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The Matsigenka people living traditional lifestyles in remote areas of the Amazon rely on a fish-based diet that exposes them to methylmercury (MeHg) at levels that have been associated with decreased IQ scores. In this study, the association between Hg levels and working memory was explored using the framework of the Multicomponent Model. Working memory tasks were modified to fit the culture and language of the Matsigenka when needed and included measures for verbal storage (Word Span) visuospatial storage (Corsi Block Task) and a measure of executive functions, the Self-Ordered Pointing Task (SOPT). An innovation of the Trail Making Tests A & B (TMT A & B) was pilot tested as another potential measure of executive functions. The mean hair Hg levels of 30 participants, ages 12 to 55 years, from three different communities (Maizal, Cacaotal and Yomibato) was 7.0 ppm (sd = 2.40), well above the World Health Organization (WHO) limit for hair of 2.0 ppm and ranged from 1.8 to 14.2 ppm, with 98% of a broader sample of 152 individuals exceeding the WHO limit. Hair Hg levels showed significant associations with cognitive performance, but the degree varied in magnitude according to the type of task. Hg levels were negatively associated with executive functioning performance (SOPT errors), while Hg levels and years of education predicted visuospatial performance (Corsi Block accuracy). Education was the only predictor of Word Span accuracy. The results show that Hg exposure is negatively associated with working memory performance when there is an increased reliance on executive functioning. Based on our findings and the review of the experimental research, we suggest that the SOPT and the Corsi Block have the potential to be alternatives to general intelligence tests when studying remote groups with extensive cultural differences.

Background Executive functions (EF) support engagement in goal-directed behaviors, including several health behaviors. Stressful and cognitively demanding events can disrupt EFs and interfere with health behavior, possibly to a greater extent in those with preexisting EF deficits. This study examined the association between preexisting EF deficits and subsequent negative changes in eating patterns, physical activity, sedentariness, and alcohol/substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method Participants were 374 young adults in a follow-up study of the longitudinal, multisite Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD). Preexisting EF deficits were assessed with the Barkley Deficits in Executive Function Scales-Short Form, and personally impactful negative changes in four health behaviors (physical activity, unhealthy eating, sedentary time, alcohol/substance use) during the COVID-19 pandemic were subsequently assessed with the Epidemic-Pandemic Impacts Inventory. Results In ordered logistic regression models, higher preexisting total EF deficits were associated with greater negative impactful changes in physical activity and unhealthy eating, independent of sociodemographic variables, obesity, and (as relevant) accelerometer-based physical activity and pre-COVID-19 diet quality. Socioeconomic status moderated the association between total EF deficits and impactful change in alcohol/substance use, with EF deficits linked to greater impactful change in alcohol/substance use only in higher socioeconomic strata. Conclusion Individuals with preexisting EF deficits appear more vulnerable to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on several key health behaviors. As the pandemic unfolds, strategies may be needed to identify those with EF deficits (e.g., screening tools) and provide them with tailored support for chronic disease risk reduction.

Introduction An alteration in postoperative cognitive function varies according to the patients’ background characteristics, such as etiology, focus, and seizure duration. Accurate prediction and assessment of postoperative cognitive function is difficult in each patient. Adaptive behavior could describe the typical performance of daily activities and represents the ability to translate cognitive potential into real-world skills. We examined the relationship between alterations of executive function (EF) and adaptive behavior in school children undergoing surgery for intractable epilepsy. Methodology We enrolled 31 children with focal resection or corpus callosotomy for intractable epilepsy [mean age at surgery, 12.5 years; 16 boys; mean intellectual quotient, 73.3]. We surveyed answered questionnaires on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and adaptive behavior using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, 2nd edition (VABS-II), and performed continuous performance tests (CPTs) on children pre- and postoperatively. Result ADHD and ASD symptoms improved after epilepsy surgery. The omission error (OE) in the CPT variable improved after epilepsy surgery, especially in children with a shorter preoperative period. Improved ASD symptoms led to an increased score of the coping skills subdomain. The reduced OE observed after surgery also increased the score of the community skills subdomain. Conclusion Improvement in EF and ASD symptoms resulted in better adaptive behavior postoperatively. These results were important for the pre- and postoperative evaluation and re-evaluation of children with epilepsy requiring special education and related services.

Objective/Background: Personality traits are regarded as risk factors for cognitive impairment in older adults, while sleep disturbance and physical inactivity are also considered as modifiable risk factors. Therefore, it could be beneficial to investigate the effects of those modifiable risk factors on the relationship between personality traits and cognitive functions, to prepare appropriate strategies for mitigating cognitive impairment. Participants: A total of 155 cognitively unimpaired older adults were included. Methods: All participants underwent cognitive function tests using the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery and examinations for personality traits using the Big Five Inventory. Individual physical activity and sleep quality were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, respectively. A hierarchical linear multiple regression analysis was performed to demonstrate the direct association between personality traits and cognitive functions, and the multiple moderator analysis was used to analyze the moderating effects of lifestyle factors on this association. Results: Among the five personality traits, only neuroticism was negatively associated with the frontal executive and visuospatial functions after controlling age, sex, and years of education. Interestingly, the negative relationship between neuroticism and frontal executive function was alleviated in older adults with higher sleep quality. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that higher sleep quality has significant moderating effects on the negative association between neuroticism and frontal executive functions in older adults, which suggests intervention for improving sleep quality such as cognitive behavioral therapy can be considered in older adults who have personality traits associated with a high risk of cognitive impairment.

Introduction: Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with impairment in cognitive domains such as verbal memory and executive functions. Very few studies have assessed dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) in BD and its relation to cognitive functioning despite evidence showing its regulatory effects on glucocorticoid action. The aim of our study was to explore the association of cortisol, DHEA-S, and cortisol to DHEA-S ratio with visuospatial memory and executive functioning in BD. Methods: Cognitive performance of 60 bipolar I patients and 30 healthy subjects was evaluated by using Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery tasks targeting visuospatial memory (spatial recognition memory) and executive functions (planning [Stockings of Cambridge; SOC] and attentional set shifting [ID/ED]). Morning serum cortisol and DHEA-S levels were measured in patients. Main effects of cortisol, DHEA-S, and cortisol/DHEA-S ratio for each neurocognitive task were explored in multiple regression analyses correcting for demographic and clinical parameters as well as treatment-related factors (current use of antipsychotic and mood stabilizer medication). Results: Bipolar patients showed poorer performance than healthy subjects in planning and attentional set shifting but not in visuospatial memory. Cortisol to DHEA-S ratio predicted worse performance in planning (SOC). Conclusions: This is the first study to assess memory and executive function in BD in relation to DHEA-S and cortisol to DHEA-S ratio. We report an association of cortisol to DHEA-S ratio with worse performance in planning in bipolar I patients, which warrants further investigation.

Purpose: The number of adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of childhood cancer is increasing, and the impacts of therapy on their daily lives are not well understood. Adaptive functions are ...

“Executive functions” (EFs) is an umbrella term for higher cognitive functions such as working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. These functions refer to dissociable mechanisms that are also intricately related, justifying the view of EF as a unitary mental faculty. One of the most challenging theoretical problems in this field of research has been to explain how the wide range of cognitive processes subsumed as EFs are controlled without an all-powerful but ill-defined central executive in the brain. Efforts to localize control mechanisms in circumscribed brain regions have not led to breakthrough in understanding how the brain controls and regulates itself, and no single brain system underlying a ‘central executive’ has yet been identified. We discuss how a distributed control network view can help to refine our understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying EFs. In this view, executive control functions are realized by spatially distributed brain networks, thus precluding the need for a modular central executive. We further discuss how graph-theory driven analysis of brain networks offers a unique lens on this problem by providing a reference frame to study brain connectivity in EFs in a holistic way and how neuroscience network research endeavors to investigate clinical neuropathology of disrupted EFs.

Background: Global amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in the brain can be quantified by Aβ-PET scans to support or refute a diagnosis of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (pAD). Yet, Aβ-PET scans enable quantitative evaluation of regional Aβ elevations in pAD, potentially allowing even earlier detection of pAD, long before global positivity is achieved. It remains unclear as to whether such regional changes are clinically meaningful. Objective: Test the hypothesis that early focal regional amyloid deposition in the brain is associated with cognitive performance in specific cognitive domain scores in pAD. Methods: Global and regional standardized uptake value ratios (SUVr) from 18F-florbetapir PET/CT scanning were determined using the Siemens Syngo.via® Neurology software package across a sample of 99 clinically normal participants with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores≥23. Relationships between regional SUVr and cognitive test scores were analyzed using linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, and education. Participants were divided into two groups based on SUVr in the posterior cingulate and precuneus gyri (SUVR≥1.17). Between group differences in cognitive test scores were analyzed using ANCOVA models. Results: Executive function performance was associated with increased regional SUVr in the precuneus and posterior cingulate regions only (p

Objective Childhood is a critical period for brain development. However, it remains unknown whether the behaviors in a typical 24-h day are related to children’s executive function (EF). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the 24-h movement guidelines and children’s EF. Method Children aged 7–12 years (n = 376) were studied in 2017 in China. Physical activity (PA) was accelerometer-derived, while screen time (ST) and sleep duration were self-reported. Meeting the 24-h movement guidelines was defined as: 1) ≥ 60 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous PA; 2) ≤ 2 h/day of recreational ST; 3) 9–11 h/night of sleep. EF was assessed by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Number of completed categories (CC), shifting efficiency (SE), non-perseverative errors (NPE), and failure to maintain set (FMS) were used to measure four processes of EF, respectively represented global performance, cognitive flexibility, efficiency in rule discovery, and sustained attention. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) were completed to explore the associations of meeting the PA, ST, and sleep duration recommendations with four processes of EF. Results Statistically significant positive associations were observed between the number of guidelines met, regarded as a continuous variable, with CC [β = 0.343 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.125, 0.561)] and SE [β = 4.028 (95% CI: 0.328, 7.727)], while number of guidelines met negatively related to NPE [β = − 4.377 (95% CI:-7.952,-0.802)]. Participants not meeting the two recommendations for PA and sleep duration had lower scores in CC [β = -0.636(95% CI:-1.125,-0.147)] and SE [β = -10.610 (95% CI:-18.794,-2.425)] compared with those meeting the two, suggesting inferior global performance and worse efficiency in rule discovery. However, ST recommendation had no significant association with any processes of EF. Conclusion Meeting more recommendations of the 24-h movement guidelines was associated with superior EF in children. Specifically, more PA and healthy sleep duration should be encouraged to promote children’s EF.

Extensive literature has documented socioeconomic (SES) disparities in young children’s standardized math achievement, which primarily reflect differences in basic number and arithmetic skills. In addition, growing evidence indicates that direct assessments of executive function (EF) both predict standardized math achievement and mediate SES differences in standardized math tests. However, early spatial skills and children’s approximate number system (ANS) acuity, critical components of later math competence, have been largely absent in this past research. The present study examined SES associations with multiple direct assessments of early ANS, cardinality and spatial skills, as well as standardized math achievement, in a socioeconomically diverse sample of 4-year-old children (N = 149). Structural equation modeling revealed SES effect sizes of .21 for geometric sensitivity skills, .23 for ANS acuity, .39 for cardinality skills, and .28 for standardized math achievement. Furthermore, relations between socioeconomic status and children’s spatial skills, ANS acuity, cardinality, and standardized math skills were mediated by a composite measure of children’s EF skills. Implications of pervasive SES disparities across multiple domains of early math development, as well as the mitigating role of EF, are discussed.

Background Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading inherited monogenic cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. Executive function (EF), necessary for adaptive goal-oriented behavior and dependent on frontal lobe function, is impaired in individuals with FXS. Yet, little is known how alterations in frontal lobe neural activity is related to EF deficits in FXS. Methods Sixty-one participants with FXS (54% males) and 71 age- and sex-matched typically-developing controls (TDC; 58% males) completed a five-minute resting state electroencephalography (EEG) protocol and a computerized battery of tests of EF, the Test of Attentional Performance for Children (KiTAP). Following source localization (minimum-norm estimate), we computed debiased weighted phase lag index (dWPLI), a phase connectivity value, for pairings between 18 nodes in frontal regions for gamma (30–55 Hz) and alpha (10.5–12.5 Hz) bands. Linear models were generated with fixed factors of group, sex, frequency, and connection. Relationships between frontal connectivity and EF variables also were examined. Results Individuals with FXS demonstrated increased gamma band and reduced alpha band connectivity across all frontal regions and across hemispheres compared to TDC. After controlling for nonverbal IQ, increased error rates on EF tasks were associated with increased gamma band and reduced alpha band connectivity. Limitations Frontal connectivity findings are limited to intrinsic brain activity during rest and may not generalize to frontal connectivity during EF tasks or everyday function. Conclusions We report gamma hyper-connectivity and alpha hypo-connectivity within source-localized frontal brain regions in FXS compared to TDC during resting-state EEG. For the first time in FXS, we report significant associations between EF and altered frontal connectivity, with increased error rate relating to increased gamma band connectivity and reduced alpha band connectivity. These findings suggest increased phase connectivity within gamma band may impair EF performance, whereas greater alpha band connectivity may provide compensatory support for EF. Together, these findings provide important insight into neurophysiological mechanisms of EF deficits in FXS and provide novel targets for treatment development.

Research on the associations among adversity, executive function (EF), and academic outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, where developmental risk factors are more prevalent and impoverished environments are more widespread than in high income countries, is sparse. This study examines the relations among cumulative risk, EF, and learning outcomes measured 2-years later in Ghanaian third- and fourth-graders (

Executive functions refer to a set of higher-order cognitive processes involved in the control and organization of information to serve goal-directed behaviors. Skills in executive functioning are developed throughout childhood and adolescence and have been shown to be predictive of academic achievement. The coordination of these complex processes is critically dependent on brain maturation and connectivity, including key neurodevelopmental processes like myelination and synaptogenesis. Among other factors, research highlights the influential effect of nutrition and diet on these neurodevelopmental processes, which may impact executive function performance in healthy and deficient populations. This review considers the research to date on the role of key nutrients that have been identified for executive function development and their underlying neurophysiological processes in school-aged children.

Extant research is mixed regarding the relations between lifetime exposure to stressors, adrenocortical activity, and executive function (EF), particularly in children. Aggregate measures of adrenocortical activity like hair cortisol concentration (HCC), timing of stress exposure, and age at assessment may clarify these associations. This cross-sectional study examined the association between parent-reported exposure to stressors, hair cortisol concentration (HCC), and children’s executive function via a tablet task in a community sample (n = 318, 52.5% female) of children across a wide age range (4–13 years, M = 9.4, SD = 2.3). Path analyses revealed that parent-reported child lifetime exposure to stressors, but not past-year stressful life events, negatively predicted HCC. There was also a marginally significant moderation by age such that HCC was associated negatively with EF for younger children (age < 9.7 years) but not older children. HCC did not significantly mediate the association between lifetime exposure to stressors and EF. Findings are consistent with the proposition that chronically high cortisol production has a neurotoxic effect on brain regions supporting EF. However, lifetime exposure to stressors predicted relatively lower cumulative cortisol production, consistent with a stress inoculation effect in this normative-risk sample.

The human thalamus has been suggested to be involved in executive function, based on animal studies and correlational evidence from functional neuroimaging in humans. Human lesion studies, examining behavioral deficits associated with focal brain injuries, can directly test the necessity of the human thalamus for executive function. The goal of our study was to determine the specific lesion location within the thalamus as well as the potential disruption of specific thalamocortical functional networks, related to executive dysfunction. We assessed executive function in 15 patients with focal thalamic lesions and 34 comparison patients with lesions that spared the thalamus. We found that patients with mediodorsal thalamic lesions exhibited more severe impairment in executive function when compared to both patients with thalamic lesions that spared the mediodorsal nucleus and to comparison patients with lesions outside the thalamus. Furthermore, we employed a lesion network mapping approach to map cortical regions that show strong functional connectivity with the lesioned thalamic subregions in the normative functional connectome. We found that thalamic lesion sites associated with more severe deficits in executive function showed stronger functional connectivity with ACC, dorsomedial PFC, and frontoparietal network, compared to thalamic lesions not associated with executive dysfunction. These are brain regions and functional networks whose dysfunction could contribute to impaired executive functioning. In aggregate, our findings provide new evidence that delineates a thalamocortical network for executive function.

Background\udScales measuring cognitive and executive functions are integral to the assessment and management of patients with suspected cognitive impairment. Some of the most commonly used cognitive tests are now subject to copyright restrictions. Furthermore, no existing scale assesses both executive and cognitive abilities.\ud\udAims\udWe aimed to develop and validate a novel hybrid scale for use in clinical practice which integrate measures of cognition and executive abilities (‘Free-Cog’).\ud\udMethods\udThe instrument was devised through a national collaboration including health professionals, those with lived experience of dementia and researchers. Following ethics committee approval, the Free-Cog was assessed in 25 real-world clinical settings across England, Wales and Scotland. It was compared to three other cognitive tests routinely administered in clinical practice: the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), and the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE).\ud\udResults\udThe Free-Cog was tested in 960 patients with clinical diagnoses of dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and normal controls. Similar to the MMSE, MOCA and ACE, it discriminated well between the three groups (p < 0.001). It correlated well with the other instruments. Using a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, Free-Cog achieved an Area Under Curve of 0.94 for dementia versus controls, 0.80 for MCI versus controls and 0.77 for dementia versus MCI. A version of the tool adapted for telephone consultation, the Tele Free-Cog, also discriminated well between patient groups.\ud\udConclusions\udFree-Cog is a non-proprietary, empirically derived, concise assessment. Uniquely, it combines cognitive and executive function questions in the one instrument. It could be used to inform the assessment of people presenting with cognitive impairment and is available to anyone interested in trialling it.

This study aimed to analyze the associations of activity-rest pattern indicators with academic achievement, executive function, and intelligence and to explore whether these associations are mediated by the total gray matter volume among children with overweight/obesity. Ninety-five children (10 ± 1 year, 37 girls) with overweight/obesity (based on the World Obesity Federation body mass index cutoff points) were included in this cross-sectional study. Hip- and wrist-worn ActiGraph GT3X + accelerometers were used to assess the activity-rest pattern. Interdaily stability (IS), intradaily variability (IV), the mean value of the lowest 5 hours (L5), and the mean value of the maximum 10 hours (M10) of activity and their respective timing (TL5, TM10) were used as indicators of the activity-rest pattern throughout the day. Chronotype and social jetlag were used as indicators of circadian preference. Academic achievement, executive function, and intelligence were assessed with standardized tests. Gray matter volume was acquired by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). IS was positively associated with executive function (β = 0.244, P = .014). IV was negatively associated with mathematics and academic applications (β: -0.211 to -0.238, P's ≤ .026). Later TM10 in the day was related to lower writing, academic skills, and intelligence (β: -0.229 to -0.271, P's ≤ .025). None of the associations found were mediated by gray matter volume. A non-fragmented and stable activity-rest pattern and earlier physical activity in the day were associated with better academic achievement, executive function, and intelligence in children with overweight/obesity. Further studies are required to corroborate or contrast our findings.

Dopamine (DA) signaling is critical for optimal cognitive performance. Aging is accompanied by a change in the strength of this signaling, with a loss of striatal and extrastriatal D2 binding potential. The reduction in dopamine modulation with age negatively influences various aspects of cognition. DRD2 C957T (rs6277) impacts DA D2 receptor density and availability, with C homozygotes linked to lower striatal DA availability and reduced executive functioning (EF), but also high extrastriatal binding potential. Here, we investigated in 176 participants aged 20–94 years whether: (1) DRD2 C carriers differ from T carriers in cortical thickness or subcortical volume in areas of high concentrations of D2 receptors that receive projections from mesocortical or nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathways; (2) whether the DRD2*COMT relationship has any synergistic effects on cortical thickness; (3) whether the effect of DRD2 on brain structure depends upon age; and (4) whether DRD2-related regional thinning affects executive function performance. We show that DRD2 impacts cortical thickness in the superior parietal lobule, precuneus, and anterior cingulate (marginal after FDR correction), while statistically controlling sex, age, and COMT genotype. Specifically, C homozygotes demonstrated thinner cortices than both heterozygotes and/or T homozygotes in an age-invariant manner. Additionally, DRD2 predicted executive function performance via cortical thickness. The results highlight that genetic influences on dopamine availability impact cognitive performance via the contribution of brain structure in cortical regions influenced by DRD2.

Background Dexterity is a component of motor function. Executive function, a subdomain of cognition, may affect dexterity in older adults recovering from critical illness after discharge from an intensive care unit (ICU). Objectives To explore associations between executive function (attention and cognitive flexibility) and dexterity (fine motor coordination) in the early post-ICU period and examine dexterity by acuity of discharge disposition. Methods The study involved 30 older adults who were functionally independent before hospitalization, underwent mechanical ventilation in the ICU, and had been discharged from the ICU 24 to 48 hours previously. Dexterity was evaluated with the National Institutes of Health Toolbox (NIHTB) Motor Battery 9-Hole Pegboard Dexterity Test (PDT); attention, with the NIHTB Cognition Battery Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test (FICAT); and cognitive flexibility, with the NIHTB Cognition Battery Dimensional Change Card Sort Test (DCCST). Exploratory regression was used to examine associations between executive function and dexterity (fully corrected T scores). Independent-samples t tests were used to compare dexterity between participants discharged home and those discharged to a facility. Results FICAT (β = 0.375, P = .03) and DCCST (β = 0.698, P = .001) scores were independently and positively associated with PDT scores. Further, PDT scores were worse among participants discharged to a facility than among those discharged home (mean [SD], 26.71 [6.14] vs 36.33 [10.30]; t24 = 3.003; P = .006). Conclusions Poor executive function is associated with worse dexterity; thus, dexterity may be a correlate of both post-ICU cognitive impairment and functional decline. Performance on dexterity tests could identify frail older ICU survivors at risk for worse discharge outcomes.

Military performance depends on high-level cognition, specifically executive function (EF), while simultaneously performing strenuous exercise. However, most studies examine cognitive performance following, not during, exercise. Therefore, our aim was to examine the relationship between EF and exercise intensity. Following familiarization, 13 Reserve Officers' Training Corp cadets (age = 19.6 ± 2 yr, five women) completed a graded exercise test (GxT) and two executive function exercise tests (EFETs) separated by a duration of ≥24 h. The EFET was a combined iPad-based EF test (Cedar Operator Workload Assessment Tool) and GxT. Heart rate (HR) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) oxygenation [near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)] were continuously recorded. The EF score was analyzed for accuracy of responses (%hit rate). Heart rate reserve was calculated to normalize exercise intensity (%HRR). For PFC oxygenation recordings, NIRS variables were used to calculate the tissue saturation index (%TSI). Data from EFET trials were averaged into a singular response. The %hit rate declined at heart rate reserves (HRRs) of ≥80%, reaching nadir at 100% HRR (74.09 ± 10.63%

Objectives: College students have high risk of anxiety and weight gain. Understanding how executive function traits, especially with trait anxiety, associates with weight-related behaviors could indicate strategies for improving obesity prevention programs. In this study, we examined links between weight-related behaviors of undergraduate students and executive function traits with and without high cognitive loads in the form of trait anxiety. Methods: Participants (N = 406) completed an online survey assessing health, weight-related behaviors, executive function traits (cognitive self-control, concentration, and flexibility), and cognitive load (trait anxiety). Results: K-means cluster analysis of executive function trait scales yielded 3 homogenous groups distinctly different from each other: Cluster 1 had the lowest cognitive self-control and flexibility and moderate concentration traits, Cluster 2 had the lowest concentration and moderate self-control and flexibility traits, and Cluster 3 had the highest executive function traits. Clusters did not differ on BMI or physical health. Cluster 3 had better mental health, physical activity, sleep quality, and eating behaviors. Across clusters, those with high cognitive loads, as indicated by trait anxiety, had poorer mental health than those with low loads. High cognitive load in Clusters 2 and 3 adversely affected eating behaviors requiring cognitive concentration and self-control. Conclusions: Future research should explore the feasibility of delivering executive control improvement activities and health education simultaneously.

Copyright © 2020 the American Physiological Society. A single bout of aerobic exercise improves executive function; however, the mechanism for the improvement remains unclear. One proposal asserts that an exercise-mediated increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF) enhances the efficiency of executive-related cortical structures. To examine this, participants completed separate 10-min sessions of moderate- to heavy-intensity aerobic exercise, a hypercapnic environment (i.e., 5% CO2), and a nonexercise and nonhypercapnic control condition. The hypercapnic condition was included because it produces an increase in CBF independent of metabolic demands. An estimate of CBF was achieved via transcranial Doppler ultrasound and near-infrared spectroscopy that provided measures of middle cerebral artery blood velocity (BV) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (HHb), respectively. Exercise intensity was adjusted to match participant-specific changes in BV and HHb associated with the hypercapnic condition. Executive function was assessed before and after each session via antisaccades (i.e., saccade mirror-symmetrical to a target) because the task is mediated via the same executive networks that demonstrate task-dependent modulation following single and chronic bouts of aerobic exercise. Results showed that hypercapnic and exercise conditions were associated with comparable BV and HHb changes, whereas the control condition did not produce a change in either metric. In terms of antisaccade performance, the exercise and hypercapnic, but not control, conditions demonstrated improved postcondition reaction times (RT), and the magnitude of the hypercapnic and exercise-based increase in estimated CBF was reliably related to the postcondition improvement in RT. Accordingly, results evince that an increase in CBF represents a candidate mechanism for a postexercise improvement in executive function. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Single-bout aerobic exercise “boosts” executive function, and increased cerebral blood flow (CBF) has been proposed as a mechanism for the benefit. In this study, participants completed 10 min of aerobic exercise and 10 min of inhaling a hypercapnic gas, a manipulation known to increase CBF independently of metabolic demands. Both exercise and hypercapnic conditions improved executive function for at least 20 min. Accordingly, an increase in CBF is a candidate mechanism for the postexercise improvement in executive function.

This study sought to elucidate the contributions of inferior executive function and social competence to the development of internalizing and externalizing problems in primary school. Children (N = 1,115), on average 5.36 years old in first grade, were followed across primary school with measures of multi-method and multi-informant. Results of growth modeling demonstrated that poor executive function in first grade predicted high levels of both problems and a low rate of decline in externalizing problems over time, independent of the co-occurrence of both problems. Moreover, the impact of poor executive function on behavioral problems may be dependent on its association with disruptive social competence. Findings highlighted the interrelations of risk factors to understanding the development of behavioral problems in primary school.

Research regarding the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on executive function has grown exponentially in recent years. However, there has been no comprehensive review of the current state of literature. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to summarize previous research regarding the acute and chronic effects of HIIT on executive function across the lifespan and highlight future research directions. The results indicated that acute bouts of HIIT has a positive effect on inhibition in children/adolescents and adults, and further that chronic HIIT benefits inhibition and working memory in children. More research employing chronic interventions, focusing on middle-aged and older adults, and examining the effects on the working memory and cognitive flexibility domains of executive function are needed. Future research should also focus on a) the use of stronger research designs, b) the effects of HIIT dosage/modality, c) consideration of individual differences, d) possible underlying mechanisms, and e) examining the feasibility of translating HIIT to real-word settings.

Agreement between parent and adolescent ratings of executive function (EF) is not known in adolescents with solid organ transplant (SOT), even though pressing concerns about EF deficits are being raised in this population. The current study investigated EF in adolescents with SOT using parent and self report. Twenty-five adolescents (

Empirical findings suggest that there is an overlap between schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). These disorders also have a high comorbidity rate. However, little is known about the impact of co-occurring schizotypal and obsessive-compulsive traits on executive function, emotion experience, and emotion expressivity in the normal population. The present study examined the prevalence of coexisting schizotypal and obsessive-compulsive traits and the relationship between these two traits in a sample of healthy college students. We also conducted a moderation analysis to explore the effect of these two type of traits on executive function, emotion experience, and emotion expressivity. We recruited 3,319 participants to complete the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised (OCI-R). A subset of them (n = 575) also completed the Chinese versions of the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX), the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS), and the Emotional Expressivity Scale (EES). We found that the prevalence of co-occurring schizotypal and OCD traits was 3.33%. All the subscales of the SPQ and the OCI-R significantly correlated with each other. Both traits had a negative impact on executive function and emotion expressivity. The interaction between the disorganization dimension of schizotypal traits and OCD traits had a significant effect on executive function, but not emotion experience or emotion expressivity. This study was limited by its cross-sectional design and recruitment of only college students. These findings suggest that there is an approximately 3% rate of co-occurring schizotypal and obsessive-compulsive traits in a healthy college student sample. The interaction between these two types of traits may influence executive function.

Self-awareness is commonly impaired after traumatic brain injury and impacts on rehabilitation engagement and community re-integration outcomes. Interventions which incorporate metacognitive strategy instruction have the potential to improve rehabilitation engagement and outcomes. This study aimed to determine whether an occupation-based intervention incorporating metacognitive strategy instruction resulted in goal achievement and improved online awareness and executive function performance during goal-related tasks. A single-case experimental design using a multiple-baseline design across behaviours was used with two participants with severe traumatic brain injury to evaluate the effectiveness of the 6-week intervention. Repeated measures of goal-related performance, percentage of self-corrected errors and executive function were made via independent analysis of video footage and documentation logs. Data analysis involved 2SD bandwidth analysis and overlap data, reliable change index and evaluation of goal achievement across phases. There were improvements in self-corrected errors for one participant, which were maintained. Significant reductions in anxiety (RCI = ±5.98) were evident for both participants, with a significant reduction in stress (RCI = ±7.05) for one participant following the intervention. The occupation-based intervention incorporating metacognitive strategy instruction led to improvements compared to baseline performance in some targeted goals, online awareness and executive function performance during goal-related tasks and reduced stress and anxiety.

A growing number of early childhood (EC) parenting programs target adult executive function (EF) to build responsive parenting behaviors and to promote positive child development. Although measurement of EF is well understood in academic research, little work has examined EF measurement in community settings. The present study examined psychometric properties of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version among 203 parents whose children were enrolled in EC programs serving under-resourced communities. We calculated Cronbach's α and mean-item correlations to test internal consistency reliability. To test factor structure, we conducted exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analyses. Results suggest adequate internal consistency and that factor structures, beyond the original proposed, are appropriate for our community sample. Together, findings indicate that self-report measures of adult EF may perform differently for families experiencing adversity, raising questions about the acceptability of clinical EF tools in in underserved communities.

The modern understanding of the term metacognition encompasses two levels of processing: a lower level awareness or knowledge of one’s own thoughts and a higher level regulation or control of our thinking. Metacognition, therefore, bears conceptual similarity with executive function: both are concerned with top-down monitoring and control of cognition in the service of ongoing goal-directed behaviour. Previous studies have shown a possible executive function advantage in multilingual speakers but also a possible disadvantage in metacognitive processing. To progress theory on metacognitive processing and the relationship with executive function and linguistic experience across the lifespan, we conducted a study testing 330 healthy individuals in four age groups from 7 to 80 years old. All participants performed a metacognition task and two measures of executive function, which included the Simon task and the Tower of London task. Half the participants were multilingual speakers since birth. We built developmental trajectories of metacognitive and executive function across the lifespan. The best metacognitive efficiency was observed in mid-adulthood, whereas the best executive function processing reached its peak in young adulthood. A steep cognitive decline was observed in older age, while metacognitive efficiency was preserved. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that metacognition and executive function are served by different factors across all ages. Contrary to previous findings in the bilingual literature, a multilinguistic experience conferred neither any significant advantage nor disadvantage in both executive function and metacognitive processing across the lifespan.

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a special perceptual phenomenon in which some people can experience a tingling, static-like sensation in response to some certain auditory/visual stimulations. This study compared the performance of executive function (working memory, set shifting, and inhibitory control) between ASMR participants and control participants after three auditory treatment conditions, i.e., ASMR-triggering audio (Triggering), normal-speaking audio (Normal), and with no auditory treatment (Baseline). The results showed that the ASMR individuals did not differ in executive function with the control participants in either Normal or Baseline condition. However, the set shifting and inhibitory control of ASMR individuals slowed down after ASMR-triggering auditory treatment. In this study, ASMR individuals with ASMR-triggering auditory treatment reported that they all experienced three ASMR episodes before completing executive function tasks. These findings indicated that there was no intrinsic difference in executive function between ASMR and control individuals. But ASMR individuals’ executive function would be interfered when the ASMR was triggered.

The ability to perceive differences in environmental contrast is critical for navigating complex environments safely. People with Parkinson's disease (PD) report a multitude of visual and cognitive deficits which may impede safe obstacle negotiation and increase fall risk. Enhancing obstacle contrast may influence the content of visual information acquired within complex environments and thus target environmental fall risk factors. 17 PD with a history of falls and 18 controls walked over an obstacle covered in a high and low contrast material in separate trials whilst eye movements were recorded. Measures of visual function and cognition were obtained. Gaze location was extracted during the approach phase. PD spent longer looking at the obstacle compared to controls regardless of contrast (p .05), however group differences were largest for the low contrast obstacle. When accounting for group differences in approach time, PD spent longer looking at the low contrast obstacle and less time looking at the ground beyond the low contrast obstacle compared to controls (p .05). The response to obstacle contrast in PD (high-low) was significantly associated with executive function. Better executive function was associated with spending longer looking at the low contrast obstacle and at the ground beyond the high contrast obstacle. Enhancing the contrast of ground-based trip hazards may improve visual processing of environmental cues in PD, particularly for individuals with better executive function. Manipulating contrast to attract visual attention is already in use in the public domain, however its utility for reducing fall risk in PD is yet to be formally tested in habitual settings.

Few studies have systematically assessed executive functioning (EF) skills in boys with XXY, and these are limited by small samples and restricted EF assessment. This study used a broader battery of performance-based measures as well as parent-rating scales of EF in 77 boys and adolescents with XXY (mean age = 12.5 years), recruited from a clinical trial and an outpatient clinic. Exploratory factor analyses were used to create EF domains from performance-based measures, and similar domains were measured using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function and Conners Parent-Rating Scales. The boys with XXY showed a distinct EF profile, with the greatest deficit in attention and more moderate deficits in working memory, switching, and planning/problem solving. Parent ratings showed similar challenges, as well as impaired inhibition. Independent sample t-tests showed no difference on performance measures between boys diagnosed or not diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), although parents of boys diagnosed with ADHD reported more difficulties. There were no differences on performance-based tests between those diagnosed pre- and postnatally, although parents of postnatally diagnosed boys reported more metacognitive problems. Language deficits, cognition, and socio-economic status did not account for EF deficits.

Background Knowledge about patients' executive function is important in the rehabilitation of language and communication in stroke patients with aphasia. Due to linguistic demands, most neuropsychological tests are unsuitable for this population, and it might seem appealing to use informant report of executive function as a substitute. Objective To investigate the relationships between scores on a neuropsychological test and informant ratings of executive function, as well as between the informant ratings and the functional communication ability, in people with severe aphasia after stroke. Methods Thirty-eight people with severe aphasia and their significant others participated. Executive function was tested with parts of the neuropsychological screening instrument CLQT and rated by significant others (informants) using BRIEF-A. Functional communication was assessed with a standardised test and rated by significant others. Results Results revealed few correlations between CLQT and BRIEF-A. There was no correlation between informant ratings on BRIEF-A and scores on the measures of functional communication. Conclusions Informant ratings of executive function do not measure the same construct as, and cannot be used as a substitute for, standardised neuropsychological tests. Informant ratings of executive function do not seem to provide information that is relevant to the understanding of functional communication in people with severe aphasia.

Background In youth and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), executive function (EF) deficits may be a promising treatment target with potential impact on everyday functioning. Objective To conduct a pilot randomized, double-blind, parallel, controlled trial evaluating repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for EF deficits in ASD. Method In Toronto, Ontario (November 2014 to June 2017), a 20-session, 4-week course of 20 Hz rTMS targeting dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) (90%RMT) was compared to sham stimulation in 16–35 year-olds with ASD (28 male/12 female), without intellectual disability, who had impaired everyday EF performance (n = 20 active/n = 20 sham). Outcome measures evaluated protocol feasibility and clinical effects of active vs. sham rTMS on EF performance. The moderating effect of baseline functioning was explored. Results Of eligible participants, 95% were enrolled and 95% of randomized participants completed the protocol. Adverse events across treatment arms were mild-to-moderate. There was no significant difference between active vs. sham rTMS on EF performance. Baseline adaptive functioning moderated the effect of rTMS, such that participants with lower baseline functioning experienced significant EF improvement in the active vs. sham group. Conclusions Our pilot RCT demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of using high frequency rTMS targeting DLPFC in youth and young adults with autism. No evidence for efficacy of active versus sham rTMS on EF performance was found. However, we found promising preliminary evidence of EF performance improvement following active versus sham rTMS in participants with ASD with more severe adaptive functioning deficits. Future work could focus on examining efficacy of rTMS in this higher-need population. Clinical trial registration Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for Executive Function Deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Effects on Brain Structure: A Pilot Study; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02311751?term = ameisr NCT02311751. The trial was funded by: an American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Pilot Research Award, the Innovation Fund from the Alternate Funding Plan of the Academic Health Sciences Centres of Ontario, and an Ontario Mental Health Foundation (OMHF) Project A Grant and New Investigator Fellowship.

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that opioid receptor antagonists, such as naltrexone, are effective pharmacotherapies for alcohol, opioid, and possibly stimulant use disorders. It is posited that naltrexone exerts its effects, in part, by increasing functional connectivity between neural reward circuitry and frontal systems implicated in executive function. Yet no studies had examined whether executive function moderates these effects. Objectives: This study examined whether a composite measure of executive function (EF) moderates the effect of naltrexone on craving for methamphetamine and subjective responses following infusion of the drug. Methods: Individuals with methamphetamine use disorder (N = 30; 27% female) completed baseline neurocognitive assessments of premorbid and executive function, and an executive function factor was computed. Participants then underwent a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study of titration with naltrexone and placebo. Participants then received a 30-mg intravenous methamphetamine infusion and completed subjective response questionnaires at 8 times in the 120 minutes post-infusion. Results: Multilevel mixed models indicated a significant EF × medication interaction, reflecting greater effects of naltrexone to decrease "desire to access the drug", "want more of the drug", "crave the drug", "feel drug effects" and "feel high" in participants with low EF compared to those with high EF (Bs = .36-1.29, SEs = .14-.17, ps

Whether bilingualism can improve aspects of cognitive function in late adulthood is hotly debated. A few limited studies have reported that bilingualism may provide a limited buffer against age-related cognitive decline; however, others have not. The present study furthered this inquiry by analyzing the combined effects of age and language experience upon executive function in a geographically diverse online sample.Amazon Mechanical Turk was used to recruit a sample of younger (YA) and older adults (OA) from 24 countries. A total of 81 monolingual participants (YA = 37; OA = 44) and 82 bilingual/multilingual participants (YA = 43; OA = 39) completed task-pure executive function assessments of inhibition, memory updating, and attention switching.YAs performed better than OAs on both the inhibition and updating tasks. On the attention switching task, a greater switch cost occurred when participants had less time to process a stimulus cue. Notably, no effects of language (i.e., bilingualism) were significant: no main effects or interactions with aging were found for executive function performance.The results of the present study challenge the claim that extensive experience with multiple languages can be a reliably protective factor against some normative age-related declines in executive function.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In adult chronic kidney disease (CKD), metabolic acidosis is associated with diminished cognition, notably executive function (EF). Data from the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) study demonstrate a risk for impairment of EF, a finding associated with heightened blood pressure variability (BPV). We sought to determine whether low serum bicarbonate is also associated with performance on tests of EF in pediatric CKD and to investigate potential interaction with BPV. DESIGN/METHODS: CKiD participants with serum bicarbonate, blood pressure, and selected cognitive measurements available were evaluated. An EF summary score was derived from scores on the Delis Kaplan Executive Function System, Conners’ Continuous Performance Test, and Digit Span Backwards subtest from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV-Integrated. Parents completed the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) to yield a Global Executive Composite (GEC) score. Linear mixed models with bicarbonate and hypertension as predictors and linear regression with bicarbonate and BPV were used to predict EF level. RESULTS: Data were available for 865 children. Twenty-two percent had low bicarbonate (CO(2) ≤ 20 mmol/L) at baseline. On multivariate analysis, there was no relationship between bicarbonate, hypertension, and EF. There was no significant CO(2)×hypertension interaction found. A significant interaction (p= 0.01) between high CO(2) (≥ 26 mmol/L) and BPV was detected in the model with GEC as the EF outcome, indicating that while higher BPV was associated with worse EF in the low and normal CO(2) groups, higher BPV was associated with better EF in the high CO(2) group. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses revealed an interaction between one measure of BPV and low bicarbonate on neurocognition in pediatric CKD, suggesting a potential role for control of both bicarbonate and blood pressure in preserving cognition in early CKD. Further research is needed to confirm and further define this association.

Objective: In the context of the positive impact of cognitive interventions for age-related memory concerns, clinicians are seeking information about variables that predict optimum client response. In this study of older adults, the aim was to investigate baseline predictors of gain in memory performance, i.e. prospective memory, following a memory intervention.Methods: One hundred and one healthy older adults (H0A) and 73 older people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) were evaluated at 6-months after participating in a 6-week memory group intervention (LaTCH). The outcome measure was a clinic-based prospective memory task. Baseline predictors included demographic variables (age, gender, education), baseline prospective memory, and cognitive resources (retrospective memory, executive function).Results: Thirty percent of the HOA and 16% of the aMCI cohorts demonstrated reliable training effects on prospective memory test performance at 6-month assessment. Through hierarchical regressions in the HOA cohort, executive function (working memory, attention set shifting) rather than retrospective memory was the best predictor of change in prospective memory. Moderated regression did not demonstrate any interactions between retrospective memory and executive function. For the memory impaired cohort (aMCI), better baseline retrospective memory predicted greater gain in prospective memory but only when executive function was also high.Conclusions: Memory groups can improve performance on clinic-based prospective memory tests in older people with concerns about memory performance, suggesting the value of further translation studies to demonstrate functional real-world gains and quality of life improvement after training. These interventions may be especially effective for those older people with better executive function (working memory, attention set shifting).

Executive function and visual search are linked to a number of activities of daily living including driving and mobility. Using a computerised version of the Trail Making Test B (TMT-B), we compared the executive function and visual search ability of older adults with glaucoma to age-similar controls and identified which visual function tests best predict TMT-B performance. Novel low-contrast and shifting-target variations of the test were incorporated to explore the effects of different levels of test complexity.Thirty-one older adults with mild to moderate glaucoma (mean age = 71.2 years [SD 6.9]; better-eye mean deviation [MD]: median = -1.9 dB [IQR = -1.2 to 0.4], worse-eye MD: median = -11.1 dB [IQR = -14.0 to -7.7]) and 24 age-similar controls (mean age = 71.9 years [SD 6.6]) with normal vision participated. The groups were matched in age, sex, and cognitive status (mini-mental state examination [MMSE]). Participants underwent measurements of visual acuity, contrast sensitivity (CS), visual fields, and visual processing speeds using the useful field-of-view (UFoV). Participants then completed four variations of a computerised TMT-B test, with different levels of complexity based on target contrast (high/low-contrast) and shifts in target position (fixed/shifting locations). Linear mixed-effect models were used to explore the effects of group, target contrast and shift on TMT-B completion time.The glaucoma group took 17.3s longer than controls to complete the TMT-B (P = 0.028). All participants took 6.5s longer to complete the low- compared to the high-contrast tests (P = 0.012), and 10.6s longer for the shifting TMT-B compared to the fixed version (P 0.001). There was no interaction effect between group, contrast, or target shift on completion time. Across all tests and participant groups, longer completion time was associated with slower UFoV processing speeds (divided attention: P = 0.003; selective attention: P = 0.006). Poorer CS was associated with longer completion times for the low (P = 0.007), but not the high-contrast tests.Our findings suggest that older adults with mild to moderate glaucoma have poorer visual search ability and executive function relative to controls. However, decreasing target contrast or shifting target position did not exacerbate the effects of glaucomatous visual impairment on performance. The UFoV was a strong predictor of TMT-B performance.

Objective Despite the fact that negative mood and executive dysfunction are common after risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO), occurring in up to a third of women, little is known about risk factors predicting these negative outcomes. Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) predict poorer health in adulthood and may be a risk factor for negative outcomes after RRSO. Given the complex relationship between early life stress, affective disorders, and cognitive dysfunction, we hypothesized that ACE would be associated with poorer executive function and that mood symptoms would partially mediate this relationship. Methods Women who had undergone RRSO were included in the study (N = 552; age 30-73 y). We measured executive function (continuous performance task, letter n-back task, and Brown Attention Deficit Disorder Scale Score), exposure to early life stress (ACE questionnaire), and mood symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the association between ACE and executive dysfunction and the role of mood symptoms as a mediator in this relationship. Results ACE was associated with greater severity of subjective executive dysfunction (adjusted mean difference [aMD] = 7.1, P = 0.0005) and worse performance on both cognitive tasks (continuous performance task: aMD = -0.1, P = 0.03; n-back: aMD = -0.17, P = 0.007). Mood symptoms partially mediated ACE associations with sustained attention (21.3% mediated; 95% CI: 9.3%-100%) and subjective report of executive dysfunction (62.8% mediated; 95% CI: 42.3%-100%). Conclusions The relationship between childhood adversity and executive dysfunction is partially mediated by mood symptoms. These data indicate that assessing history of childhood adversity and current anxiety and depression symptoms may play a role in treating women who report cognitive complaints after RRSO. : Video Summary:http://links.lww.com/MENO/A571.

Epidemiological studies have found that more physically active older participants have a reduced risk of Alzheimer disease. Based on enriched environment animal models, this effect is considered to result from physical exercise-induced molecular brain changes. This hypothesis has been tested in humans with randomized controlled trials involving physical exercise vs. more sedentary interventions with neuropsychological outcome measures. Fifty-one such randomized controlled trials were identified from Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines with keywords related to physical activity, cognition, and aging supplemented with reference list search. The five most popular executive function measures (each used in ≥8 trials) were meta-analyzed. Digit symbol was the only measure with a significant estimated overall effect size, indicating that physical exercise had a small (0.17) positive effect on change scores. Estimated overall effect sizes for physical exercise on Digit Span backward, Trails B, letter fluency, and Stroop Color-Word Interference time with/without correction were all not significantly different from zero. These results provide weak support for the notion that physical exercise produces molecular brain changes that enhance executive function test scores in older, nonclinical, participants.

To examine the association between brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics and executive function and bimanual performance in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP).Clinical MRI brain scans were classified as: (1) predominant pathological pattern (normal, white matter injury [WMI]; grey matter injury; focal vascular insults [FVI]; malformations; or miscellaneous); and (2) focal lesions (frontal, basal ganglia, and/or thalamus). Assessments included: (1) bimanual performance; (2) unimanual dexterity; and (3) executive function tasks (information processing, attention control, cognitive flexibility, and goal setting) and behavioural ratings (parent).From 131 recruited children, 60 were ineligible for analysis, leaving 71 children (47 males, 24 females) in the final sample (mean age 9y [SD 2y], 6y-12y 8mo). Brain MRIs were WMI (69%) and FVI (31%); and frontal (59%), thalamic (45%), basal ganglia (37%), and basal ganglia plus thalamic (21%). Bimanual performance was lower in FVI versus WMI (p0.003), and with frontal (p=0.36), basal ganglia (p=0.032), and thalamic/basal ganglia lesions (p=0.013). Other than information processing, executive function tasks were not associated with predominant pattern. Frontal lesions predicted attention control (p=0.049) and cognitive flexibility (p=0.009) but not goal setting, information processing, or behavioural ratings.Clinical brain MRI predicts cognitive and motor outcomes when focal lesions and predominate lesion patterns are considered. What this paper adds Early brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) predicts bimanual performance and cognitive outcomes. Brain MRI may identify children requiring targeted interventions. Basal ganglia with/without thalamic lesions predicted bimanual performance. Frontal lesions were associated with attention control and cognitive flexibility. Brain MRI predominant patterns predicted motor, not cognitive outcomes, other than information processing.La resonancia magnética cerebral es un predictor del rendimiento bimanual y la función ejecutiva en niños con parálisis cerebral unilateral OBJETIVO: Examinar la asociación entre las características de la resonancia magnética cerebral (RMN) y la función ejecutiva y el rendimiento bimanual en niños con parálisis cerebral unilateral (PC). MÉTODO: Los escáneres cerebrales de resonancia magnética clínica se clasificaron como: (1) patrón patológico predominante (normal, lesión de la sustancia blanca [WMI]; lesión de la materia gris; lesiones vasculares focales [FVI]; malformaciones; o varios); y (2) lesiones focales (ganglios frontales, basales y / o tálamo). Las evaluaciones incluyeron: (1) desempeño bimanual; (2) destreza unimanual; y (3) tareas de funciones ejecutivas (procesamiento de información, control de atención, flexibilidad cognitiva y fijación de objetivos) y calificaciones de comportamiento (padres). RESULTADOS: De 131 niños reclutados, 60 no fueron elegibles para el análisis, dejando 71 niños (47 varones, 24 mujeres) en la muestra final (edad media 9 años [DE 2 años], 6 años - 12 años 8 meses). Las RMN cerebrales fueron WMI (69%) y FVI (31%); y frontal (59%), talámico (45%), ganglios basales (37%) y ganglios basales más talámico (21%). El rendimiento bimanual fue menor en FVI versus WMI (p0,003), y con lesiones frontales (p = 0,36), ganglios basales (p = 0,032) y talámicas / ganglios basales (p = 0,013). Aparte del procesamiento de la información, las tareas de la función ejecutiva no se asociaron con el patrón predominante. Las lesiones frontales predijeron el control de la atención (p = 0,049) y la flexibilidad cognitiva (p = 0,009) pero no el establecimiento de objetivos, el procesamiento de la información o las clasificaciones de comportamiento. INTERPRETACIÓN: La resonancia magnética cerebral clínica predice los resultados cognitivos y motores cuando se consideran las lesiones focales y los patrones de lesiones predominantes.Imagem por ressonância magnética do cérebro como preditora do desempenho bimanual e função executiva de crianças com paralisia cerebral unilateral OBJETIVO: Examinar a associação entre as características do exame de imagem por ressonância magnética (IRM) e a função executiva e desempenho bimanual em crianças com paralisia cerebral (PC) unilateral. MÉTODO: Escaneamentos clínicos de IRM cerebrais foram classificados como: 1) padrão patológico predominante (normal, lesão da substância branca [LSB]; lesão da substância cinzenta; insultos vasculares focais [IVF]; malformações; ou outro); e (2) lesões focais (frontal, gânglios basais, e/ou tálamo). As avaliações incluíram: (1) desempenho bimanual; (2) destreza unimanual; e (3) tarefas de função executiva (processamento de informações, controle da atenção, flexibilidade cognitiva, e estabelecimento de metas) e pontuações comportamentais (pais). RESULTADOS: De 131 crianças recrutadas, 60 eram inelegíveis para análise, restando 71 crianças (47 do sexo masculino, 24 do sexo feminino) na amostra final (média de idade 9a [DP 2a], 6a-12a 8m). IRMs cerebrais eram do tipo LSB (69%) e IVFs (31%); e frontais (59%), talâmicas (45%), de gânglios da base (37%), e de gânglios da base mais talâmicas (21%). O desempenho bimanual foi menor em IVF versus LSB (p0,003), e com lesões frontais (p=0,36), gânglios da base (p=0,032), e talâmicas/gânglios da base (p=0,013). Com exceção do processamento de informações, as tarefas da função executiva não foram associadas com o padrão predominante. Lesões frontais foram preditivas do controle da atenção (p=0,049) e flexibilidade cognitiva (p=,.009) mas não do estabelecimento de metas, processamento de informações, e pontuações comportamentais. INTERPRETAÇÃO: A IRM cerebral clínica prediz resultados cognitivos e motores quando lesões focais e padrões predominantes de lesão são considerados.

Evidence for the health benefits of blueberries is well documented. In particular memory and executive function benefits have both been found for children aged 7 – 10 in the 6 hour period following acute blueberry consumption. Previous research has utilised a limited number of tasks when considering these domains. Therefore, in two separate experiments, we employed extended memory and executive function task batteries to further understand the extent of blueberry benefits. Following blueberry intervention, children aged 7 – 10 were tested on a memory battery at 75 minutes and an executive function battery at 3 hours. Shorter memory reaction times were observed on the visuo-spatial grid task and shorter executive function reaction times were observed on the congruent trials of the attention network task. Whilst providing further evidence for the cognitive benefits of blueberry consumption in school age children, these findings contrast with previous research where improved accuracy and reaction time benefits have most commonly been found on more cognitively demanding trials. Further research targeted to consider the areas of the brain related to each cognitive domain and how they coincide with mechanisms of action, such as increases in cerebral blood flow following blueberry intervention, is therefore recommended.

Speech disturbances are prevalent in psychosis. These may arise in part from executive function impairment, as research suggests that inhibition and monitoring are associated with production of cohesive discourse. However, it is not yet understood how linguistic and executive function impairments in psychosis interact with disrupted metacognition, or deficits in the ability to integrate information to form a complex sense of oneself and others and use that synthesis to respond to psychosocial challenges. Whereas discourse studies have historically employed manual hand-coding techniques, automated computational tools can characterize deep semantic structures that may be closely linked with metacognition. In the present study, we examined whether higher executive functioning promotes metacognition by way of altering linguistic cohesion. Ninety-four individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders provided illness narratives and completed an executive function task battery (Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System). We assessed the narratives for linguistic cohesion (Coh-Metrix 3.0) and metacognitive capacity (Metacognition Assessment Scale – Abbreviated). Selected linguistic indices measured the frequency of connections between causal and intentional content (deep cohesion), word and theme overlap (referential cohesion), and unique word usage (lexical diversity). In path analyses using bootstrapped confidence intervals, we found that deep cohesion and lexical diversity independently mediated the relationship between executive functioning and metacognitive capacity. Findings suggest that executive control abilities support integration of mental experiences by way of increasing causal, goal-driven speech and word expression in individuals with schizophrenia. Metacognitive-based therapeutic interventions for psychosis may promote insight and recovery in part by scaffolding use of language that links ideas together.

Findings of executive functioning deficits in Tourette syndrome (TS) have so far been inconsistent, possibly due to methodological challenges of previous studies, such as the use of small sample sizes and not accounting for comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or medication use. We aimed to address these issues by examining several areas of executive functioning (response inhibition, attentional flexibility, cognitive control, and working memory) and psychomotor speed in 174 8-to-12-year-old children with TS [n = 34 without (TS−ADHD) and n = 26 with comorbid ADHD (TS+ADHD)], ADHD without tics (ADHD−TS; n = 54), and healthy controls (n = 60). We compared executive functioning measures and psychomotor speed between these groups and related these to ADHD severity across the whole sample, and tic severity across the TS groups. Children with TS+ADHD, but not TS−ADHD, made more errors on the cognitive control task than healthy children, while TS−ADHD had a slower psychomotor speed compared to healthy controls. The ADHD group showed impairment in cognitive control and working memory versus healthy controls. Moreover, higher ADHD severity was associated with poorer cognitive control and working memory across all groups; there was no relation between any of the executive functioning measures and tic severity. OCD severity or medication use did not influence our results. In conclusion, we found little evidence for executive function impairments inherent to TS. Executive function problems appear to manifest predominantly in relation to ADHD symptomatology, with both cross-disorder and unique features of neuropsychological functioning when cross-comparing TS and ADHD.

biIntroduction:/i/bInfantile hydrocephalus (HCP) is a condition in which there is an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles within the first few months of life, which puts pressure on surrounding brain tissues. Compression of the developing brain increases the risk of secondary brain injury and cognitive disabilities.biMethods:/i/bIn this study, we used diffusion-weighted imaging and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the effects of ventricle dilatation on structural and functional brain networks in children with shunted infantile HCP and examined how these brain changes may impact executive function.biResults:/i/bWe found that children with HCP have altered structural and functional connectivity between and within large-scale networks. Moreover, hyperconnectivity between the ventral attention and default mode network in children with HCP correlated with reduced executive function scores. Compared with typically developing age-matched control participants, our patient population also had lower fractional anisotropy in posterior white matter.biDiscussion:/i/bOverall, these findings suggest that infantile HCP has long-term effects on brain network connectivity, white matter development, and executive function in children at school age. Future work will examine the relationship between ventricular volumes before shunt placement in infancy and brain network development throughout childhood.

The study was conducted to compare the pre-electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and post-ECT status of the executive functions of patients and report any deficits found at long-term follow-up. The secondary objective of the study was to compare the performance at executive function tests after ECT with patient characteristics and ECT parameters.In a prospective longitudinal observational study, 50 patients in the age group of 18 to 65 years who were receiving modified bifrontotemporal ECT for the first time and admitted in psychiatry ward of a tertiary care hospital from July 2015 to June 2016 were assessed for executive functions using a neuropsychological battery consisting of digit span forward, digit span backward, spatial span forward, spatial span backward, phonemic verbal fluency test, semantic verbal fluency test, Stroop test, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, a day before ECT and then followed up at 3 and 6 months.Patients' score improved on all the tests of executive function at 3-month follow-up and was significant for some tests. Improvement was sustained for all the tests 6 months after ECT. Number of years of formal education of patients before illness significantly influenced patients' performance on most of the executive function tests after ECT. Younger age of the patient positively influenced patients' performance on digit span forward and backwards and semantic verbal fluency.There are no executive function deficits 3 to 6 months after brief pulse modified ECT with bilateral electrode placement. A higher premorbid education level is associated with better performance on executive functions after ECT.

To investigate the prevalence of core attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in Chinese narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) patients and to explore mood, quality of life, and executive function in narcolepsy patients with or without ADHD and the response to Methylphenidate Hydrochloride Extended-release tablets (ER-MPH) treatment.A total of 267 pediatric NT1 patients (194 males and 73 females, 5-17 years old) were evaluated for ADHD symptoms by a psychiatrist using the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI Kid) from February 2011 to July 2013 at Peking University People's Hospital. All patients underwent Stanford Sleep Inventory (SSI) evaluation and polysomnography followed by multiple sleep latency tests (MSLT) before ER-MPH treatment. Neuropsychological evaluations, including the Inventory of Subjective Life Quality (ISLQ), Depression Self-resting Scale for Children (DSRS-C), Screening for Child Anxiety-related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), were performed before and after 16 weeks of ER-MPH treatment. Executive abilities were assessed by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-parent version (BRIEF-P). The narcolepsy symptoms, evaluated by the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ), and ADHD symptoms were assessed before and after treatment in NT1 patients with ADHD.Seventy-seven of 267 (28.8%) NT1 patients had ADHD symptoms, with 73 patients being inattentive type (ADHD-I) and 4 patients being combined type (ADHD-C). Despite similar objective sleep parameters, NT1 patients with ADHD symptoms experienced higher anxiety levels, more impulsive behaviors, lower health-related quality of life and worse executive functions than those without ADHD (p0.05). Methylphenidate treatment was effective in improving daytime sleepiness in NT1 patients with ADHD (PSQ, 16.7 ± 2.1 vs 13.5 ± 1.9, p0.05) but was ineffective on ADHD symptoms (ADHD-RS, 25.3 ± 9.1 vs 26.4 ± 8.9, p0.05).A high prevalence of ADHD (28.8%) was identified in children and adolescents with NT1. Comorbid ADHD symptoms were associated with increased levels of mood disorders and lower quality of life. ER-MPH treatment could reduce daytime sleepiness but not ADHD symptoms in narcolepsy patients with ADHD, suggesting that new treatment strategies are needed for this group of patients.

Physical exercises can improve individuals’ physical health and cognition, but the internal influence path is unclear. This study aims to examine the influence of pom cheerleading training on physical fitness and executive function of preschool children and explore the relationship between sports training, physical fitness, and executive function. We selected seventy-one preschool children and divided them into the experimental group (n = 36) and the control group (n = 35). The experimental group kept a 12-week pom cheerleading training, and the exercises of the control group remained normal. Children’s physical fitness and executive function were tested, in one week before and after the experiment, respectively. Results of repeated measurements analysis of variance and structural equation model test showed: (1) after 12-week pom cheerleading training, in terms of physical fitness, the experimental group has a significant improvement over the control group on agility and speed; in terms of executive function, the inhibitory control and working memory of the experimental group were significantly enhanced over the control group. (2) Speed quality plays a partial mediating role between pom cheerleading training and inhibitory control; agility plays a major mediating role between pom cheerleading training and working memory. It is concluded that physical exercise can directly improve preschool children’s executive function, and indirectly enhance executive function mediated by physical fitness. Furthermore, structured and systematic physical education should be adopted for preschool children to cultivate their interest in sports and enhance their cognition.