Lecture 1 & Kennisclip 1 en 2 Flashcards
(37 cards)
What is executive functioning also called?
air traffic control system
DEFINITION EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING
Umbrella term for various cognitive processes that
give rise to goal-directed behavior
- NOVEL AND demanding situations
- Felxible adjustment
- Adaptive behaviour and creativity
Three core components
- Working memory –> manipulation (recite phone number in backward manner)
- Inhibitory control –> supress interfering thoughts and actions, they are not relevant
- cognitive flexibility –> switching, to change our behaviour.
(it is a changing field, could be five in a couple of years)
If you combine these three core components, what do you get?
Higher order components of processing:
Planning, reasoning, problem solving, performance monitoring
Which component has updated during adolescence?
Inhibitory control, the other two still go into adulthood
Measures of simple executive functioning
only measures one of the components, so only cognitive flexibility, working memory, or inhibitory control
measures of complex executive functioning
they can measure a larger part of the core components, like the marshmallow task, day and night task, the dimensional card change sorting task. Some trials you have to select on colors, the other ones on shape
BRIEF
Filled out by teachers and or parents. Often used in clinical practice or school setting to assess executive functioning in 5-18 year olds. Behaviour, emotional and cognitive regulation index.
BRIEF 2
also 11-18 years olds can fill out a form!
Executive functions rely mostly on..
the prefrontal cortex function.
do the executive functions have an area of their own? And yes, do they work seperately or together?
Yes, they do. But they are part of a bigger machine. They don’t work solo.
What can we see of the brain with a MRI scan?
The structure of the brain. Think about a black and white image.
What can we see of the brain with a fMRI scan?
Here we can see the functions of the brain during a task and connectivity (which brain areas are more connected with each other)
What is the substraction method when measuring brain function during task related fMRI?
The fMRI scan makes functional images of the brain every 2 seconds of brain vossels (they are really small). Condition 1 is no inhibiton for example and condition 2 is inhibition. So they substract condition 1 of condition 2 = substraction method. Important: change one aspect of the design! So in this case, inhibition.
What was the conclusion about feedback learning performance tasks from Peters, van der Meulen, Zanolie & Crone (2017)?
The better they were at performing that learning task, the better they were 2 years later at performing the reading fluency and mathematics test. So the feedback learning performance task and neural acitivity predicst real world learning. And age didn’t matter. the more activity they had in their brain functions, they better they did at certain tasks.
Do adolescents, like 16 year olds, gave an executive function deficit?
No definitely not. Their PFC ar ebetter than in childhood, although not fully developed yet, but peak in emotional sensitivity. They are more busy with the emotional and social aspects of their life. So it’s not that they don’t have all the executive functions, it’s just that they are busy with different aspects than children and adults would have. they sometimes have the overhand, but not always.
Which brian areas develop the last?
Changes in gray matter differ per region. The preforntal cortex develops as last! (the blue areas get pruned)
What does it mean when we say “imbalance in adolescence seems like poor exective function”?
The limbic regions of the brain develop earlier than de prefrontal control regions, so adolescents may act upon their emotionels aspects of the brain first. This is why it seems like poor executive function, but it’s just that the prefrontal control regions haven’t developed yet. That’s why they act more impulsively or why they make stupid mistakes.
Do adolescents have a better EF compared to children?
They do, not worse iig. But they are driven by immediate rewards.
What was the conlcusion of the longtidunal study of Casey et al 2011? Over
Marshmallow test performance at age 4 –> inhibitory control 40 years control. They did this with a MRI scanner. Experimental hot condition: fearful face: go and happy face no! control cool task: neutral faces, so male faces go and female faces nogo. They saw that the high delayers on the hot task did better than the low delayers. There was an ability to suppress Go reaction to happy faces in adulthood is associated with ability to self regulate at age 4.
What are some implications of the study of Casey et al. (2011)?
- Individual differences appear early in development
- What is the role of SES?
- Can we improve EF? Effective interventions
Explain the executive functioning in a way of air traffic control system.
- Concentration
- Juggling multiple demands
- Adapting to changing circumstances
- Working with others
- Dealing with setbacks
- Inhibiting immediate rewards
What are consequences of low executive functioning?
- worse school performance
- difficulty keeping jobs
- Lower income
- Difficulties maintaining relationships
- Increased risk of mental health problemens
So early identification can help a child.
Definition of working memory
The ability to hold information in mind (maintenance) and mentally work with it (manipulation)
