Changes In Inhibitory Control Research Articles

Cortical hemodynamics and inhibitory processing in preadolescent children with low and high physical activity

BackgroundPreadolescent children undergo developmental changes in inhibitory control. Maintenance of high levels of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) has been suggested to promote its maturation. We compared inhibitory control between children with low and high MVPA as well as their inhibitory processing stream and changes in cortical hemodynamics. Method109 participants aged 10 to 13 years wore accelerometers over 7 days. Those with MVPA levels of 30 min/d or less and 60 min/d or more further performed a computerized Stroop Color-Word task. Electroencephalography and functional near-infrared spectroscopy were used to record changes in inhibitory processing and cortical hemodynamics, respectively. ResultsAn interaction of MVPA group and sex indicated better interference in highly-active boys, but the opposite pattern in girls. Independent from sex, the high compared to low MVPA group showed greater P300 and PSW amplitudes, whereas no group differences were found for N200, N450, and changes in cortical hemodynamics. ConclusionChildren with high MVPA differ from their less-active peers by a distinct inhibitory processing profile, which is characterized by altered allocation of attentional resources and conflict resolution. However, these alterations do not necessarily translate into better performance, especially since MVPA is linked with higher inhibitory control in boys only.

FC22: Changes in inhibitory control in older adults: Diminished inhibitory efficiency or slowing of general processing speed?

Background:Age-related losses in cognitive control efficiency in the face of response conflict are commonly reported in ageing research. However, it is unclear to what extent this effect reflects changes in actual inhibitory control, or the well-known age-related slowing of processing speed.Methods:We compared young (n = 42; 29 women; mean age = 19.6 years; mean formal education = 13 years) and older adults (n = 42; 27 women; mean age = 68.7 years; mean formal education = 12.8 years) using a spatial Stroop task. Participants responded to the direction of an arrow, ignoring its position. Direction and position could be congruent, incongruent or neutral (respectively low, high and no conflict trials). The level of conflict in trial n-1 (high or no conflict) modulated the level of adaptive control in the nth trial. We used multivariate analyses of variance to probe age-group effects on inhibitory efficiency, adaptive (high conflict n-1 trial) and momentary (no conflict n-1 trial). We analysed accuracy and direct as well as proportional reaction times, which respectively integrate and control for differences in general processing speed.Results:Older participants showed a larger overall Stroop effect in both direct [Wilks’ λ = .61, F(2,81) = 25.99, p<.001] and proportional reaction times [Wilks’ λ = .79, F(2, 81) = 10.55, p<.001]. Controlling for differences in general processing speed did not impact age-group effects on momentary inhibitory efficiency [F(1,82) = 17.78, p<.001], but eliminated a trend for poorer adaptive inhibitory control in the older group [F(1, 82)=.198, p = .657]. As for accuracy, we unexpectedly found a larger Stroop effect for the younger group [Wilks’ λ = .79, F(2, 81) = 11.07, p=.001].Conclusion:Older and younger adults are as effective in using previous response conflicts to prepare for current conflict resolution. Older adults' lower momentary inhibitory effectiveness likely reflects age-related slowing of processing speed as well as, to a degree to be determined in future research, larger strategic reaction times investment in accuracy enhancement.Funding:BIAL Foundation (Grant 234/14)

Inhibitory control and alcohol use history predict changes in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with significant disability and can become chronic. Predictors of PTSD symptom changes over time, especially in those with a PTSD diagnosis, remain incompletely characterized. In the present study, we examined 187 post-9/11 veterans (Mage = 32.8 years, 87% male) diagnosed with PTSD who performed two extensive clinical and cognitive evaluations approximately 2 years apart. We found that greater PTSD symptom reductions over time were related to lower lifetime drinking history and better baseline inhibitory control ability (Color-Word Inhibition and Inhibition/Switching), though not performance on other executive function tasks. Further, groups with reliably Improved, Worsened, or Chronic PTSD symptoms demonstrated significant differences in baseline inhibitory control and lifetime drinking history, with marked drinking differences starting in the early-to-mid 20s. We also found that PTSD symptom changes showed little-to-no associations with changes in inhibitory control or alcohol consumption. Together, these findings suggest that, in those diagnosed with PTSD, inhibitory control and alcohol use history reflect relatively stable risk/resiliency factors predictive of PTSD chronicity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Divergent Population-Specific Effects of Chronic Ethanol Exposure on Excitability and Inhibitory Transmission in Male and Female Rat Central Amygdala.

The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is implicated in alcohol use disorder (AUD) and AUD-associated plasticity. The CeA is a primarily GABAergic nucleus that is subdivided into lateral and medial compartments with genetically diverse subpopulations. GABAA receptors are heteromeric pentamers with subunits conferring distinct physiological characteristics. GABAA receptor signaling in the CeA has been implicated in ethanol-associated plasticity; however, population-specific changes in inhibitory signaling and subunit expression remain unclear. Here, we combined electrophysiology with single-cell gene expression analysis of population markers and GABAA receptor subunits to examine population-specific changes in inhibitory control in male and female rats following chronic ethanol exposure. We found that chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal produced global changes in GABAA receptor subunit expression at the transcript and protein levels, increased excitability in female CeA neurons, and increased inhibitory synaptic transmission in male CeA neurons. When we examined CeA neurons at the single-cell level we found heterogenous populations, as previously reported. We observed ethanol-induced increases in excitability only in somatostatin neurons in the CeA of females, decreases in excitability only in the protein kinase C delta (PKCd) population in males, and ethanol-induced increases in inhibitory transmission in male PKCd and calbindin 2-expressing CeA neurons. There were no population-specific differences in GABAA receptor (Gabr) subunits in males but reduced GabrA5 expression in female somatostatin neurons. Collectively, these findings suggest that defined CeA populations display differential ethanol sensitivity in males and females, which may play a role in sex differences in vulnerability to AUD or expression of AUD pathology.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The CeA is involved in the effects of ethanol in the brain; however, the population-specific changes in CeA activity remain unclear. We used recordings of CeA neuronal activity and single-cell gene expression to examine population-specific changes in inhibitory control in male and female rats following chronic ethanol exposure and found sex- and population-specific effects of chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal. Specifically, female CeA neurons displayed increased excitability in the somatostatin CeA population, whereas male CeA neurons displayed increased inhibitory control in both PKCd and calbindin populations and decreased excitability in the PKCd population. These findings identify CeA populations that display differential sensitivity to ethanol exposure, which may contribute to sex differences in vulnerability to alcohol use disorder.

A single bout of passive exercise mitigates a mental fatigue-induced inhibitory control deficit.

Sustained cognitive effort associated with the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) increases objective and subjective measures of mental fatigue and elicits a post-PVT inhibitory control deficit. In contrast, passive exercise wherein an individual's limbs are moved via an external force (i.e., mechanically driven cycle ergometer flywheel) provides a postexercise inhibitory control benefit linked to an exercise-based increase in cerebral blood flow. Here, we examined whether passive exercise performed concurrently with the PVT 'blunts' an inhibitory control deficit. On separate days, participants (N = 27) completed a 20min PVT protocol (control condition) and same duration PVT protocol paired with passive cycle ergometry (passive exercise condition). Prior to (i.e., baseline), immediately after and 30min after each condition inhibitory control was assessed via the antisaccade task. Antisaccades require a goal-directed eye movement (i.e., saccade) mirror-symmetrical to a target and provide an ideal tool for evaluating task-based changes in inhibitory control. PVT results showed that vigilance (as assessed via reaction time: RT) during control and passive exercise conditions decreased from the first to last 5min of the protocol and increased subjective ratings of mental fatigue. As well, in the control condition, immediate (but not 30-min) post-intervention antisaccade RTs were longer than their baseline counterparts-a result evincing a transient mental fatigue-based inhibitory control deficit. For the passive exercise condition, immediate and 30-min post-intervention antisaccade RTs were shorter than their baseline counterparts and this result was linked to decreased subjective ratings of mental fatigue. Thus, passive exercise ameliorated the selective inhibitory control deficit associated with PVT-induced mental fatigue and thus provides a potential framework to reduce executive dysfunction in vigilance-demanding occupations.

Physical but not cognitive demand of an exercise bout influences subsequent affective inhibition

Background
 The school curriculum places high demands on students’ cognitive performance, including the executive domain of inhibitory control. Physical activity breaks have been suggested to restore students’ cognitive resources. However, it is unclear which properties (i.e. physical effort and cognitive load) of the physical activity break are suited best to improve subsequent cognitive performance. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the effect of exercise with different physical effort and cognitive load on subsequent inhibitory control.
 Methods
 Thirty-five healthy right handed children aged 9 to 13 years were recruited from an academic high school in Basel, Switzerland. On four different days at least one week apart and in randomized order, participants underwent short exercise sessions on an interactive exergaming wall (SMARTfit Single, SMARTfit, USA). The sessions lasted 10 min and combined high (or low) physical effort with high (or low) cognitive load. Participants rated their perceived exhaustion and cognitive load using an RPE scale and the NASA task load index. Before and after the exercise sessions, a standard Stroop task and an affective Stroop task were performed to account for changes in inhibitory control with and without an additional component of emotion processing.
 Results
 The manipulation check showed that the high physical effort condition was related to higher rated perceived exhaustion and the high cognitive load condition to higher scores on the NASA task load index. Statistical analysis using 2 x 2 ANOVA revealed that independent from cognitive load, physical effort influenced reaction time on the affective, but not the standard Stroop task. This indicated a greater improvement following exercise at low compared to high physical effort in both the congruent and incongruent trials. This effect was not due to a speed-accuracy trade-off, given that no main effect of physical effort was found for accuracy. There were no main effects of cognitive load and no interaction of physical effort and cognitive load.
 Conclusion
 Our results indicated that in school children, lower exercise intensity is more suitable for improving subsequent inhibitory control than exercise with higher physical effort. However, this effect only seems to be present in situations where cognitive challenge is combined with emotionally charged stimuli. This has implications for recommendations on how to optimally organize students’ physical activity during school breaks.

Changes in inhibitory control, craving and affect after yoga vs. aerobic exercise among smokers with nicotine dependence.

ObjectivesThis study investigated the acute effects of yoga and aerobic exercise on response inhibition and the underlying neural mechanisms in individuals with nicotine dependence, along with changes in craving and affect.Materials and methodsStudy participants included 30 yoga-naïve adult smokers with moderate-to-high nicotine dependence. Based on a within-subjects design, all participants participated in three experimental sessions: baseline, 30-min yoga, and 30-min aerobic exercise; one session was conducted per day. The pre- and post-exercise Questionnaire of Smoking Urges and the Visual Analogue Scale were used to measure cigarette craving, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule was used to assess affective change. For cognitive measurement of inhibition, participants performed a Go/Nogo task consisting of Smoking-Go, Smoking-Nogo, Neutral-Go, and Neutral-Nogo stimulus conditions. Neuroelectric data were collected and the event-related potential (ERP) N2 and P3 amplitudes and latencies were analyzed.ResultsBoth yoga and aerobic exercise significantly reduced negative affect, whereas a reduction in craving was only observed after yoga. ERP results indicated that the P3 amplitudes after yoga were lower than those after aerobic exercise, suggesting increased neural efficiency after yoga, with reduced neural activity while maintaining the same level of cognitive performance as aerobic exercise.ConclusionAs yoga and aerobic exercise were equally effective in attenuating negative affect, smokers may expect greater benefits from yoga in craving reduction and inhibitory control with less physical and cognitive effort. We also believe that video-based yoga practice may provide additional benefits to these effects, reaching a large number of smokers in a non-face-to-face manner.

No Change in Inhibitory Control or P3 Following Different High-Intensity Interval Exercise Modalities.

Acute aerobic high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) has demonstrated positive effects on inhibitory control and P3 event-related potential (ERP) in young adults. However, the evidence is not well established regarding the effects of different HIIE modalities that incorporate aerobic-resistance training on these cognitive and neurocognitive outcomes. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the transient effects of HIIE-aerobic and HIIE-aerobic/resistance on P3 and Flanker task performance. Participants (n = 24; 18–25 years old) completed the Flanker task at two time points (30 min and 85 min) following 9 min of HIIE-aerobic (intermittent bouts of walking and running at 90% of maximal heart rate), HIIE-aerobic/resistance (intermittent bouts of walking and high-intensity calisthenics), and seated rest on three separate counterbalanced days. Results revealed no changes in Flanker performance (i.e., reaction time and response accuracy) or P3 (latency and mean amplitude) following either HIIE conditions compared to seated rest. Together, these data suggest inhibitory control and neuroelectric underpinnings are not affected by different modalities of HIIE at 30 min and 85 min post-exercise. Such findings reveal that engaging in short bouts of different HIIE modalities for overall health neither improves nor diminishes inhibitory control and brain function for an extended period throughout the day.

Inhibitory Control in Age-Related Hearing Loss

Inhibitory control involves suppression of goal irrelevant information and responses. Emerging evidence suggests alterations in inhibitory control in individuals with age-related hearing loss (ARHL), however, few have specifically studied individuals with mild ARHL. We examined behavioral and event related potential (ERP) differences between 14 older adults with mild ARHL (mean age: 69.43 ± 7.73 years) and 14 age- and education-matched normal hearing (NH, mean age: 66.57 ± 5.70 years) controls on two Go/NoGo tasks: a simpler, basic categorization task (Single Car; SC) and a more difficult, superordinate categorization task (Object Animal; OA). The SC task consisted of exemplars of a single car and dog, and the OA task consisted of exemplars of multiple objects and animals. Participants were required to respond to Go trials (e.g., cars in SC) with a button press, and withhold responses on NoGo trials (e.g., dogs in SC task). Behavioral results revealed that ARHL group had worse accuracy on NoGo trials on the OA task, but not on the SC task. ARHL group had longer N2 latency for NoGo compared to Go trials in the simpler SC Task, but no differences were observed on the OA task between Go and NoGo trials. These findings suggest that more prolonged neural effort in the ARHL group on the SC task NoGo trials may have contributed to their ability to successfully suppress false alarms comparable to the NH group. Overall, these findings provide evidence for behavioral and neural changes in inhibitory control in ARHL.

Emotional devaluation in ignoring and forgetting as a function of adolescent development

We know that emotion and cognition interact to guide goal-directed behavior. Accordingly, it has recently been shown that distracting stimuli (Raymond, Fenske, & Tavassoli, 2003) and instructed to-be-forgotten items (Vivas, Marful, Panagiotidou, & Bajo, 2016) are emotionally devaluated. The devaluation by inhibition hypothesis (Raymond, Fenske, & Tavassoli, 2003) is the main theoretical explanation of these effects. However, we know little about how the cognition-emotion interplay is further modulated by development, and particularly, by changes in inhibitory control and affective processing within the adolescence period. In the present study we combined a selective attention task with faces, and a selective memory (directed forgetting paradigm) task with words, with a pleasantness evaluation task to address this question in three age groups; younger adolescents, older adolescents and young adults. Younger adolescents exhibited worse accuracy in the attention task, lower overall recognition of words in the memory task, and a smaller in magnitude directed forgetting effect in the latter, relative to the two older groups. That is, they showed less efficient inhibitory control in attention and memory selection. Despite this, all groups showed similar devaluation effects of the distractor faces and the to-be-forgotten words. Our findings do not fully support an inhibition account of such effects. Yet, they support the robustness of the forgetting devaluation effect, replicating the findings of Vivas, Marful, Panagiotidou, and Bajo (2016) with a Greek version of the task and in a bigger sample of participants.

Inhibitory Control Across Athletic Expertise and Its Relationship With Sport Performance.

Inhibitory control may be vital in elite sport. The authors examined the link between athletic expertise, inhibitory control, and sport performance in a two-part quasi experiment. Inhibitory control was indexed using the Stop-Signal Task, athlete expertise was categorized on literary recommendations, and sport performance was assessed using athlete and coach ratings. Study 1 examined cross-sectional and longitudinal patterns of inhibitory control across athletic expertise. Study 2 investigated whether the inhibitory control-sport performance relationship was moderated by expertise. Study 1 showed that expertise was linked to greater inhibitory control cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Study 2 revealed that expertise was related to superior performance on the Stop-Signal Task and athlete and coach performance ratings, and this relationship was moderated by athletic expertise. Inhibitory control relates to sport performance, increases with greater athlete expertise, and develops longitudinally. Long-term participation in sport may bring about changes in inhibitory control, which may lead to improved sport performance.

Using Smartphone Sensor Data to Assess Inhibitory Control in the Wild: Longitudinal Study.

BackgroundInhibitory control, or inhibition, is one of the core executive functions of humans. It contributes to our attention, performance, and physical and mental well-being. Our inhibitory control is modulated by various factors and therefore fluctuates over time. Being able to continuously and unobtrusively assess our inhibitory control and understand the mediating factors may allow us to design intelligent systems that help manage our inhibitory control and ultimately our well-being.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to investigate whether we can assess individuals’ inhibitory control using an unobtrusive and scalable approach to identify digital markers that are predictive of changes in inhibitory control.MethodsWe developed InhibiSense, an app that passively collects the following information: users’ behaviors based on their phone use and sensor data, the ground truths of their inhibition control measured with stop-signal tasks (SSTs) and ecological momentary assessments (EMAs), and heart rate information transmitted from a wearable heart rate monitor (Polar H10). We conducted a 4-week in-the-wild study, where participants were asked to install InhibiSense on their phone and wear a Polar H10. We used generalized estimating equation (GEE) and gradient boosting tree models fitted with features extracted from participants’ phone use and sensor data to predict their stop-signal reaction time (SSRT), an objective metric used to measure an individual’s inhibitory control, and identify the predictive digital markers.ResultsA total of 12 participants completed the study, and 2189 EMAs and SST responses were collected. The results from the GEE models suggest that the top digital markers positively associated with an individual’s SSRT include phone use burstiness (P=.005), the mean duration between 2 consecutive phone use sessions (P=.02), the change rate of battery level when the phone was not charged (P=.04), and the frequency of incoming calls (P=.03). The top digital markers negatively associated with SSRT include the standard deviation of acceleration (P<.001), the frequency of short phone use sessions (P<.001), the mean duration of incoming calls (P<.001), the mean decibel level of ambient noise (P=.007), and the percentage of time in which the phone was connected to the internet through a mobile network (P=.001). No significant correlation between the participants’ objective and subjective measurement of inhibitory control was found.ConclusionsWe identified phone-based digital markers that were predictive of changes in inhibitory control and how they were positively or negatively associated with a person’s inhibitory control. The results of this study corroborate the findings of previous studies, which suggest that inhibitory control can be assessed continuously and unobtrusively in the wild. We discussed some potential applications of the system and how technological interventions can be designed to help manage inhibitory control.

Neurocomputational Changes in Inhibitory Control Associated With Prolonged Exposure Therapy.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with inhibitory control dysfunction that extends beyond difficulties inhibiting trauma-related intrusions. Inhibitory learning has been proposed as a potential mechanism of change underlying the effectiveness of extinction-based therapies such as prolonged exposure (PE), a first-line treatment for PTSD. To identify neurocognitive markers of change in inhibitory learning associated with PE, we applied a Bayesian learning model to the analysis of neuroimaging data collected during an inhibitory control task, both before and after PE treatment. Veterans (N = 20) with combat-related PTSD completed a stop-signal task (SST) while undergoing fMRI at time points immediately before and after PE treatment. Participants exhibited a small, significant improvement in performance on the SST, as demonstrated by longer reaction times and improved inhibition accuracy. Amplitude of neural activation associated with a signed prediction error (SPE; i.e., the discrepancy between actual outcome and model-based expectation of needing to stop) in the right caudate decreased from baseline to posttreatment assessment. Change in model-based activation was modulated by performance accuracy, with a decrease in positive SPE activation observed on successful trials, d = 0.79, and a reduction in negative SPE activation on error trials, d = 0.74. The decrease in SPE-related activation on successful stop trials was correlated with PTSD symptom reduction. These results are consistent with the notion that PE may help broadly strengthen inhibitory learning and the development of more accurate model-based predictions, which may thus facilitate change in cognitions in response to trauma-related cues and help reduce PTSD symptoms.

Continuous Theta Burst Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Impairs Inhibitory Control and Increases Alcohol Consumption

Previous research indicates that alcohol intoxication impairs inhibitory control and that the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC) is a functional brain region important for exercising control over thoughts and behaviour. At the same time, the extent to which changes in inhibitory control following initial intoxication mediate subsequent drinking behaviours has not been elucidated fully. Ascertaining the extent to which inhibitory control impairments drive alcohol consumption, we applied continuous theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (rDLPFC cTBS vs. control) to isolate how inhibitory control impairments (measured using the Stop-Signal task) shape ad libitum alcohol consumption in a pseudo taste test. Twenty participants (13 males) took part in a within-participants design; their age ranged between 18 and 27 years (M = 20.95, SD = 2.74). Results indicate that following rDLPFC cTBS participants’ inhibitory control was impaired, and ad libitum consumption increased. The relationship between stimulation and consumption did not appear to be mediated by inhibitory control in the present study. Overall, findings suggest that applying TMS to the rDLPFC may inhibit neural activity and increase alcohol consumption. Future research with greater power is recommended to determine the extent to which inhibitory control is the primary mechanism by which the rDLPFC exerts influence over alcohol consumption, and the degree to which other cognitive processes may play a role.

Inhibitory Control Mediates the Association between Perceived Stress and Secure Relationship Quality.

Past research has demonstrated negative associations between exposure to stressors and quality of interpersonal relationships among children and adolescents. Nevertheless, underlying mechanisms of this association remain unclear. Chronic stress has been shown to disrupt prefrontal functioning in the brain, including inhibitory control abilities, and evidence is accumulating that inhibitory control may play an important role in secure interpersonal relationship quality, including peer problems and social competence. In this prospective longitudinal study, we examine whether changes in inhibitory control, measured at both behavioral and neural levels, mediate the association between stress and changes in secure relationship quality with parents and peers. The sample included 167 adolescents (53% males) who were first recruited at age 13 or 14 years and assessed annually three times. Adolescents’ inhibitory control was measured by their behavioral performance and brain activities, and adolescents self-reported perceived stress levels and relationship quality with mothers, fathers, and peers. Results suggest that behavioral inhibitory control mediates the association between perceived stress and adolescent’s secure relationship quality with their mothers and fathers, but not their peers. In contrast, given that stress was not significantly correlated with neural inhibitory control, we did not further test the mediation path. Our results highlight the role of inhibitory control as a process through which stressful life experiences are related to impaired secure relationship quality between adolescents and their mothers and fathers.

Growth in inhibitory control among low-income, ethnic-minority preschoolers: A group-based modeling approach

The emergence of self-regulation skills such as inhibitory control in children is an important developmental process associated with adjustment across multiple domains. Individual differences in inhibitory control are associated with family socioeconomic status but have not been studied in relation to variations in risk found within a low-income (i.e., high risk) sample (N=407). Using a group-based modeling approach, change in inhibitory control was examined from 30 to 42 months of age in a sample of low-income Hispanic and African-American children. Patterns of change in inhibitory control were examined in relation to cumulative risk and child externalizing behavior using the Child Behavior Checklist measured at 42 months. A three-group solution was identified as optimally fitting the data, representing patterns of change in inhibitory control: a normative group, exhibiting increasing inhibitory control (48%); a low-stable group (40%); and a high-stable group (12%). Group membership did not differ by child ethnicity or gender. Higher cumulative risk was found among the children in the low-stable group than in the other groups. Mothers reported more externalizing problems at 42 months for children in the low-stable group than in the other groups, even controlling for the effect of cumulative risk. Intervention and policy implications are discussed.

Uma análise do desenvolvimento motor de crianças com transtorno do déficit de atenção e hiperatividade (TDAH)

O Transtorno do Déficit de Atenção com Hiperatividade (TDAH) é decorrente de alterações em áreas do cérebro que implicam em alterações no controle inibitório, na memória de trabalho, no tempo de reação, além de outras funções. As habilidades motoras globais e finas estão comprometidas nas crianças com TDAH e uma desordem ou desarranjo no desenvolvimento motor (DM) pode interferir em diversas fases do desenvolvimento global da criança. O objetivo do estudo foi analisar o DM de crianças com TDAH a partir da avaliação das habilidades motoras fundamentais. A amostra foi composta por oito crianças do sexo masculino com idade média de 10,25 anos. O teste de habilidades motoras foi realizado através do Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2). Os resultados alcançados ficaram dentro do esperado e evidenciaram valores abaixo do esperado tanto para o subteste de atividades locomotoras como também para atividades manipulativas. As crianças com TDAH apresentaram um déficit motor acentuado nas habilidades de controle de objetos. A partir da análise do padrão de movimentos é possível identificar os fatores que tornam o movimento limitado, possibilitando a tomada de decisão sobre que habilidades e/ou critérios motores devem ser enfatizados nos programas; o tempo de prática para cada habilidade, e as metas de desempenho da criança. Os resultados evidenciam a necessidade de programas de atividades físicas regulares e sistematizados e permitem concluir que crianças diagnosticadas com TDAH apresentam um atraso no desempenho motor quando comparadas com crianças que estão de acordo com o que é esperado para a faixa etária.

State-dependent alterations in inhibitory control and emotional face identification in seasonal affective disorder.

Depressed individuals often exhibit impaired inhibition to negative input and identification of positive stimuli, but it is unclear whether this is a state or trait feature. We here exploited a naturalistic model, namely individuals with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), to study this feature longitudinally. The goal of this study was to examine seasonal changes in inhibitory control and identification of emotional faces in individuals with SAD. Twenty-nine individuals diagnosed with winter-SAD and 30 demographically matched controls with no seasonality symptoms completed an emotional Go/NoGo task, requiring inhibition of prepotent responses to emotional facial expressions and an emotional face identification task twice, in winter and summer. In winter, individuals with SAD showed impaired ability to inhibit responses to angry (p = .0006) and sad faces (p = .011), and decreased identification of happy faces (p = .032) compared with controls. In summer, individuals with SAD and controls performed similarly on these tasks (ps > .24). We provide novel evidence that inhibition of angry and sad faces and identification of happy faces are impaired in SAD in the symptomatic phase, but not in the remitted phase. The affective biases in cognitive processing constitute state-dependent features of SAD. Our data show that reinstatement of a normal affective cognition should be possible and would constitute a major goal in psychiatric treatment to improve the quality of life for these patients. (PsycINFO Database Record

Longitudinal relationships of sleep and inhibitory control deficits to early adolescent cigarette and alcohol use

Research in older adolescents suggests insufficient sleep may increase substance use initiation risk. This study tested whether sleep duration and dysregulation of sleep-wake patterns in late-elementary school youth were prospectively associated with cigarette and alcohol use initiation and how sleep-related changes in inhibitory control mediate these relationships. Average sleep duration at 4th grade predicted 6th grade cigarette but not alcohol use, however indirect effects were identified through 5th grade inhibitory control to both cigarette and alcohol use. Indirect effects were also identified through inhibitory control for relationships between 4th grade weekend bed-time delay and 6th grade cigarette or alcohol use, and for relationships between 4th grade weekend wake-time delay and 6th grade cigarette or alcohol use. Reductions in nightly sleep increased risk of cigarette use. Findings suggest a pathway linking both reduced sleep duration and greater weekend shifting of sleep patterns to future substance use through sleep-related inhibitory control deficits.

Neurocognitive predictors of treatment response to randomized treatment in adults with tic disorders

Tourette's disorder (TS) and chronic tic disorder (CTD) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by involuntary vocal and motor tics. Consequently, TS/CTD have been conceptualized as disorders of cognitive and motor inhibitory control. However, most neurocognitive studies have found comparable or superior inhibitory capacity among individuals with TS/CTD relative to healthy controls. These findings have led to the hypothesis that individuals with TS/CTD develop increased inhibitory control due to the constant need to inhibit tics. However, the role of cognitive control in TS/CTD is not yet understood, particularly in adults. To examine the role of inhibitory control in TS/CTD, the present study investigated this association by assessing the relationship between inhibitory control and treatment response in a large sample of adults with TS/CTD. As part of a large randomized trial comparing behavior therapy versus supportive psychotherapy for TS/CTD, a battery of tests, including tests of inhibitory control was administered to 122 adults with TS/CTD at baseline. We assessed the association between neuropsychological test performance and change in symptom severity, as well as compared the performance of treatment responders and non-responders as defined by the Clinical Global Impression Scale. Results indicated that change in symptoms, and treatment response were not associated with neuropsychological performance on tests of inhibitory control, intellectual ability, or motor function, regardless of type of treatment. The finding that significant change in symptom severity of TS/CTD patients is not associated with impairment or change in inhibitory control regardless of treatment type suggests that inhibitory control may not be a clinically relevant facet of these disorders in adults.