Influence Of Executive Functions Research Articles

The relationship between cognitive functioning and street-crossing behaviours in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundPedestrians are vulnerable road users, with 26 % of global road fatalities being pedestrians (and other vulnerable road users). It is argued that pedestrians are involved in crashes due to errors in decision-making due to deficits in cognitive skills. To date there has limited research into pedestrian decision-making. There currently stands no theoretical model to help understand how cognitive function impacts on pedestrian street crossing decisions. ObjectivesThe aim of this review was to synthesize the literature on the relationship between cognitive functioning and street-crossing behaviours, in two population groups: all adults, and older adults with or without a cognitive impairment. Data sourcesPublished literature from three databases (PsycINFO, PubMed and Medline) was searched in February 2022. Studies were required to have investigated the relationship between cognitive functioning and street-crossing behaviours. ResultsNine studies were identified for the systematic review, with four cognitive domains and nine street-crossing behaviours examined. Findings from the systematic review suggested that poorer processing speed and visual attention predicted increased unsafe street-crossing behaviours across the two population groups. Additionally, most studies demonstrated a non-significant relationship between executive function and street-crossing behaviours. Results from the meta-analysis on all adults, demonstrated a small effect size for the strength of the relationship between overall cognitive functioning and street-crossing behaviours, with stronger effects noted in individual domains of selective attention and inhibition. LimitationsThe small number of studies in this space combined with considerable variability in cognitive domains measured, assessment tools utilized, and street-crossing behaviours examined across studies limit conclusions about patterns of the relationship between cognitive functioning and pedestrian safety. ConclusionsFindings highlight the important role of visual attention in enabling the engagement of safe street-crossing behaviours, which may assist in the development of targeted interventions to reduce risk of harm to pedestrians. Given unexpected findings regarding the influence of executive functioning, as well as limited findings on other cognitive domains such as mental status and memory, future research should aim to elucidate their role in pedestrian safety. Further research into cognitive function and pedestrian street crossing behaviours is critical if we are to develop a theoretical framework for how pedestrians make road-crossing decisions. If we can better understand the factors that influence street crossing decisions, roadway infrastructure and training programs can be developed to improve outcomes for this vulnerable population.

Influence of executive functioning and emotional regulation on effective career choice

Although emotional management and executive functioning have been widely associated with effective decision making, not much attention has been paid to their role in vocational decision making. This study analyzed the relationship between insecurity in career choice, executive functioning, and emotion regulation in university students. Results show how executive dysfunction significantly predicted insecurity in vocational choice. Its mediating role between emotional management and the academic-vocational decision-making process was also confirmed. Our findings contribute to the understanding of vocational choice in youth and suggest the need to consider both variables in guidance programs, to prevent subsequent dissatisfaction with the vocational decision.

The influence of executive functions on eye-hand span and piano performance during sight-reading.

The ability to perform an unrehearsed piece of music, or sight-read, is a skill required by music performers. In sight-reading, the performer reads and plays the music simultaneously, which requires the coordination of visual, auditory, and motor processing. While performing, they display a characteristic called eye-hand span, in which the part of the score being looked at precedes the part being played. They must recognize, decipher, and process the score in the time between reading a note and playing it. An individual's executive function (EF) that control their cognition, emotions, and behavior may be involved in overseeing these individual movements. However, no study has investigated how EF is related to the eye-hand span and performance during sight-reading. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to clarify the relationships among EF, eye-hand span, and piano performance. Thirty-nine Japanese pianists and college students aspiring to be pianists with an average of 33.3 years of experience participated in this study. They performed sight-reading of two types of music scores with different difficulty levels while their eye movements were measured using an eye tracker to obtain their eye-hand span. The core EFs of inhibition, working memory, and shifting, were measured directly for each participant. Piano performance was evaluated by two pianists who did not participate in the study. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the results. The results showed that auditory working memory predicted eye-hand span (β = .73, p < .001 in easy score; β = .65, p < .001 in difficult score), and eye-hand span predicted performance (β = .57, p < .001 in easy score; β = .56, p < .001 in difficult score). Auditory working memory did not directly affect performance, but through eye-hand span. The eye-hand span for easy scores was significantly greater than that for difficult scores. Furthermore, in a difficult music score, the shifting ability predicted higher piano performance. These suggest that the input of notes from the eyes becomes sound in the brain and activates the auditory working memory, which is then transmitted to finger movement, resulting in piano performance. In addition, it was suggested that shifting ability is also needed to perform difficult scores.

A Review Article: Fall Incidents and Interior Architecture— Influence of Executive Function in Normal Ageing

Many ageing people are staying at home, whether they are self-isolating or social distancing, because of the current Covid-19 situation. Fall incidents at home among the ageing are significantly associated with a high level of mortality. Bathrooms are frequently reported as a major environmental hazard in connection with falls. This serious health risk raises the matter of interior architecture. In terms of preventing falls, more architectural research focuses on interior elements e.g., handrail design, and non-slip mat, whilst less attention is paid to the issue of how ageing causes falls. Therefore, this article sheds light on the normal ageing process through an executive function that helps in the fall prevention of ageing people via decision-making and problem-solving. Normal ageing gradually results in declining executive function, including cognitive and motor functions, which limits and reduces day to day activities. The cognitive function (as a system) involves processing speed, accuracy in response, and error response whereas the motor function (as a mechanism) defines both gross and fine motor functions. A combination of cognitive and motor functions reflects conditions that may lead to a fall. Regarding the executive function, interior architecture for preventing falls in normal ageing people is strongly encouraged e.g., clear layout, timesaving activity, simplicity of design, lighting uniformity, short walking distance, cased opening, lightweight fixtures, and fine texture flooring. This article reviews the literature to address the knowledge gaps between interior architecture and human-centred design through ageing ergonomics, and employs a behaviour-focused aspect to interpret results for interior architects. Electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar, were searched to specify appropriate papers, which were restricted to those in the English language. To improve the quality of the elderly’s life, this article provides recommendations that could assist interior architects in this challenge.

Little Effect of Executive Functioning on Behaviour Problems of Those with Attachment or Autism Spectrum Disorders

ObjectivesThis study explored whether executive functioning (EF) mediated the relationship between either autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attachment disorder (AD) and behaviour problems for a sample of children with learning disabilities.MethodsA sample of 79 pupils with learning disabilities was examined in terms of their AD and ASD traits, their levels of behaviour problems and performance on four EF tasks (WCST, Hungry Donkey, Stroop and Tower of London) was assessed.ResultsThere were positive correlations between levels of ASD and AD and between both of these traits and behaviour problems. However, there was no relationship between these traits and EF, and no relationship between EF and behaviour problems.ConclusionsThat there was little influence of EF as a mediator between these conditions and behaviour problems for a sample with learning disabilities suggests that EF has limited usefulness as a target for educational intervention in such a sample.

The Relationship Between Cognitive Flexibility, Bilingualism and Language Production: Evidence from Narrative Abilities in Senior Preschoolers from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

Bilingualism remains one of the key agents of influence on cognitive and language development of a child. Recently, this phenomenon became the focus of research attention. On the one hand, it can be explained by the active migration processes occurring on a global level. On the other hand, the influence of bilingualism over childrens cognitive and language development is still quite a divisive issue. This study is aimed to explore, which phenomenon is more associ-ated with the language development, - the fact of a childs bilingualism or his/her level of execu-tive functions development. 380 children from a bilingual Russian region participated in this re-search. The final sample consisted of 279 6-7-year-old subjects without deviations in their cogni-tive and language development. There were 181 monolingual children and 98 bilinguals. Age, gender and non-verbal intelligence were controlled. Average age equaled to 6.65 years (SD = 0.37). The study demonstrated that the differences revealed in the language development of mono- and bilingual children were related mostly to lexical and grammatical aspects and didnt intervene with the macrostructure of the narrative. In regard to the influence of executive functions, the role of cognitive flexibility turned out to be an essential element from the perspective of the difference in mono- and bilingual childrens language development. As a whole, the study results allow drawing a conclusion that the development of cognitive flexibility contributes to a more efficient simultaneous mastering of two languages.

Older age and online health information search behaviors: The mediating influence of executive functions

ABSTRACT Introduction Searching the internet for health-related information is a complex and dynamic goal-oriented process that ostensibly places demands on executive functions, which are higher-order cognitive abilities that can deteriorate with older age. This study examined the effects of older age on electronic health (eHealth) search behavior and the potential mediating influence of executive functions. Method Fifty younger adults (≤ 35 years) and 41 older adults (≥50 years) completed naturalistic eHealth search tasks involving fact-finding (Fact Search) and symptom determination (Symptom Search), a neurocognitive battery, and a series of self-report questionnaires. Results Multiple regression models controlling for potentially confounding psychiatric symptoms, health conditions, literacy, and demographic variables revealed that older adults were slower and less accurate than younger adults on the eHealth Fact Search task, but not on the eHealth Symptom Search task. Executive functions mediated the relationship between age and Fact and Symptom Search accuracy, independent of basic processing speed and attention. Parallel mediation models showed that episodic memory was not an independent mediator of age and search accuracy for either eHealth task once speed/attention and executive functions were included. Conclusions Older adults can experience difficulty searching the internet for some health-related information, which is at least partly attributable to executive dysfunction. Future studies are needed to determine the benefits of training in the organizational and strategic aspects of internet search for older adults and whether these findings are applicable to clinical populations with executive dysfunction.

Fine motor and executive functioning skills predict maths and spelling skills at the start of kindergarten: a compensatory account (La motricidad fina y las funciones ejecutivas predicen las competencias en matemáticas y lengua escrita al comienzo de la etapa preescolar: una propuesta compensatoria)

ABSTRACT Research shows that executive functions (EF) and fine motor skills (FMS) contribute to early academic skills, possibly in overlapping ways. We examine whether and how EF and FMS interact in the concurrent prediction of maths, reading and spelling skills at the start of kindergarten. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) on data from 1248 five-year-olds supports a compensatory account of EF and FMS in contributing towards maths and spelling skills. Controlling for socio-economic status, age, time spent in kindergarten and intelligence, the influence of EF on spelling achievement was larger for children with poorer compared to better FMS, and vice versa; FMS significantly predicted maths achievement only in children with high but not low EF, and vice versa. Identifying EF or FMS difficulties at or before the start of kindergarten may be important. Different approaches to intervention involving EF and FMS may be appropriate for maths versus spelling skills. We suggest for early childhood curricula to enhance opportunities for FMS development, especially for children who enter kindergarten with poor FMS.

Fragile X syndrome in young females: Influence of executive function on the neurocognitive profile and adaptive behavior

IntroductionThe aim of this study is to describe the relationship between executive function (EF) and performance in different areas of the neurocognitive profile in young girls with Fragile-X-Syndrome (FXS). MethodA neuropsychological assessment was carried out to 40 female participants aged 7–16 years (26 FXS, 14 control group). ResultsRegarding intellectual ability, in the group of girls with FXS 3.84 % of the participants obtained IQ scores in the range of moderate ID (IQ 35–40 to 49), 46.15 % in the range of mild ID (IQ 50–70), 38.46 % in the borderline range (IQ 70–85), and 11.53 % within the average range (IQ > 85). EF was found to have a greater influence on adaptive behavior, arithmetic ability, theory of mind, leadership, social integration, social competence, and anxiety/shyness in the group with FXS. ConclusionsIn girls with FXS, EF showed a greater influence on adaptive behavior, arithmetic ability, and social domain.

Domains of awareness in Alzheimer's disease: The influence of executive function.

Awareness is a developing area in dementia research and the evaluation of its domains has been increasingly included as part of care for people with Alzheimer's disease (PwAD). Our aim is to examine whether executive dysfunction is associated with awareness domains. A consecutive series of 75 people with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease completed assessments about global cognitive function, executive functioning, and their awareness of disease. Their primary caregivers' dyad provided information about demographics, awareness of disease, dementia severity, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and functional status. Different types of executive dysfunction were presented as a predictor for awareness of disease (cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory), of emotional state (short-term memory and attention) and of social functioning and relationships (visuospatial organization, integrative functions, and abstract thinking). Awareness of cognitive functioning and health condition and of functional activity impairments exhibit only global cognitive function as a predictor. Findings confirm some degree of independence between awareness domains. The importance of identifying differences in domains of awareness relies in the understanding of awareness as a clinical phenomenon in order to guide the management and support of PwAD and their caregivers.

Identification of specific neural circuit underlying the key cognitive deficit of remitted late-onset depression: A multi-modal MRI and machine learning study

Neuropsychological impairment is a key feature of late-onset depression (LOD), with deficits observed across multiple cognitive domains. And this neuropsychological impairment can persist even after the remission of depressive symptoms. However, none of previous studies have explored the pattern of cognitive deficit in remitted LOD (rLOD), and investigated the specific neural circuit underlying the key cognitive deficit of LOD. 40 rLOD patients and 36 controls underwent comprehensive neuropsychological assessments and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The influence of executive function or information processing speed deficit on other cognitive domains was first investigated. We then applied a multivariate machine learning technique known as relevance vector regression to evaluate the potential of multiple-modal MRI (i.e., integrating whole-brain grey-matter [GM] volume and white-matter [WM] tract features) for making accurate predictions about the key cognitive deficit for individual rLOD patient. We revealed that the information processing speed appears to represent a key cognitive deficit in rLOD. Further the machine learning model identified a wide range of GM regions and WM tracts that significantly contributed to the prediction of individual performance on information processing speed (r = 0.50, P < 0.001). The GM regions mainly located in the frontal-subcortical and limbic systems; and the WM tracts mainly located in the frontal-limbic pathway, including the anterior corona radiata, fornix, posterior cingulate bundle, and uncinate fasciculus. This present study provide strongly evidence supporting the concept of rLOD that the core aspect of the cognitive deficits (i.e., information processing speed) is associated with disruption of the frontal-subcortical-limbic pathway.

Callous-Unemotional Traits and Executive Functions are Unique Correlates of Disruptive Behavior in Children

ABSTRACT This study examined the influence of executive functions on the association between callous-unemotional traits and severity and type of childhood disruptive behavior. Eighty one children aged 8–12 years and their parents participated in the study. We assessed children’s callous-unemotional traits, executive functions, and two indices of disruptive behavior. Callous-unemotional traits and parent ratings of executive dysfunction were uniquely correlated with elevated conduct problems and oppositional and defiant behavior. Neither performance-based measures, nor parent ratings of executive function, moderated the association between callous-unemotional traits and disruptive behavior. Study findings suggest that executive functions and callous-unemotional traits may impact children’s behavior independently.

A influência da função executiva nas habilidades de consciência fonológica em escolares do 2º ano

O objetivo do estudo é analisar a influência da função executiva no desempenho de tarefas de habilidades de consciência fonológica de crianças que cursam a segunda série do Ensino Fundamental de duas escolas da rede pública municipal. Participaram do estudo 18 crianças com idade de 7 anos de ambos os gêneros, matriculadas na segunda série do ensino fundamental de escola pública. Foram realizadas avalições de funções executivas e consciência fonológica. Empregou-se a estatística Correlação de Pearson e teste Exato de Fischer, com nível de significância p&lt; 0.05. Os resultados não indicam a existência de correlação positiva entre as variáveis. Além de não haver diferença estatística para nenhuma das variáveis em relação ao gênero. O estudo pode analisar que a função executiva não parece ser uma variável que, isoladamente, atua nas habilidades de consciência fonológica para a faixa escolar estudada.

Influence of executive functions on the self-reported health-related quality of life of children with ADHD.

ADHD is regarded as a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with deficits in executive functions (EF). The presence of these deficits is associated with increased symptom severity. However, so far there is little knowledge, whether deficits in EFs relate to a reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children with ADHD. Hence, n = 100 children with a confirmed ADHD diagnosis were compared with a non-cases group (n = 100) with regard to their HRQoL (6-12years old). The clinical group was divided into ADHD-specific drug treatment intake (drug treatment: n = 42; no drug treatment: n = 58) or deficits in EF (n = 29; no deficits in EF: n = 71). Children with ADHD (without medication) reported a significantly worse HRQoL than healthy children (d = .72), when controlled for age and sex. Even if they were treated with drug treatment, they reported a lower HRQoL than the non-case group in the area Family (d = .53). Drug treatment of ADHD leads to a significant difference in HRQoL in school area(d = .39). Children with ADHD andEF problems reported impairments in the social context of HRQoL compared to healthy children (d = .51 to .70). In addition, a significant negative association between set-shifting and HRQoL in children with ADHD (without drug treatment) was demonstrated (r = - .27 to r = - .35). By assessing the HRQoL, an impairment in the functioning of children with ADHD can be detected, which is essential for the diagnosis. Furthermore, executive problems have an influence on the social sphere, which should be clarified and improved in therapy with the involvement of parents.

The Influence of Executive Function on Prospective Memory in Word- and Category-Based Tasks

The Influence of Executive Function on Prospective Memory in Word- and Category-Based Tasks

Theory of mind and schizophrenia in young and middle-aged patients: Influence of executive functions

Theory of Mind (ToM) is compromised in schizophrenia, and responsible for social disability. We aim to study the correlation between ToM deficits and Executive Functions (EF), using the Faux Pas Test (FPT) for ToM evaluation, Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS) and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) for EF assessment. Two groups of patients with schizophrenia were included: 22 young (18–35 years-old) and 18 middle-aged (>50 years-old) Patients, compared to age-matched Controls.We found worst FPT performances in both groups of patients, but with a more generalized pattern of dysfunction in the middle-aged patient group. This group had worse EF scores than both controls and younger patients. The association of EF with FPT items was uneven. In young patients only empathy (Q6) remained significant after controlling for EF and level of education, while in middle-aged patients faux pas explanation (Q4), false belief (Q5) and total scores remained significant. In young patients only affective TOM was impaired. No correlation was found with clinical symptoms, nor age at onset of the disease.We conclude that ToM deficit arises early during the course of the illness (already present in young patients), increases in middle-aged patients, and relates only partially with EF.

The Influence of Executive Functions on Phonemic Processing in Children Who Do and Do Not Stutter.

The aim of the present study was to investigate dual-task performance in children who stutter (CWS) and those who do not to investigate if the groups differed in the ability to attend and allocate cognitive resources effectively during task performance. Participants were 24 children (12 CWS) in both groups matched for age and sex. For the primary task, participants performed a phoneme monitoring in a picture-written word interference task. For the secondary task, participants made pitch judgments on tones presented at varying (short, long) stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) from the onset of the picture. The CWS were comparable to the children who do not stutter in performing the monitoring task although the SOA-based performance differences in this task were more variable in the CWS. The CWS were also significantly slower in making tone decisions at the short SOA and showed a trend for making more errors in this task. The findings are interpreted to suggest higher dual-task cost effects in CWS. A potential explanation for this finding requiring further testing and confirmation is that the CWS show reduced efficiency in attending to the tone stimuli while simultaneously prioritizing attention to the phoneme-monitoring task.

Executive function and parenting in the context of homelessness.

There is mounting evidence that maternal executive function (EF) plays a critical role in parenting behavior. However, the majority of the research on this topic has been conducted in low-risk samples. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether individual differences in maternal EF are associated with parenting behavior in the high-risk, high adversity context of family homelessness. The study included 94 mothers and their children, ages 4 to 6 years, living in emergency homeless shelters. Mothers completed a battery of "hot" and "cool" EF tasks as well as a self-report questionnaire of perceived stress. Parenting measures were based on observed parent-child interactions that were later coded for harsh and positive parenting practices. Results indicated that hot EF in mothers was related to positive parenting. The relation between maternal planning ability, assessed by a cool EF task, and harsh parenting was also significant, but only for mothers reporting higher levels of stress. These findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that the influence of EF and other forms of cognitive control on parenting need to be interpreted within the context of environmental stress and adversity. (PsycINFO Database Record

Influence of executive function in the university physical education class ―Examination from the affects by acute exercise―

Influence of executive function in the university physical education class ―Examination from the affects by acute exercise―

Verbal Memory Abilities in Severe Childhood Psychiatric Disorders and the Influence of Attention and Executive Functions

Despite prior adult research regarding the influence of executive functions on memory performance, there has been inconsistent prior research on the role of executive functions on memory performance in children, particularly those children with severe psychiatric disorders. A medical chart review was conducted for 76 children (ages 6-12 years) who received a neuropsychological evaluation during children's psychiatric inpatient program hospitalization. A series of hierarchical regression analyses investigated the role of attention/executive and non-executive functions in verbal memory performance (immediate recall, delayed recall, and delayed recognition). Demographic and verbal measures were entered into blocks 1 and 2 for all analyses, followed by attention and executive functions (i.e., attention span, sustained attention, verbal fluency, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and planning/organization). Nearly 15% of the participants displayed memory impairment. Results of regression analyses indicated attention/executive dysfunction severity predicted overall memory performance. Attention span predicted performance on all three memory conditions. Planning/organization accounted for unique variance in immediate recall condition while inhibitory control accounted for unique variance in delayed recall condition. These results indicate that verbal memory problems frequently occur in severe childhood psychiatric disorders. Further, planning/organization deficits may influence immediate recall, while inhibitory control deficits may influence delayed recall. Alternatively, delayed recognition memory may be the most resistant to the negative influence of executive deficits on verbal memory performance in childhood psychiatric disorders.