Lecture 10&11 - Executive Functions Flashcards
- remember! different brain cuts (views on the brain)
- axial = from abive
- sagittal = from left/right
- coronal = from front/back
- self-reflection brain mode?
the default mode
- superior temporal sulcus (STS) active when …
body actions are meaningful and goal directed (expectancy violations)
executive functions - their role (basics)
- supervisory role; directing cognitive functions (goal directed), in prefrontal cortex
- modulate activity of other cognitive functions; modifying/adapting rules, adapt to environment, within working memory (maintaining rules)
brain regions for executive functions
- > frontal lobe (higher cognitive functions)
- bilateral prefrontal cortex (learning)
- lateral prefrontal cortex
- medial prefrontal cortex
- basal ganglia
- > connections to other regions
establishing and modifying rules (executive functions)
- initiating new rules, inhibiting inappropriate rules (-> actions, interfering information, socially inappropriate behavior), shifting among rules, relating rules
contextual control (executive functions)
monitoring
working memory (executive functions)
- maintenance
- manipulation
brain regions supporting executive control
- dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
- ventrolateral prefrontal cortex
- posterior parietal cortex
- dorsomedial prefrontal cortex
- anterior congulate cortex
- orbifrontal cortex
- ventromedial cortex
- caudate nucleus
- putamen
Fuck this!
frontal dysexectutive syndrome (prefrontal lobe damage)
= damage to lateral prefrontal cortex
- difficulties in managing daily life (planning, interacting, …)
frontal disinhibition syndrome (prefrontal lobe damage)
= damage to ventral and medial regions
- difficulties in controlling movements, inapprobriate behavior (problems in initiating rules and approbriate behavior)
(ex. Phineas gage disease)
executive function of short- or long-term?
short term, suppressing/enhancing certain response
initiating new rules in the brain
happens in prefrontal cortex, with selective neurons (also involves basal ganglia)
initiating rules of behavior
in basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex
- object switch: basal ganglia
- object and rule switch: ventral basal ganglia, dorsal prefrontal cortex
inhibition of rules/behaviors
= suppression of unimportant information
halting trained behaviors, preventing interferences/irrelevant information, restraining socially inapprobriate actions, removing irrelevantt infromation from working memory
The oddball task
sequence of slighlty varying sings which have standard response, just target stimulus needs different response, which needs more time (inhibition of standard response)
-> triggers P300, activation in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
shifting among rules - basic idea
goal change means rule change
The Wisconsin card sorting test
card sorting, evaluating rule on how to sort, get feedback, rule changes within the taks and current adaptation is needed
-> concerns prefrontal cortex; people which have damage in this are have a hard time switching the rules in-between, cannot adapt behavior quickly (paired-separation)
relating rules
- > creating complex mental models
- several low level judgments to make higher order judgment
- > higher order integration in frontopolar cortex (most anterior part of the prefrontal cortex)
hierarchy of brain regions in executive functions - basics
- anterior regions; complex associations (more demanding tasks)
-> supports functions related to implementing and modifying higher-order abstract goals - posterior regions; simple rule processing (stimulus response selection) (less demanding tasks)
-> support executive functions associated with selecting the approbirate motor action
(both are connected in the brain)
frontopolar cortex (executive functions)
tracking of (sub)goals, relation integration, infromation-seeking behavior
mid-dorsolateral PFC (executive functions)
task switching, categorization of sequences, complex stimulus-response, contingencies
premotor cortex (executive functions)
response selection, execution of simple actions, rule matching
posterior lateral (PFC)
selection of sequences of responses, categorization of sequences, rule learning