Executive function interventions

Question 1

Healthy aging is associated with brain atrophy, reduction in brain blood flow (BBF) and BBF responsiveness, and decline in what?

Answer 1

Executive function

Question 2

There are two main non-invasive therapeutic interventions for decline in executive functioning associated with healthy aging. These are physical activity and:

Answer 2

Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS)

Question 3

Aerobic exercise slows down cognitive decline by increasing fitness, which it turn increases:
a) prefrontal cortex activation
b) white and grey matter volume
c) axon terminal strength
d) all of the above

Answer 3

b) white and grey matter volume

Question 4

True or false: brains that atrophy the most with age also respond the best to aerobic exercise.

Answer 4

True

Question 5

Which method of non-invasive therapy for executive functioning offers the best results?

Answer 5

Physical activity

Question 6

While transcranial direct current stimulation is not as promising or accessible as physical exercise as an intervention for cognitive decline, low-amplitude TDCS has been shown to improve what aspect of cognition?

Answer 6

Working memory

Question 7

Higher grey matter volume in which part of the brain is positively correlated with higher levels of physical activity?

Answer 7

Prefrontal cortex

Question 8

Engaging in regular exercise is associated with elevated levels of resting cerebral blood flow (BBF) and higher BBF responsiveness to increases or decreases in CO2?

Answer 8

Increases
(Inhaling too much CO2 causes a cerebral blood flow response.)

Question 9

According to one study, women who engaged in more aerobic exercise had smaller or larger Flanker effects?

Answer 9

Smaller
(A smaller Flanker effect indicates a faster reaction time for incongruent trials, suggesting that fitness allows them to avoid distractor items).

Question 10

People who engage in more aerobic exercise are likely to have better performance on the Stroop task. Better performance is indicated by faster or slower reaction times?

Answer 10

Faster

Question 11

Better inhibitory control is associated with improvements in executive functioning from which non-invasive method of intervention?

Answer 11

Physical activity

Question 12

A positive exercise-cerebrovascular relationship causes an increase in oxygenated hemoglobin in which part of the frontal lobe?

Answer 12

Anterior

Question 13

An age-related decline in sensory systems (i.e. vision and hearing) causing sensory impairment and cognitive decline increases the risk of what neurodegenerative event?

Answer 13

Dementia