Executive functions paper (Snyder)

Question 1

EF

Answer 1

cognitive control functions mainly supported by the PFC

Regulate lower-level processes and allow for higher function processes

Question 2

Main aspects

Answer 2

Shifting
WCST; perservation in lesion PFC

Inhibiting
Go noGo, Stroop

Updating working memory
Trail task, n-back

Unity/diversity frameworK:
- latent factors: Common EF, updating specific and shiftiong specific specific (inihibiting accounted for by EF)

Question 3

Summary of previous findings

Answer 3

Deficits on wide variety of EF task ass w prevalent psychopathologies is established well, what is not yet understood is the specific mechanisms and causal processes contributing to the deficits

Question 4

Issues in measuring EF

Answer 4

Task impurity’all tasks include a systematic variance attributable to non-EF processes. Lot of noise and unclear if you measure specific EF or common.

Sensitivity not for whole population, lot of tasks are aim to measure deficit in lesioned/demented patients, not sensitive enough for subtle deficits

relatively low test-retest reliability

Question 5

Task impurity

Answer 5

Score on EF task is composed of

1. Specific EF factor
   Systematic variance attributable to specific aspect of EF targeted by that task (eg shifting specific)
2. Common EF factor
   Systematic variance attributable to common EF (eg variance shared across multiple types of EF)
3. Non EF processes
   Systematic variance attributable to non-EF aspects (eg processing speed)

4.Error
Non-systematic variance.

SO use of one task to measure EF is problematic, impurity makes interpreting results difficult and possibly only measures common EF or 3&4 make up more of the var than 1&2 (=false negative)

Question 6

Alleviating task impurity

Answer 6

1. Using multiple measures
2. Combine data to remove non-relative variance