposes to adverse health outcomes in healthy community-dwelling older adults. Objectives: We aim to examine independent associations between social frailty with the MMSE and FAB, and to determine if having both social frailty and cognitive impairment is associated with worse health outcomes than either or neither condition. Methods: We studied 229 cognitively intact and functionally independent community-dwelling older adults (mean age= 67.2±7.43). Outcome measures comprise physical activity; physical performance and frailty; geriatric syndromes; life space and quality of life. We compared Chinese Mini Mental State Examination (CMMSE) and Chinese Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) scores across the socially non-frail, socially pre-frail and socially frail. Participants were further recategorized into three subgroups (neither, either or both) based on presence of social frailty and cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment was defined as a score below the educational adjusted cut-offs in either CMMSE or FAB. We performed logistic regression adjusted for significant covariates and mood to examine association with outcomes across the three subgroups. Results: Compared with CMMSE, Chinese FAB scores significantly decreased across the social frailty spectrum (p

Purpose: To date, the effects of dual-task training on balance underlying cognitive function remain unclear. Therefore, this study was to verify the effects of cognitive–physical dual-task training on balance and executive function in community-dwelling older adults with a history of falls. Method: Fifty-eight participants were randomly allocated to the experimental group (EG) receiving cognitive–physical dual-task training (n = 29) or to the control group (CG) receiving functional balance training (n = 29). After 12 sessions for 6 weeks, the One Leg Standing Test (OLST), the Timed UP and Go (TUG), and part B of the Trail-Making Test (TMT-B) were implemented to examine static and dynamic balance and executive function. Results: After the 12 sessions, the EG showed a greater improvement in the OLST (p < 0.001; η2 = 0.332), the TUG (p < 0.001; η2 = 0.375), and the TMT-B (p < 0.001; η2 = 0.224) compared to the CG. Conclusion: These results indicate that dual-task training is clinically beneficial to improving static and dynamic balance as well as executive function in older adults with a history of falls. These findings shed new light on a clinical implication that executive function should be considered in balance training for older adults.

Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of viloxazine extended-release capsules (viloxazine ER; Qelbree™) on executive function deficits (EFDs) in pediatric subjects (6–17 years of age) with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods Data from four phase III placebo-controlled trials of 100–600 mg/day viloxazine ER (6–8 weeks of treatment) were used to evaluate the change from baseline (CFB) in the Conners 3rd Edition Parent Short Form—Executive Function (C3PS-EF) content scale T-score. Subjects were defined as EFD responders if they had C3PS-EF T-score > 70 at baseline and < 65 at end of study. ADHD symptoms were assessed with ADHD Rating Scale 5th Edition (ADHD-RS-5). Subjects were defined as ADHD symptom responders if they had a ≥ 50% reduction in CFB ADHD-RS-5 Total score at Week 6. The number needed to treat (NNT) and Cohen’s d effect sizes were estimated for EFD and ADHD symptoms. Results A total of 1154 subjects were included in the analysis. Statistically significant improvements in EFDs were observed with viloxazine ER versus placebo (p = 0.0002). There were 52.5% of EFD or ADHD symptom responders in the viloxazine ER treatment group and 35.4% in the placebo group (p

This study investigated the psychometric properties of a Persian translation of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function(BRIEF2) in 253 children with ADHD in Iran (137 boys, 116 girls)ages 8 to 12 years old (M = 10.04; SD = 1.42). The parents of the children completed the Persian BRIEF2 and the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI). The findings indicated that the Persian version of BRIEF2 had good reliability (internal and test-retest) and satisfactory to good validity (convergent and construct). With respect to its construct validity, confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a three-factor solution was the best model fit for the nine subscales of the BRIEF2, which supports the valid interpretation of the three BRIEF2 indexes in the Persian BRIEF2. These findings support the clinical relevance of the Persian BRIEF in Iranian children with ADHD, as well as the multidimensional nature of executive functions.

Objectives Cognitive inhibition, which denotes the ability to suppress predominant or automatic responses, has been associated with lower pain sensitivity and larger conditioned pain modulation in humans. Studies exploring the association between cognitive inhibition and other pain inhibitory phenomena, like exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH), are scarce. The primary aim was to explore the association between cognitive inhibition and EIH at exercising (local) and non-exercising (remote) muscles after isometric exercise. The secondary aim was to explore the association between cognitive inhibition and pressure pain sensitivity. Methods Sixty-six pain-free participants (28.3 ± 8.9 years old, 34 women) completed two cognitive inhibition tasks (stop-signal task and Stroop Colour-Word task), a 3-min isometric wall squat exercise, and a quiet rest control condition with pre- and post-assessments of manual pressure pain thresholds at a local (thigh) and a remote site (shoulder). In addition, cuff pressure pain thresholds, pain tolerance and temporal summation of pain were assessed at baseline. Results No association was found between remote EIH and cognitive inhibition (Stroop interference score: r=0.12, [−0.15; 0.37], p=0.405, BF01=6.70; stop-signal reaction time: r=−0.08, [−0.32; 0.17], p=0.524, BF01=8.32). Unexpectedly, individuals with worse performance on the Stroop task, as indicated by a higher Stroop interference score, showed higher local EIH (r=0.33; [0.10; 0.53], p=0.007, BF01=0.29). No associations were observed between pain sensitivity and any of the cognitive inhibition performance parameters. Conclusions The present findings do not support previous evidence on positive associations between exercise-induced hypoalgesia and cognitive inhibition, as well as baseline pain sensitivity and cognitive inhibition.

Autistic adults report concerns with social skills and unemployment. Despite anxiety and difficulty with executive cognitive skills being associated with autism, no studies to date have investigated relationships between anxiety or executive cognition with social and work functioning. This study aimed to investigate the associations between perceived social anxiety, perceived and objective executive function, and perceived social and work functioning in a sample of autistic people. A total of 62 participants completed self-report questionnaires of social anxiety (via the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale), mental health (via the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale), executive cognition (via the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function) and perceived social and work functioning (the Work and Social Adjustment Scale), and a smaller subset ( n = 36–40) completed performance-based executive function tasks (Trail Making Task and Rapid Visual Processing Task). Participants who reported having more social anxiety and more difficulty with executive cognition also perceived themselves as having poorer social and work functioning. Performance-based executive function was not related to social or work functioning. Our results suggest that perceived social anxiety and executive cognition are both areas that have potential to be targeted to investigate whether they improve social and vocational outcomes for autistic people. Lay abstract Many autistic adults have trouble in social situations and at work. Researchers do not know exactly why autistic people might find it difficult in these environments, and no studies to date have looked the way anxiety or other cognitive processes might affect autistic peoples’ ability to socialise and succeed in getting and keeping jobs. Anxiety (how much you worry) and difficulty with getting stuff done or switching attention (known as executive function) can be concerns for autistic people and may contribute to social and work difficulties. This study looked at the relationships between the way autistic people perceived their anxiety and executive functioning and their ability to socialise and work. Sixty-two autistic participants completed questionnaires related to their ability to socialise and work, their social anxiety and their executive function. We found that participants who thought that they had poorer ability to work also found themselves to have more difficulties with executive function and they were more socially anxious. Our results showed that how autistic participants perceived their social anxiety and executive function were important in their perception of their social skills and work ability. This study supports the idea that anxiety and executive function could be targeted in interventions to support autistic people and their social and work outcomes.

The autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition, frequently accompanied by medical and psychiatric pathology. One of the most commonly found problems associated with ASD is sleep disturbances, which are estimated to affect approximately 80% of the people with ASD, not only during childhood but also in the adolescence and adult stages. Nevertheless, the relationship of these sleep difficulties with autism severity, as well as other associated impairments such as executive functioning and psychiatric disorders (eg, depression), has not yet been widely studied. The main objective of the present study was to explore the relationship between sleep disturbances, subjective measures of executive function, and psychiatric pathology in the ASD population. To reach that goal, a group of 89 participants with ASD (44 children/adolescents and 45 adults) was recruited and evaluated with self-reported measures of executive function performance and psychiatric pathology tests. Multivariate analysis showed a significant association between sleep disturbances and psychiatric symptoms in both ASD groups, with greater sleep disturbances predicting more severe psychiatric pathology. No significant association was found with executive function in any group. Limitations included a small sample size and lack of objective measures. Sleep problems seem to be associated with the severity of psychiatric pathology throughout the lifespan, increasing the chance of developing psychiatric symptoms when they were present. Improving sleep quality in ASD at all ages may result in preventing and/or decreasing psychiatric pathology in this population.

The study aimed to systematically analyze the empirical evidence that is available concerning batteries, tests or instruments that assess hot executive functions (EFs) in preschoolers, identifying which are the most used instruments, as well as the most evaluated hot EFs. For the review and selection of articles, the systematic review methodology PRISMA was used. The article search considered the EBSCO, Web of Science (WoS), SciELO and PubMed databases, with the keywords “Hot executive function”, “Assessment”, “test”, “evaluation”, using the Boolean operators AND and OR indistinctly, between 2000 and April 2021. Twenty-four articles were selected and analyzed. The most commonly used instruments to assess hot EFs in preschool children were the Delayed Gratification Task, the Child’s Play Task, and the Delayed Reward Task. Amongst those analyzed, 17 instruments were found to assess hot EFs in preschoolers. The accuracy and conceptual clarity between the assessment of cognitive and emotional components in EFs is still debatable. Nevertheless, the consideration of affective temperature and reward stimulus type, could be an important influence when assessing EFs in this age range. Evidence of the possible involvement of cortical and subcortical structures, as well as the limbic system, in preschool executive functioning assessment has also been incorporated.

ObjectiveThe impact on executive function performance of sleep-related disorders in asthmatic children has been scarcely studied in community settings. The aims of the present study were to assess the prevalence of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) in children with intermittent or mild persistent asthma in primary care settings, and to examine the possible correlations with measures of executive function.MethodsWe performed a case–control study including 76 children with asthma (intermittent or mild persistent) and 85 healthy controls. The parents of both patients and controls completed the Paediatric Seep Questionnaire (PSQ) and the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) questionnaire.ResultsWe did not find any statistically significant differences regarding the scales of PSQ. Additionally, there were no statistical differences between asthmatic children and controls regarding the scales of the BRIEF questionnaire. In both asthmatic children and controls the score of the scale of obstructive sleep-related breathing disorder was significantly correlated with the T scores of the two composite scales (BRI and MI) and the Global Executive Composite.ConclusionIn children with intermittent or mild persistent asthma under the care of private general paediatricians there were no statistically significant differences regarding subjective SBD compared to the healthy controls. Also there were no statistical differences between asthmatic children and controls regarding behavioural correlates of executive function during everyday life.

Increased focus on resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and the use and accessibility of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) have advanced knowledge on the interconnected nature of neural substrates underlying executive function (EF) development in adults and clinical populations. Less is known about the relationship between rsFC and developmental changes in EF during preschool years in typically developing children, a gap the present study addresses employing task-based assessment, teacher reports, and fNIRS multimethodology. This preregistered study contributes to our understanding of the neural basis of EF development longitudinally with 41 children ages 4-5. Changes in prefrontal cortex (PFC) rsFC utilizing fNIRS, EF measured with a common task-based assessment (Day-Night task), and teacher reports of behavior (BRIEF-P) were monitored over multiple timepoints: Initial Assessment, 72 h follow-up, 1 Month Follow-up, and 4 Month Follow-up. Measures of rsFC were strongly correlated 72 h apart, providing evidence of high rsFC measurement reliability using fNIRS with preschool-aged children. PFC rsFC was positively correlated with performance on task-based and report-based EF assessments. Children's PFC functional connectivity at rest uniquely predicted later EF, controlling for verbal IQ, age, and sex. Functional connectivity at rest using fNIRS may potentially show the rapid changes in EF development in young children, not only neurophysiologically, but also as a correlate of task-based EF performance and ecologically-relevant teacher reports of EF in a classroom context.

The brain’s prefrontal cortex directs higher-order cognitive and behavioral processes that are important for attention, working memory, and inhibitory control. We investigated whether gestational exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides was associated with these abilities in childhood and early adolescence. Between 1999 and 2000, we enrolled pregnant women in a birth cohort drawn from an agricultural region of California. We measured dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites of OP pesticides in maternal pregnancy urine samples (13 and 26 weeks) and estimated associations with behaviors related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and executive function, assessed longitudinally; 351 families provided neurodevelopmental outcome data at any point when the child was aged 7–12 years. We assessed function across multiple dimensions (e.g., working memory, attention), methods (e.g., behavior reports, child assessment), and reporters (e.g., mothers, teachers, child self-reports). Higher gestational DAP concentrations were consistently associated with behaviors related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and executive function. For example, a 10-fold increase in gestational DAP concentration was associated with poorer longitudinally assessed Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function scores, as reported by mothers (β = 4.0 (95% confidence interval: 2.1, 5.8); a higher score indicates more problems), and Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fourth Edition Working Memory scores (a 3.8-point reduction; β = −3.8 (95% confidence interval: −6.2, −1.3)). Reducing gestational exposure to OP pesticides through public health policy is an important goal.

Objectives Early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is necessary to prevent irreversible brain damage caused by incipient Alzheimer's disease. It has been showing that amnestic MCI (a-MCI) subjects exhibit subtle deficits in executive function that can be tested using saccade eye movements. Eye-tracking technology is a sensitive method to measure cognitive impairments in dementia and MCI. Methods In this study, we used eye-tracking technology to explore saccade impairments to distinguish between a-MCI and the variants of reference controls. 21 patients with AD, 40 patients with a-MCI, and 59 normal participants were recruited in current study. We measured saccade reaction time, saccade errors, saccade omission, and uncorrected saccades using anti-saccade and pro-saccade tasks with 'gap' and 'overlap' procedures. These parameters were used as markers of executive function and visual attention deficits.Results: The findings revealed that more errors, more omissions, and fewer corrections characterized the saccade behavior of the a-MCI group compared to the reference group. These eye-tracking characteristics can be considered as inhibitory control and working memory deficits in a-MCI subjects. Our results thus demonstrate the applicability of the anti-saccade task as a cognitive marker in a-MCI. Conclusion The work provides further support for eye-tracking as a useful diagnostic biomarker in the assessment of executive function in aging with cognitive impairments.

There are multivariate influences on the development of children’s executive function throughout the lifespan and substantial individual differences can be seen as early as when children are one and two years of age. These individual differences are moderately stable throughout early childhood, but more research is needed to better understand their origins. To some degree, individual differences in executive function are correlated between mother and child, but no research to date has examined these associations prior to when children are preschool age, nor have any studies considered the role of fathers’ and mothers’ executive function in tandem. Here, we use a sample of 484 families (Mothers 89.2% white; Fathers 92.5% white) in three countries (UK, USA, Netherlands) to investigate the role of each parents’ executive function on the development of children’s (49.7% female) executive function from 14 (M=14.42, SD=.57) to 24 (M=24.47, SD=.78) months, as well as parenting practices that underlie these associations. Results of structural equation models suggest stability in some—but not all—components of executive function and growing unity between components as children age. We replicate extant findings such that mothers’ executive function predicts children’s executive function over and above stability and extend these findings to include associations between father and child skills. We find an additive role of fathers’ EF, similar in magnitude to the role of mothers’ EF. Finally, for both mothers and fathers we find that sensitivity and autonomy supportive practices mediate the relations between parents’ and children’s executive function.

Developmental associations between poor executive function (EF) and problem behaviors in toddlerhood indicate that the interplay between cognition and affect begins very early in life (Hughes, Devine, Mesman, & Blair, 2020). However, very few longitudinal studies of toddlers have included direct measures of both EF and emotion regulation (ER). In addition, while models of ER highlight the importance of situational contexts (e.g., Miller, McDonough, Rosenblum, Sameroff, 2005), existing work is limited by a heavy reliance on lab-based observations of mother-child dyads. Addressing these twin gaps, the current study of 197 families included video- based ratings of ER in toddlers’ dyadic play with both mothers and fathers at each of two time-points (14- and 24-months), with parallel measures of EF being gathered in each home visit. Our cross-lagged analyses showed that EF at 14 months predicted ER at 24 months, but this association was limited to observations of toddlers with mothers. It was also asymmetric: ER at 14 months did not predict EF at 24 months. These findings support co-regulation models of early ER and highlight the predictive utility of very early individual differences in EF.

In the current study, we examined the effect of an aerobic dance program as part of physical education (PE) classes on aspects of primary school children’s executive functions (EFs) (inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility). Participants were 41 children (21 boys and 20 girls; M age =10.30, SD = 0.50 years, M height = 134.09, SD= 3.9 cm; M weight = 35.61, SD = 7.85 kg) who were divided into an experimental group (EG) and a no-PE control group (CG). The EG followed an aerobic dance intervention as part of their PE program (45 minute sessions two days per week over eight weeks). Participants in both groups performed EF tests before and after the intervention period to evaluate their mental flexibility, inhibition, and working memory. A two-way mixed model repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant effect of the aerobic dance program on participants’ cognitive flexibility (i.e., on Trails Making TestsB-Atimes and committed errors) ( p

Aim Executive dysfunction is pathognomonic for dementia and impedes the activities of daily living (ADL). This study aimed to examine the relationship of dementia severity with executive dysfunction and ADL in mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Methods This single-center study enrolled 86 patients (men, 40; women, 46; mean age, 76.1 ± 7.5 years) referred for cognitive and physical rehabilitation between October 2015 and September 2020. The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) was 0.5, 1, and ≥2 in 45, 30, and 11 patients, respectively. The presence and severity of executive dysfunction were assessed using the Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome-Japanese version (BADS). The ADL and instrumental ADL (IADL) were assessed using the Barthel Index and Frenchay Activities Index (FAI), respectively. We examined the relationship between CDR severity and overall BADS profile score and its sub-items, and that between the overall BADS profile score and IADL. Results The cognitive and executive functional assessment scores differed significantly depending on the CDR severity. The CDR severity and overall BADS profile score exhibited significant correlations. The BADS found cognitive impairment in 31%, 70%, and 100% of patients with CDR0.5, CDR1, and CDR≥2, respectively. The FAI score differed according to the CDR severity in women but not in men. The overall profile and age-adjusted BADS scores were strongly correlated with the IADL in women but not in men. Conclusions The greater the severity of executive dysfunction, the greater the difficulty in performing ADL. This effect was more pronounced in women and may predict dementia progression. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; ••: ••-••.

Objective Previous research has documented executive function (EF) impairments in individuals with early treated phenylketonuria (ETPKU). It remains unclear, however, whether some aspects of EF may be more affected than others. A number of factors, including small sample sizes and variability in EF tasks, have likely contributed to past mixed findings. The present objective was to elucidate further the EF profile associated with ETPKU, particularly as it relates to report-based assessment of EF. Method Data from 286 individuals (5-48 years of age) with ETPKU on the child and adult versions of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), a well-established report-based assessment tool, were analyzed. Results The Working Memory scale showed the largest effect size in both young and older ETPKU samples, with 19% of children and 29% of adults scoring in the "abnormally elevated" range. In addition, EF impairment appeared more general (i.e., affecting more domains) in the adult sample as compared to the child sample. Exploratory analyses also suggested that the presence/absence of overall impairment on the BRIEF among our ETPKU participants could be predicted based on a small subset of items. A 10-item subset showed total classification accuracy values of 90% and above for both groups. Conclusions Working memory represents an aspect of EF that appears to be particularly affected in individuals with ETPKU. Findings also provide preliminary support of the viability for the development and/or adoption of an abbreviated screening measure for EF difficulties in children and adults with ETPKU. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Previous evidence supports a beneficial effect of physical activity on executive function across the whole lifespan. Yet, the interrelationships of the intensities of physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and executive function require further investigation in adults.Using unfiltered accelerometry data and high-resolution intensity classification, we sought to estimate the associations of physical activity with cardiorespiratory fitness and executive function in adult office workers.We included 343 full-time office workers (mean age: 42.41 years, range of age: 36-49 years). Executive function was assessed using Stroop, Trail making tests (part-B), and 2-back tests, and a composite score was produced to reflect the general executive function performance. Physical activity was assessed using the Actigraph GT3X+-monitor, worn by each participant for seven days at the hip. Raw accelerometry data were processed by the 10 Hz frequency extended method and divided into 22 intensity bins and sleep time. Cardiorespiratory fitness was estimated using the submaximal Ekblom-Bak cycle ergometer test. Data were analyzed using partial least squares regressions.In adults, cardiorespiratory fitness was closely correlated with a wide range of absolute physical activity intensity patterns. A higher level of executive function in adults was associated with both higher absolute physical activity intensities and cardiorespiratory fitness, which was independent of age, sex, and education levels. A very weak association between intensities, fitness, and executive function was observed in high-fit adults. Among low-fit adults, although a positive association started already toward the upper end of moderate intensity, there still appeared to be an association between intensities, cardiorespiratory fitness, and executive function. That is, cardiorespiratory fitness may mediate the association between absolute physical activity intensities and executive function up to a certain level.The maintenance of executive function in adulthood was related to both physical activity intensities and cardiorespiratory fitness, while their interrelationship was not equal across fitness levels. It is highly recommended to consider the cardiorespiratory fitness level in future studies that focus on executive functions in aging as well when designing individualized physical activity training programs.

Incense burning is common in Asia including China. Research investigating the association between household incense burning and children's neurodevelopment is scarce. We aimed to examine this association in Chinese children. In 2019, we randomly enrolled 8293 children aged 6-12 years from 5 elementary schools in Guangzhou, southern China. Information on duration and frequency of household incense burning was collected using a questionnaire. Children's executive function was evaluated using the parental report of the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function. A general linear model was used to assess the associations between incense burning and executive function. Children who occasionally and frequently exposed to incense burning exhibited worse performance on executive function. For example, frequent incense burning was associated with increases in behavioral regulation index (BRI) of 1.77 (95%CI: 0.97, 2.58) points and metacognition index (MI) of 1.40 (95%CI: 0.60, 2.20) points, compared to never incense burning group. Parental smoking and household income were significant modifiers of the associations, with the stronger associations were observed in children having smoking parent(s) and poorer household income. The findings suggest that household incense burning was associated with poorer executive function, especially in children whose parent(s) were smokers and in those with low household income.

Adults with congenital heart defects (CHDs) have an increased risk for cardiovascular complications, but few are in optimal cardiovascular health. Executive function deficits, which are elevated among CHD survivors, may contribute to engagement in behaviors that increase cardiovascular risk.The aim of this study was to identify the association between executive function and the health risk behaviors of tobacco use, saturated fat intake, and insufficient physical activity among young adults with CHDs.Young adults with CHDs completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version, which yields composite and 9 individual domain scores (eg, inhibition, working memory). Participants also completed self-report measures of tobacco use, saturated fat intake, and physical activity. Linear and logistic regression models determined the association between executive function and risky health behaviors, adjusting for demographic factors, disease status, and emotional distress.One in 10 young adults with CHDs reported clinically significant difficulties with global executive function. Difficulties with global executive function were associated with increased tobacco use ( P = .018) and greater saturated fat intake ( P = .015) but not insufficient physical activity ( P = .902). Difficulties with inhibition were specifically associated with increased tobacco use ( P = .003) and greater saturated fat intake ( P = .007), and problems with self-monitoring were associated with increased tobacco use ( P = .017).Executive function difficulties are associated with self-reported engagement in health risk behaviors among young adults with CHDs. Health behavior interventions for adult CHD survivors may require additional modifications that consider executive function problems, particularly difficulties with inhibition.

The ineligible role of the caudate nucleus in sleep has been implicated. Previous literature showed that the caudate volume is associated with longer habitual sleep duration in older adults. However, the association between sleep duration and caudate volume remains unknown in the younger population. In this study, we examined the caudate volume in youth to older adults (10 to 85 years old) with a greater sample size (N = 464). The volumetric size of the caudate nucleus showed significantly positive association with habitual sleep duration, especially in younger population. Sleep duration showed a significant association with executive function performance. However, caudate volume did not significantly predict executive function. Our results suggested that sleep duration is associated with the caudate volume and executive function. It is also suggested that there are some external mechanisms that modulate executive function which prevent the caudate-sleep relation's effect on executive function.

Children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) often experience executive dysfunction, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and poor social skills, however, the nature of the relationships between these domains in children with NF1 is unclear. This study investigated these relationships using primary caregiver ratings of executive functions, ADHD symptoms and social skills in children with NF1. Participants were 136 children with NF1 and 93 typically developing (TD) controls aged 3-15 years recruited from 3 multidisciplinary neurofibromatosis clinics in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, and Washington DC, USA. Mediation analysis was performed on primary outcome variables: parent ratings of executive functions (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Metacognition Index), ADHD symptoms (Conners-3/Conners ADHD Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders Scales) and social skills (Social Skills Improvement System-Rating Scale), adjusting for potential confounders (full scale IQ, sex, and social risk). Results revealed significantly poorer executive functions, elevated ADHD symptoms and reduced social skills in children with NF1 compared to controls. Poorer executive functions significantly predicted elevated ADHD symptoms and poorer social skills. Elevated ADHD symptoms significantly mediated the relationship between executive functions and social skills problems although did not fully account for social dysfunction. This study provides evidence for the importance of targeting ADHD symptoms as part of future interventions aimed at promoting prosocial behaviors in children with NF1.

The primary purpose of this study was to compare the working memory performance of monolingual English-speaking 2(nd−)grade children with dyslexia (N=82) to 2(nd) grade children with typical development (N = 167). Prior to making group comparisons, it is important to demonstrate invariance between working memory models in both groups or between-group comparisons would not be valid. Thus, we completed invariance testing using a model of working memory that had been validated for children with typical development (Gray et al., 2017) to see if it was valid for children with dyslexia. We tested three types of invariance: configural (does the model test the same constructs?), metric (are the factor loadings equivalent?), and scalar (are the item intercepts the same?). Group comparisons favored the children with typical development across all three working memory factors. However, differences in the Focus-of-Attention/Visuospatial factor could be explained by group differences in non-verbal intelligence and language skills. In contrast, differences in the Phonological and Central Executive working memory factors remained, even after accounting for non-verbal intelligence and language. Results highlight the need for researchers and educators to attend not only to the phonological aspects of working memory in children with dyslexia, but also to central executive function. Working memory can be defined as an individual’s capacity for retaining a limited amount of information in an accessible form that allows it to be used or manipulated to carry out various cognitive tasks (Cowan, 2017). It underpins important academic functions (e.g., Cowan, 2014; Knoop-van Campen et al., 2018; Peng et al., 2016; 2018; Rhodes et al., 2016) with research suggesting that aspects of working memory are impaired in at least a subset of children with dyslexia (e.g., Gray et al., 2019; Jeffries & Everatt, 2004; Swanson & Sachse-Lee, 2001). Prior to making between-group comparisons that would suggest working memory impairment, however, we require evidence that the same working memory construct is being measured across groups. Invariance analyses test this very thing: they mathematically determine if a model fits similarly for two groups. If models are not invariant across groups, results of between-group comparisons could be invalid, uninterpretable (e.g., Fisher & Karl, 2019), and include systematic measurement error (e.g., Yoon & Lai, 2018). Therefore, the first purpose of this study was to determine whether a working memory model that fit the data for second-grade children with typical development (TD; Gray et al., 2017) would be invariant when we tested the same model with a group of second-grade children with dyslexia who completed the same working memory tasks. We used a multi-step process to test configural invariance (equivalence of model form), metric invariance (equivalence of factor loadings) and scalar invariance (equivalence of item intercepts). With invariance established, we proceeded to compare factor means on working memory measures for the groups with TD and dyslexia and to determine whether non-verbal intelligence and omnibus oral language measures could account for potential differences in the factor means (see Figure 1).

Cognitive impairments are characteristics of patients with white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), and hypoperfusion is currently a relatively recognized mechanism of WMHs. Brain activity is closely coupled to the regulation of local blood flow. This study aimed to investigate the abnormal local brain activity of patients with WMHs from the viewpoint of the static amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (sALFF) and dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (dALFF). Seventy-four patients with WMHs and 35 healthy controls (HCs) were included. Based on the Fazekas scale, patients with WMHs were further divided into a mild WMH group (n = 33, Fazekas score 1-2) and moderate-severe WMH group (n = 41, Fazekas score 3-6). The sALFF and dALFF values were calculated separately and neuropsychological tests including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), Trail Making Test (TMT), and Boston Naming Test (BNT) were completed by all participants. Patients with WMHs showed increased sALFF and dALFF values in the bilateral thalamus and decreased performance in the MoCA test, AVLT-immediate, AVLT-delay, AVLT-recognition, TMT-A, and BNT. The dALFF values in the bilateral thalamus was correlated with the MoCA in HCs. The sALFF values in the bilateral thalamus correlated with TMT-B in patients with WMHs. Patients with WMHs showed abnormal brain activity and decreased functional stability of the bilateral thalamus, which may be a potential mechanism of decreased executive function.

Several studies have reported poor executive function (EF) development in deaf children with subsequent impacts on their social and academic attainment. This paper describes the results of a music-based EF intervention designed for deaf children and carried out in two sets of primary schools. This is the first classroom-based EF training study with deaf children, and it also incorporates a replication phase. The intervention was a within-subject crossover design, with 29 deaf children aged 7–11 years who participated in both an EF and an art class control activity, each lasting 10 hours over 5 weeks. Non-verbal EF skills were assessed at pre-test, the crossover point, and post-test. Findings indicated that the EF intervention led to an improvement in participants’ working memory and inhibitory skills in comparison with their performance on the same tasks after the control activity. The findings were not uniform for all EFs targeted nor for all cognitive ability levels in the sample. We discuss the implications of our findings for deaf children with different ability levels and for how EF interventions can be further improved.

AIM: To study sex differences in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, we explored whether X chromosome absence or excess is independently associated with deficits in attention and hyperactivity, executive function, and processing speed. METHOD: We assessed 116 children (ages 3y 10mo–11y 11mo, mean 8y 5mo, SD 1y 11mo) with a variable number of sex chromosomes: 36 females with Turner syndrome (45, X0), 20 males with Klinefelter syndrome (47, XXY), 37 typically developing females (XX), and 23 typically developing males (XY). RESULTS: X chromosome absence was associated with increased attention problems, hyperactivity, and deficits in inhibitory control, compared with female children with XX (all p0.4), while X excess affected in-laboratory as well as parent-reported working memory (all r>0.4). INTERPRETATION: Our observations provide compelling evidence that the absence or excess of an X chromosome distinctly affects cognition and behaviors associated with ADHD.

Funder: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Funder: National Research Foundation (Singapore) CREATE Grant to the University of Cambridge and Nanyang Technological University for the Centre of Lifelong Learning and Individualised Cognition (CLIC)., Concepts of cognitive control (CC) and executive function (EF) are defined in terms of their relationships with goal-directed behavior versus habits and controlled versus automatic processing, and related to the functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and related regions and networks. A psychometric approach shows unity and diversity in CC constructs, with 3 components in the most commonly studied constructs: general or common CC and components specific to mental set shifting and working memory updating. These constructs are considered against the cellular and systems neurobiology of PFC and what is known of its functional neuroanatomical or network organization based on lesioning, neurochemical, and neuroimaging approaches across species. CC is also considered in the context of motivation, as "cool" and "hot" forms. Its Common CC component is shown to be distinct from general intelligence (g) and closely related to response inhibition. Impairments in CC are considered as possible causes of psychiatric symptoms and consequences of disorders. The relationships of CC with the general factor of psychopathology (p) and dimensional constructs such as impulsivity in large scale developmental and adult populations are considered, as well as implications for genetic studies and RDoC approaches to psychiatric classification.

Introduction. The use of executive function (EF) instruments to assess children’s functional performance is obscured with a lack of consensus on which is most suitable to use within the occupational therapy profession. This review identifies EF instruments used by occupational therapists (OTs) for children and evaluates their measurement properties. Methods. This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020172107). We reviewed occupational therapy-related studies published until March 2021, to identify performance-based EF instruments used among children by OTs. Two review authors independently screened, extracted, and evaluated the methodological rigor of the included studies. Adequacy of the measurement properties was determined using the COSMIN, and the Terwee criteria were used for synthesis of best evidence. Results. Five EF assessments were found across eight study articles: Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome for Children, Children’s Cooking Task, Children’s Kitchen Task Assessment, Do-Eat, and Preschool Executive Task Assessment. Adequacy of measurement properties and synthesis of best evidence varied, leading to a low GRADE rating on the certainty of evidence for the included instruments. Conclusions. There is limited evidence that supports the certainty of evidence on the measurement properties of the reviewed tools in helping OTs assess performance-based EF among children. Nevertheless, the authors conditionally suggest their use based on the critical need to measure children’s EF. Further research is needed to establish the measurement properties of these measures across different childhood populations.

While a replicability crisis has shaken psychological sciences, the replicability of multivariate approaches for psychometric data factorization has received little attention. In particular, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) is frequently promoted as the gold standard in psychological sciences. However, the application of EFA to executive functioning, a core concept in psychology and cognitive neuroscience, has led to divergent conceptual models. This heterogeneity severely limits the generalizability and replicability of findings. To tackle this issue, in this study, we propose to capitalize on a machine learning approach, OPNMF (Orthonormal Projective Non-Negative Factorization), and leverage internal cross-validation to promote generalizability to an independent dataset. We examined its application on the scores of 334 adults at the Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), while comparing to standard EFA and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). We further evaluated the replicability of the derived factorization across specific gender and age subsamples. Overall, OPNMF and PCA both converge towards a two-factor model as the best data-fit model. The derived factorization suggests a division between low-level and high-level executive functioning measures, a model further supported in subsamples. In contrast, EFA, highlighted a five-factor model which reflects the segregation of the D-KEFS battery into its main tasks while still clustering higher-level tasks together. However, this model was poorly supported in the subsamples. Thus, the parsimonious two-factors model revealed by OPNMF encompasses the more complex factorization yielded by EFA while enjoying higher generalizability. Hence, OPNMF provides a conceptually meaningful, technically robust, and generalizable factorization for psychometric tools.

Heavy episodic drinking (HED) and negative drinking consequences represent prevalent and serious health concerns for college students. Depressive symptoms may elevate students' risk for engaging in HED and experiencing negative consequences, but levels of risk may vary by executive function (EF) capabilities. Growing evidence suggests that EF deficits are associated with comorbid depressive symptoms and alcohol misuse. Nevertheless, little is known about unique and shared risks that depressive symptoms and EF may interactively pose for HED and negative drinking consequences.

Recent work within early executive function (EF) seems to suggest that toddlers show distinct patterns of development, involving poorly correlated performance across EF tasks and significant improvements over relatively short periods of time. The present study sought to extend these findings by investigating evidence for these patterns in toddlers and the existence of more traditional patterns of EF (e.g., correlations between tasks, links to language) when using the same tasks in a novel Latin American sample. Eighty toddlers (18-24 months) and sixty young preschoolers (30-36) months completed a battery of EF tasks, early social communication, and receptive and expressive language measures. Results indicated that toddlers showed similar distinct patterns of development (i.e., few relations between tasks and links to responding to joint attention), but by early preschool a more cohesive EF and links to language were present. Further, work demonstrated significant age (older children outperformed younger children), gender (girls outperformed boys), and socioeconomic differences (satisfied basic needs outperformed unsatisfied basic needs, but only on the snack delay). This work provides evidence for patterns of emerging EF development within this novel cultural sample (and evidence for group differences) that may be supported by communicative and representational development.

The current study examined the utility of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version (BRIEF-P) in capturing emerging deficits in executive function in preschool children with a history of perinatal stroke. Parents and teachers of 55 clinically referred preschool children (3-5 years of age) provided ratings using the BRIEF-P. Both parent (