Comparison Of Executive Functions Research Articles

Comparison of executive functions in individuals with high and low levels of schizotypal trait.

The dimensional approach to Schizotypal Personality Disorder (SPD) indicates that SPD includes a constellation of maladaptive personality traits on a continuum with general personality functioning. This study aimed to compare executive functions (EFs) in low and high-level schizotypal individuals. Using a convenient sampling method, we recruited 120 individuals, from which 30 individuals with high schizotypal trait levels (fourth quartile) and 30 participants with lower schizotypal trait levels (first quartile) were selected based on their scores on the schizotypal personality disorder questionnaire. Then, participants from the two groups were administered the Corsi Block-Tapping Test (CBTT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), and Continuance Performance Test (CPT). The results indicated individuals with higher schizotypy trait levels performed significantly poorer in tasks measuring working-visual-spatial memory, cognitive flexibility, sustained attention, and response inhibition. This pattern of results indicated that EF dysfunctions in individuals with higher schizotypy trait levels would cause significant disturbances in multiple areas of life. The practical implications of the findings are further discussed.

Comparison of executive functions in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and pathological internet use in children and adolescents

Comparison of executive functions in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and pathological internet use in children and adolescents

Comparison of Executive Function, Working Memory, and Academic Performance of Female Students from Nuclear and Single-Parent Families

Comparison of Executive Function, Working Memory, and Academic Performance of Female Students from Nuclear and Single-Parent Families

Comparison of executive functions in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and pathological internet use in children and adolescents

Comparison of executive functions in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and pathological internet use in children and adolescents

A Comparison of Executive Functions and Academic Help-Seeking in Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Normal Students

A Comparison of Executive Functions and Academic Help-Seeking in Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Normal Students

Comparison of executive functions in disruptive mood dysregulation disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

ObjectiveThe aim of the current study was to compare the executive functioning of children with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) with matched groups of children diagnosed with ADHD and typically developing children (TD). Groups were matched in terms of age, gender, and IQ. MethodsA total of 41 children aged 6–12 years old with DMDD (N = 11), ADHD (N = 15) and TD (N = 15) performed GO/NO-GO, N-Back, CPT tasks to assess executive functions of inhibition, working memory, and attention, respectively. Their parent completed BDEFS-CA. ResultsThe analyses of variances indicated significant differences in all EF tasks between both groups of ADHD and DMDD and those of TD children. There were no significant differences between ADHD and DMDD children. In the Go/No-Go task, individuals with DMDD obtained greater scores in Commission error and Reaction times than ADHD and TD groups. In the N-back task, both DMDD and ADHD groups were similar, and they obtained less rate than typical individuals. While we found no significant differences in both ADHD and DMDD groups in the CPT task. ConclusionTD children outperformed all children diagnosed with DMDD and ADHD in all EF tasks.

Comparison of Executive Functions, Emotional Intelligence, and Motivated Strategies for Learning in Adolescents with Normal Hearing and Those with Hearing Impairment Using either Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implantation

Comparison of Executive Functions, Emotional Intelligence, and Motivated Strategies for Learning in Adolescents with Normal Hearing and Those with Hearing Impairment Using either Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implantation

Comparison of Executive Functions, Emotional Intelligence, and Motivated Strategies for Learning in Adolescents with Normal Hearing and Those with Hearing Impairment Using either Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implantation

Comparison of Executive Functions, Emotional Intelligence, and Motivated Strategies for Learning in Adolescents with Normal Hearing and Those with Hearing Impairment Using either Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implantation

Comparison of executive functions and functional outcome between older patients with traumatic brain injury and normal older controls

Context The aim of this preliminary study was to assess the impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in older age on executive functioning and on their functional outcome. We also aimed to explore the influence of cognitive reserve (CR) and estimated premorbid cognitive functioning (EPCF) on these components. Methods A neuropsychological and functional assessment that included tests measuring Inhibition, Updating and Shifting, and functional outcome was administered to 29 patients who sustained a mild or moderate TBI in older age and a group of 24 healthy older participants. CR (level of education) and EPCF variables collected in the TBI group were associated with executive function performance and functional outcome. Results Patients with TBI obtained significantly worse performances on the spatial working memory (WM) task-reverse condition, and on the completion time of the Trails A and B than the control group. The TBI group also obtained worse functional outcome scores. A higher level of education was associated with better WM performance, and higher estimated premorbid cognitive functioning was associated with better functional outcome post TBI. Conclusions Further studies with a larger sample should be conducted to better understand the profile and determinants of recovery from TBI in the elderly.

Comparison of executive functions in addicted young people who referred to addiction treatment camps with students

Background and aim: Cerebral areas related to executive functions, during adolescence and early youth encounter with structural and functional changes and fluctuations that expose adolescents to ma...

Evaluation and comparison of executive functions and false memory in the elderly

Evaluation and comparison of executive functions and false memory in the elderly

Comparison of Executive Functions in Preterm and Normal Children

Comparison of Executive Functions in Preterm and Normal Children

A Comparison of Executive Functions in Normal Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Early Stage Alzheimer Type Dementia in Turkish Sample

A Comparison of Executive Functions in Normal Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Early Stage Alzheimer Type Dementia in Turkish Sample

The Comparison of Executive Functions, Risk Behaviors, and Academic Motivation Among Adolescents With Chronology Type Morningness and Eveningness

The Comparison of Executive Functions, Risk Behaviors, and Academic Motivation Among Adolescents With Chronology Type Morningness and Eveningness

Biochemical abnormalities in basal ganglia and executive dysfunction in acute- and euthymic-episode patients with bipolar disorder: A proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study

BackgroundRecent studies found abnormal biochemical metabolism and executive cognitive deficits in acute bipolar disorder (BD). However, the evidence concerning in euthymic BD is limited. Thus, a comparison between acute and euthymic BD is conductive to better understanding the association between cognition and the outcome of neuroimaging. This study sought to investigate the relationship between the executive function and the biochemical metabolism in acute- and euthymic-episode BD patients and delineate the prominent endophenotype of BD. MethodsThree groups of participants were recruited in this study: 30 BD patients with an acute depressive episode, 22 euthymic BD patients, and 31 healthy controls. All participants were interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, and underwent two-dimensional multivoxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) to obtain the bilateral metabolite levels in the lenticular nucleus of basal ganglia(BG). The ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) and Choline-containing compounds (Cho) /Cr ratios were calculated. Executive function was assessed by using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and Trail Making Test, Part-B(TMT-B). ResultsThe comparison of biochemical changes showed that the NAA/Cr ratios in bilateral lenticular nucleus in both acute and euthymic BD patients was significantly lower than that in healthy controls at a confidence level of p<0.05. In the comparison of executive function, both acute and euthymic BD patients showed significantly decreased numbers of categories completed, and increased numbers of total errors, perseverative and noperseverative errors, and TMT-B uptake compared to the healthy controls at a confidence level of p<0.05. There were no significant differences between the acute BD and euthymic BD groups in the biochemical metabolite ratios and executive function. We found that the NAA/Cr ratio in the left in BG in the acute -episode BD patients was positively correlated with the number of categories completed, whereas it was negatively correlated with the total errors and TMT-B uptake. There was no correlation between the NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios in the bilateral BG and the scores of SWCT and TMT-B in euthymic-episode BD patients. LimitationThe sample size was relatively small and not all the euthymic-episode patients are the ones with an acute episode. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that biochemical abnormalities in the lenticular nucleus and the executive dysfunction may occur early in the course of BD, and persist during remission, and are the most likely markers of endophenotypes of BD. The dysfunction of the neuronal function in the lenticular nucleus may be correlated with the cold dysfunction in patients with acute BD.

Neuropsychological profile of specific executive functions in patients with deficit and non-deficit schizophrenia

Although it has been shown that there are more profound deficits present in the deficit schizophrenia (DS) patients compared with their non-deficit (NDS) counterparts, there still remain a few matters that require further investigation.Aims(1) Comparison of executive functions between the investigated groups; (2) determining the relationship between their particular aspects within the groups; and (3) drawing up their neuropsychological profile.MethodsOne hundred and forty-eight schizophrenia patients, divided into two groups: patients with DS (n = 70) and NDS (n = 78). Patients were matched for sex, age, number of years of education and their overall cognitive functioning. For the assessment of executive function, we used the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the Trail Making Test (TMT), Verbal Fluency Test Phonemic (VFT P), Stroop Color Word Test (SCWT) and Go/No Go task (GNG).ResultsThe DS patients compared with the NDS ones obtained lower scores in WCST and TMT (relative flexibility). We did not observe any inter-group differences in VFT P, SCWT (relative inhibition) or the GNG. In both patient groups, there appeared significant correlations between their WCST and TMT scores. The general neuropsychological profiles were similar in both groups. The DS patients exhibited slightly greater interference within concept formation and non-verbal cognitive flexibility. Such problems may therefore be specific to that particular subset of schizophrenia. Our results may be useful for the development of new rehabilitation activities, which may increase the chance of the patients’ better social functioning.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Brain structural correlates of executive and social cognition profiles in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and elderly bipolar disorder

An early stage of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) often displays a mix of behavioral disturbances and personality changes hindering a differential diagnosis from elderly bipolar disorder (BD), making this process a big challenge. However, no studies have compared these pathologies from neuropsychological and neuroanatomical perspectives. The aim of the present study was to compare the executive functions (EF) and social cognition profiles as well as the structural neuroimaging of bvFTD and elderly patients with BD. First, we compared the executive and social cognition performances of 16 bvFTD patients, 13 BD patients and 22 healthy controls. Second, we compared grey matter volumes in both groups of patients and controls using voxel-based morphometry. Lastly, we examined the brain regions where atrophy might be associated with specific impairments in bvFTD and BD patients. Compared to controls, bvFTD patients showed deficits in working memory, abstraction capacity, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, verbal fluency and theory of mind (ToM). Patients with BD showed lower performance than controls in terms of abstraction capacity and verbal inhibitory control. In bvFTD patients, atrophy of frontal, temporal and insular cortices was related to EF deficits. Atrophy of the amygdala, the hippocampus, the parahippocampal gyrus, the putamen, the insula, the precuneus, the right temporo-parietal junction and superior temporal pole was associated to ToM impairments. No significant associations between atrophy and EF performance were observed in BD patients. BvFTD patients showed greater EF and ToM deficits than BD patients. Moreover, compared to BD, bvFTD patients exhibited a significant decrease in GM volume in frontal, temporal and parietal regions. Our results provide the first comparison of EF, social cognition and neuroanatomical profiles of bvFTD and elderly BD patients. These findings shed light on differential diagnosis of these disorders and may have important clinical implications.

The comparison of executive functions, social cognition and plasma oxytocin level between mothers of schizophrenia patients and healthy control: Searching for a new endophenotype

Objective: Previous studies documented that there were a variety of endophenotypes that helped to diagnose as well as to predict functionality and treatment response. There is little, if any research that focused on investigating biochemical endophenotypes. Besides, the studies that include executive functions and social cognition, which were accepted as endophenotypes, have different results. In studies involving schizophrenia patients, the deficiency of oxytocin was found to be the most important hormone that would affect the treatment process. However, there have been no endophenotype studies that investigated the role of oxytocin hormone in the treatment process of schizophrenia patients. The purpose of the present study was twofold: (a) to detect new endophenotypes, and (b) to test endophenotypes that were previously found by focusing on the schizophrenia patients’ mothers. Methods: The participants were the healthy mothers of schizophrenia patients and healthy control group. They took the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale vocabulary subtest, respectively. In addition, participants’ blood samples were collected to include the level of plasma oxytocin as a biochemical in the data analyses. Results: Results revealed that there was a significant difference in plasma oxytocin levels for the healthy mothers of schizophrenia patients and the healthy control group. Low level of plasma oxytocin level was found to be the only significant factor that differentiates the patients’ mothers and the healthy control group. When the results of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test that measures executive functions, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test that measures social cognition were analyzed, no significant differences were found between the groups. Discussion: Our findings showed that oxytocin hormone could be a new endophenotype for schizophrenia. However, there is still a need for studies that focus on the investigation of detecting new endophenotypes.

Comparison of Executive Functions and Difficulties in Emotional Regulation in Addicts with High and Low Borderline Personality Traits

This study was performed aimed to compare the executive functioning and difficulties with emotional regulation in addicts with high and low borderline personality traits. The plan of the study was causal- comparative. The research sample population consisted of all men who had drug abuse in 2013 who referred to addiction centers. 80 addicted persons were selected by available sampling and by using questionnaire of borderline personality traits (STB) in two groups of 40 as abusers with high and low borderline traits. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the scale of difficulty in emotional regulation of the two groups were performed. Then data were analyzed in SPSS Version 20 using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and test LSD. The results showed that addicts with a high proportion of borderline traits, have a poorer performance than addicts with low borderlines attributes in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the number of retained in perseveration (P =0/010) and total error (P=0/002) is higher. Also abusers with higher borderline traits, have higher scores in the emotional difficulties regulation (P = 0/002) than addicts with low borderline of traits. The results showed that the addicts with a high boundary characteristic have poorer performance in executive functioning and higher levels of emotional difficulties in emotional regulation that this may be the result of the impact of drug dependency on their neurological function that may lead to weaker performance of these people compared to low borderline traits addicts.

Comparison of Executive Function in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Patients With Good Insight, Poor Insight and Healthy People

Background: This research seeks to make a comparison between executive functions of the obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) patients, with poor and high insight levels and normal people. Materials and Methods: In this casual comparative study, 22 OCD patients with high insight level, 5 OCD patients with poor insight level (based on YBOCS’ 11th item score) and 23 normal subjects were selected using convenience sampling technique. The subjects were evaluated using two groups of clinical and neuropsychiatric instruments. The clinical instruments included Y-BOCS, BDI-II and GHQ-12. The executive functions were assessed using the Tower of London test, the Stroop and the Wisconsin Card Sorting tests. Results: The obtained results showed a significant difference between OCD patients and normal people in a number of executive functions. However, comparison between OCD patients with high and poor insight levels showed no significant difference in the executive functions variables. Conclusion: Executive functions (EF) may contribute to the psychopathology of OCD. Therefore examining EF can play an important role in assessment and treatment of OCD.