Early life adversity, inhibitory control, and behavioral dysregulation among individuals with OCD.

Numerical precision or inhibitory control? Exploring latent profiles in preschoolers' numerosity judgments.

The food environment provides an abundance of energy-dense packaged food, some specifically designed to attract children. The appeal of these energy-dense child-targeted foods can have health implications. Some children may be more susceptible to their appeal due to temperamental differences, namely their levels of impulsivity and inhibitory control. This study aimed to determine whether the temperamental dimensions of impulsivity and inhibitory control were associated with children's preferences for packaged food. Five hundred fourteen primary school children (5-12 years) recruited from a science museum participated in a discrete choice experiment to determine their preferred packaging attributes, an implicit association test to assess their attitudes toward packaging, and anthropometric measurements. Primary caregivers completed either the Child Behavior Questionnaire or the Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire to assess impulsivity and inhibitory control in their children. T-tests and multiple regression analyses were utilised for the study. Four key results were found: (a) children preferred the food packaging attributes that reflected healthiness, and (b) they perceived the child-targeted packaging to be healthier compared with plain packaging. However, (c) older children (aged 9-12 years) with higher levels of impulsivity were less discriminating with the packaging design than did children with lower levels, and (d) there was no effect of inhibitory control on children's preferences. Future research should investigate how food manufacturers and policymakers can design food packaging to support children in making healthier choices from packaged foods, particularly those with higher levels of impulsivity.

The relationship between problem behaviors in the classroom and self-regulation and executive function among five-year-old children four years after a large-scale earthquake.

Adaptive behavior is central to coping with dynamic environmental changes. Although functional neuroanatomical and neurophysiological considerations suggest that information must be exchanged during adaptive behavior and similar predictions can be derived from cognitive science concepts, attempts to delineate the directed information transfer in theta and alpha networks during behavioral adaptation are rare. Using task switching as an experimental vehicle, we examined directed communication in theta and alpha band networks in 51 healthy individuals. We combined EEG-beamforming with an artificial neural network-based estimation of linear and nonlinear directed information transfer between cortical regions. We show increased theta and alpha band activities during switch trials, which aligns with the cognitive control demands of task switching. EEG-beamforming indicated oscillatory modulations in distinct brain-wide networks depending on frequency and time window, with theta and alpha activities strongly tied to task-set reconfiguration and inhibitory control. Directed connectivity analysis revealed overlapping alpha and theta clusters, highlighting their interplay in cognitive flexibility. Directed communication in a cortical alpha band network involving fronto-temporal, temporoparietal, occipital, and precentral activity clusters was critical when preparing for task switching. We observed a bidirectional information transfer across four neuroanatomical clusters with more substantial connectivity modulations correlating with better task performance. These findings emphasize the importance of directed information transfer in a cortical alpha band activity network in supporting adaptive behavior.

A previous randomised controlled trial of a computerised gaze-contingent attention training for 9-to-16-month infants with a family history of ADHD (intervention, n = 20; control, n = 23) found no endpoint differences on the primary outcome (an eye-tracking composite score of infant attention) nor on secondary outcomes (parent and observer ratings of infant attention in naturalistic contexts). Here, we report follow-up at age 2 and 3 years to examine whether there are longer-term effects of the training. The pre-specified primary outcome was parent-reported early ADHD traits. Secondary outcomes included parent-report of inhibitory control and attention; researcher-rated observational measures of attentiveness, activity level and inhibition; and eye-tracking measures of cognitive control, attention disengagement and sustained attention. At follow-up there was no intervention effect on the primary outcome parent-rated ADHD behaviours (effect size [ES] -0.28, 95% CIs -0.95 to 0.39). Secondary parent- and researcher-rated child behaviour and eye-tracking attention outcomes also did not significantly differ between the groups. The largest positive, albeit non-significant, effects were for the secondary outcomes parent-rated inhibitory control (ES = 0.42 (95% CIs -0.09 to 0.94) and the composite eye-tracking measure (ES = 0.40 (95% CIs -0.15 to 0.95). We demonstrate the feasibility of conducting experimental trials targeting early emerging ADHD characteristics in infancy. The intervention did not lead to significant differences in parent- or researcher-rated early ADHD behaviours or eye-tracking measures of attention control. However, the trend for long-term effects on CBQ inhibition, the attention composite and sustained attention justifies further interest. Further development and modification of the attention training may be necessary to test whether the approach holds promise as a potential pre-emptive intervention for infants with an elevated likelihood of ADHD.

Curiosity, error correction, and confidence in younger and older adults.

Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with adolescents' cognitive and academic outcomes, yet most research has focused on household SES in high-income countries. This study examined linear and canonical associations between family- and school-level disadvantage and cognitive-academic performance in 1296 Chilean adolescents (aged 10-14). Linear mixed models estimated associations between SES and continuous cognitive and academic scores, while canonical correlation analysis (CCA) characterized multivariate SES-cognition-achievement patterns. Findings showed that attending schools with a mid- or low School Vulnerability Index (SVI) was associated with higher scores in memory and problem solving (β = 4.3-7.4), whereas SVI was not related to grades; in contrast, parental university education and higher household income were linked to higher cognitive scores (β = 2.9-5.0) and better grades across subjects (β = 0.12-0.45). CCA identified two globally significant covariation modes. The first mode (r = 0.40) captured a broad socioeconomic dimension, driven primarily by family income and parental education, which correlated with generalized cognitive and academic performance. A second mode (r = 0.25) captured secondary variance in selected academic subjects and inhibitory control. However, individual SES indicators did not reach statistical significance on this component. These findings suggest a shared socioeconomic gradient driven predominantly by family resources underlies adolescent cognitive and academic outcomes. Alongside this global trend, school vulnerability is primarily linked to specific cognitive functions and family socioeconomic status is pervasively associated with academic achievement. Mitigating educational disparities would therefore benefit from multi-level policies targeting both environments. SUMMARY: A shared socioeconomic gradient driven by family resources underlies adolescent cognitive and academic outcomes. School vulnerability associates specifically with targeted cognitive functions. Family socioeconomic status pervasively associates with broad academic achievement. Effective mitigation of educational disparities involves targeting both home and school contexts.

Executive functioning in young delinquents: A systematic literature review.

Interpersonal stress stimuli decrease inhibitory control in adolescents with repetitive non-suicidal self-injury: Evidence from two ERP studies.

Brains over brawn? Brown bears (Ursus arctos) demonstrate behavioral flexibility on a multi-access box and other tasks.

The role of language in executive function development: Evidence from oral deaf preschoolers.

BackgroundOlfactory and visual processing are sensitive biomarkers for cognitive impairment; however, unimodal assessments may fail to capture early deficits in higher order cognitive integration. When sensory cues are mismatched, multisensory processing induces crossmodal conflict that requires inhibitory control, which is particularly vulnerable in early neurodegeneration.ObjectiveWe developed RAPPIT (Rapid, massively APPlicable Identification Test), a color-modulated olfactory test to assess multisensory interference as an early marker of cognitive decline.MethodsRAPPIT includes 16 physically presented odors, with a digital application for task control and response recording. Answer options are displayed on color backgrounds derived from the MONEX-40 color profile, either congruent or incongruent with the presented odors. A total of 163 participants from the German population completed the assessment. Odor identification accuracy, effects of color congruence (ΔE00), associations with cognitive performance (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA), hedonic ratings, and depressive symptoms were analyzed.ResultsOdor identification declined with age. Participants aged ≥ 60 years, a group at increased risk for neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease, showed reduced performance under incongruent conditions. Performance exhibited a non-linear relationship with color difference (ΔE00), declining at mid-range values. Accuracy was significantly associated with MoCA scores. Hedonic ratings varied with color cues, while no associations were found with depressive symptoms.ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate that differences between congruent and incongruent odor-color conditions capture cognitively relevant interference effects beyond unimodal olfactory or visual performance, supporting the utility of this approach for early detection of cognitive impairment in older adults, in clinical and home settings.

Studies have shown the importance of executive functions (EFs) and spatial and relational reasoning for fraction understanding; however, few studies have examined them simultaneously. We analyzed two datasets to examine how these domain-general skills contribute to performance in fraction magnitude comparison and number line estimation tasks. In Study 1, third graders (n=84) completed working memory and cognitive flexibility tasks, a standardized test of relational reasoning, a whole number line estimation task, and two fraction tasks-fraction comparison and estimation. Cluster analysis showed that participants formed two clusters based on fraction task performance, with one cluster outperforming the other on both tasks; logistic regression showed that working memory and prior knowledge predicted the odds of being classified to the higher-performing cluster. In Study 2, we applied the same analysis to sixth graders (n=57), who completed an inhibitory control task, patterning word problems, a standardized math achievement test, and fraction tasks. Results showed the same higher-performing and lower-performing clusters, with prior knowledge (achievement test) as the significant predictor. Results provide initial evidence regarding the joint roles of these skills; however, given the heterogeneity in the measures and designs, which limit direct comparison across our samples, more research is needed to clarify how domain-general and domain-specific skills contribute to fraction understanding.

Three-population connectivity scheme for inhibitory control from the locus coeruleus governing the development of power law wake bouts through early infancy.

A single session of bi-hemispheric tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and right orbitofrontal cortex does not modulate executive function performance in healthy adults.

A data-informed multidimensional composite score for stress assessment.

Grounded in the I-PACE model, this study examines the mechanisms linking short-video exposure to addiction, specifically investigating the mediating roles of affective and cognitive reactions, and the moderating influence of inhibitory control and addiction status. A large-scale survey (N = 1,274) was used to test a moderated mediation model of addiction, with its core affective and cognitive variables first defined through focus groups with a strategically selected subsample (N = 169) of addicted and nonaddicted users. Results first revealed two distinct user profiles: an addicted group characterized by high emotional involvement and low control, marked by emotional ambivalence and cognitive inconsistency, and a nonaddicted group defined by low emotional involvement and high control. The moderated mediation analysis then uncovered the complex dynamics underlying these profiles. The role of self-regulation was found to be double-edged, profoundly moderated by inhibitory control. For individuals with low inhibitory control, greater use of self-regulatory strategies was associated with higher addiction severity, suggesting a conditional risk pattern consistent with a possible "backfire effect." Conversely, for those with high inhibitory control, such strategies were largely redundant. Furthermore, the pathways to addiction diverged by addiction status. The process for addicted individuals was predominantly driven by the pursuit of positive emotions. In stark contrast, for nonaddicted individuals, the crucial battleground was self-regulation, which functioned as a critical defense, highlighting a vital window for early intervention. Together, these findings underscore the importance of inhibitory control, the double-edged nature of self-regulation, and the primacy of positive affective pathways, thereby refining the I-PACE model and offering targeted insights for prevention and intervention.

Special Operations Forces (SOF) comprise a segment of military personnel whose tasks and missions often require complex cognition. Sleep is important to maintain peak cognitive performance, as lack of adequate sleep can lead to decrements in reaction time, memory, and other facets of cognition. Little research has assessed the association between sleep quality and cognitive performance in SOF populations. We broadly hypothesized that poorer sleep quality in SOF personnel would be associated with decrements in cognitive performance. A group of 183 male SOF personnel answered questions from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) about their sleep habits during the month prior to their study visit across seven components of sleep quality. Participants also completed ten cognitive tasks using the Senaptec Sensory Station during the same study visit. We compared PSQI and cognitive performance scores using Spearman correlations, exploring any significant correlations (α = .05) further in multivariate analysis. We performed linear regression to assess the potential effect of sleep quality on cognitive performance while controlling for demographics, years of military service, traumatic brain injury history, and mental health symptoms. We used SAS 9.4 for statistical analysis. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (IRB #14-1364). Poorer sleep was weakly correlated with longer times to accurately capture targets ("Target Capture") and improved inhibitory control ("Go/No-Go" (GNG)). When controlling for confounders, reduced sleep efficiency (β = 1.50, 95% CI: 0.46, 2.54) and more frequent sleep disturbance (β = 2.05, 95% CI: 0.18, 3.91) were both associated with better scores on GNG, which evaluates an individual's ability to quickly distinguish between targets that require a response ("Go") and those that do not ("No-Go"). When adjusting for multiple comparisons using a Bonferroni correction, the association between reduced sleep efficiency and faster/more accurate GNG performance maintained statistical significance (β = 1.50, Bonferroni-corrected 99.2% CI: 0.10, 2.90), but the association between more frequent sleep disturbance and faster/more accurate performance on GNG did not (β = 2.05, Bonferroni-corrected 99.2% CI: -0.46, 4.55). Contrary to our hypothesis, reduced sleep efficiency was associated with better GNG performance in a population of SOF personnel. GNG assesses visual processing speed, reaction time, and decision-making skills under pressure to obtain a measure of inhibitory control, a high-level cognitive process that is a key facet of executive function. Decreased sleep quality impairs these constructs in civilian populations, so the ability to overcome fatigue and execute demanding decisions accurately and with high speed in this population is notable. Future research is needed to determine if the relationship between sleep quality and cognitive performance is possibly related to increased cognitive effort by those with worse sleep or other yet undiscovered determinants of military brain health.

This article investigates how domain-specific executive functions contribute to perspective-taking and prosocial behavior. Across two preregistered experiments, we independently manipulated working memory (WM) and inhibitory control to assess their effects on social cognition. In Experiment 1 (N = 128), WM load was varied using a dual-task paradigm, and participants completed behavioral and eye-tracking measures of perspective-taking and prosociality. WM load impaired perspective-taking, and this effect was larger under nonsocial than social load. Conversely, individual differences in prosocial behavior were associated with higher social (but not nonsocial) WM capacity and larger support cliques, suggesting that dissociable cognitive mechanisms underpin different social outcomes. Notably, WM performance did not vary across social versus nonsocial conditions, indicating that increased social complexity did not impair WM and that the relationship is not bidirectional. In Experiment 2 (N = 122), inhibitory control was manipulated using an ego-depletion task, but no significant effects of load emerged. We discuss the challenges of isolating inhibitory control from WM and highlight the need for improved methods in future research. Overall, these findings provide causal evidence linking WM to social skills, underscore the importance of distinguishing between social and nonsocial domains of executive functioning, and point to key conceptual and methodological priorities for the field. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).