Cognitive Flexibility Research Articles

Executive functions in older adults with generalised anxiety disorder and healthy controls: Associations with heart rate variability, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and physical fitness

Executive functions (EF) decline with age and this decline in older adults with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) may be influenced by heart rate variability (HRV), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and physical fitness. Understanding these relationships is important for tailored treatments in this population. In this study, 51 adults with GAD (M age = 66.46, SD = 4.08) and 51 healthy controls (M age = 67.67, SD = 4.04) were assessed on cognitive inhibition (Stroop task), shifting (Trails part 4), flexibility (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test – Perseverative errors), working memory (Digit Span Backwards), IQ (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence), high frequency HRV, serum mature BDNF levels, and VO2 max. Results indicated that participants with GAD exhibited better cognitive inhibition compared to controls, with no general reduction in EF. Cognitive inhibition was predicted by gender, HRV, and BDNF levels, while cognitive shifting was predicted by gender and IQ, and cognitive flexibility and working memory by IQ. The enhanced cognitive inhibition in GAD participants might stem from maladaptive use of this function, characteristic of GAD, or protection from EF decline due to normal HRV. Increased BDNF levels, possibly due to good fitness, or compensatory mechanisms related to the disorder, might also play a role. These findings highlight the complexity of EF and related mechanisms in GAD, highlighting the need for interventions that consider both cognitive and physiological factors for optimal outcomes.

Tunisian Adolescents at CHR for Psychosis: A Pilot Study of Cognitive Remediation in a LMIC.

Clinical high risk (CHR) youth are known to exhibit cognitive deficits at similar levels to their more severally ill counter parts. Cognitive training (CT) programs offer a promising method for early intervention and the prevention of further cognitive decline in this vulnerable population. However, there are few structured CT intervention programs addressing the needs of CHR youth in LMICs of the Middle East. We conducted a study in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department of Razi University Hospital. Patients were assessed by trained raters with the "Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States" to confirm their CHR status. Cognitive Training (CT) was combined with the Neuropsychological Educational Approach to Remediation (CT-NEAR) as part of a social rehabilitation program. We enrolled 25 CHR patients and examined several domains of cognitive functioning and evaluated daily functioning prior to starting the intervention and after completion. There were 20 patients who completed the study. The CT-NEAR group (n = 10) completed an average number 28.33 sessions over 12 weeks, which were matched for therapist time with the TAU group (n = 10). We found statistically significant improvements in CT-NEAR versus TAU in several cognitive domains; such as cognitive flexibility, memory-short and long-term, and verbal fluency. Also, CT-NEAR versus TAU patients improved in global functioning. Our findings indicate that cognitive remediation versus TAU for Tunisian CHR youth is feasible and effective especially in improving cognitive functioning when delivered in a social rehabilitation context (Bridging Group) and extends to global level of functioning.

Exploratory Factor Analysis and Convergent Validity of the Adult Executive Function Inventory (ADEXI).

The Adult Executive Functioning Inventory (ADEXI)-a short, practical, self-report questionnaire accessible across diverse adult populations and languages-was used to assess executive functions (EFs), primarily inhibition and working memory. To examine the construct validity of the ADEXI Hebrew version through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and convergent validity by correlating scores with similar measures of EF. Cross-sectional study using online anonymous surveys. Nonclinical sample of 239 adults, 74.1% women, ages 18 to 80 yr (Mage = 44.19 yr, SD = 12.89). The Hebrew version of the 14-item ADEXI, a demographic questionnaire, and the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX). Descriptive statistics, Cronbach's α EFA using varimax rotation, and Pearson's correlations were used. Total internal consistency was good (α = .86). Unlike the two factors in the original English version, our construct validity through EFA revealed three factors-inhibition, working memory, and, uniquely, flexibility-that accounted for 55.71% of the variance. Convergent validity was supported by medium to large significant correlations (r =.29-.76) between the ADEXI and the DEX subscales and total scores. Our findings offer psychometric evidence to support using the Hebrew version of the ADEXI for EF assessments in adult Hebrew-speaking populations. Plain-Language Summary: The Adult Executive Functioning Inventory (ADEXI) assesses three key components: inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. In this study, we examined the construct validity of the Hebrew version of the ADEXI to assess executive functions. Our findings support using the ADEXI in Hebrew-speaking populations. The ADEXI offers occupational therapy practitioners serving Hebrew-speaking populations in their practice a validated tool for assessing executive functions.

Aperiodic neural activity reflects metacontrol in task-switching

“Metacontrol” refers to the ability to find the right balance between more persistent and more flexible cognitive control styles, depending on task demands. Recent research on tasks involving response conflict regulation indicates a consistent link between aperiodic EEG activity and task conditions that demand a more or less persistent control style. In this study, we explored whether this connection between metacontrol and aperiodic activity also applies to cognitive flexibility. We examined EEG and behavioral data from two separate samples engaged in a task-switching paradigm, allowing for an internal replication of our findings. Both studies revealed that aperiodic activity significantly decreased during task switching compared to task repetition. Our results support the predictions of metacontrol theory but contradict those of traditional control theories which would have predicted the opposite pattern of results. We propose that aperiodic activity observed in EEG signals serves as a valid indicator of dynamic neuroplasticity in metacontrol, suggesting that truly adaptive metacontrol does not necessarily bias processing towards persistence in response to every control challenge, but chooses between persistence and flexibility biases depending on the nature of the challenge.

Cognitive flexibility predicts attitudes towards vaccination: evidence from a New Zealand sample

BackgroundVaccine hesitancy (the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate) poses a significant threat to public health worldwide, with declining vaccination coverage resulting in the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases (e.g., measles) in recent years. Despite efforts to combat vaccine hesitancy through information-based campaigns and other interventions, vaccine-hesitant attitudes persist. Given that such interventions likely expose individuals to information that conflicts with their own viewpoints about vaccination, cognitive flexibility – the ability to adapt one’s thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, or behavior in response to changing information or environmental demands – may play a role in vaccine hesitancy.MethodsThe current study investigated the relationship between cognitive flexibility and attitudes towards vaccination in a sample of New Zealand residents (N = 601). Cognitive flexibility was measured using perseverative responses in the Wisconsin Card-Sorting Task, and vaccination attitudes were measured using an adapted version of the Multidimensional Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (MVHS). Linear regression was used with MVHS scores as the dependent variable and cognitive flexibility and sociodemographic variables (age, gender, ethnicity, education level, religion) as predictors.ResultsCognitive flexibility predicted personal barriers to vaccination (e.g.,” vaccines go against my personal beliefs”), with participants with lower levels of cognitive flexibility reporting greater personal barriers. In contrast, there was no significant relationship between cognitive flexibility and external barriers to vaccination (e.g., “vaccines cost too much”). Additionally, religious participants reported overall higher levels of vaccine hesitancy than non-religious participants.ConclusionsThese findings join others demonstrating that individual differences in cognitive style are associated with attitudes towards vaccination, and tentatively suggest that interventions aiming to reduce vaccine hesitancy may be more effective if combined with techniques to increase cognitive flexibility. To be sure, future work is needed to test the causal relationship between cognitive flexibility and attitudes towards vaccination.

Diversity in perceptual, social, and executive functions in preschoolers from Germany and Iran

The cultural background and age shape the cognitive and social development of children. This study aimed to compare perceptual, executive, and social functioning in two age groups of preschoolers from Germany and Iran. One hundred sixty-five children (83 Iranian and 82 German) participated in the study, with 87 children aged three years and 78 children aged four years. The participants completed a series of tasks to assess different cognitive functions, including the theory of mind as a measure of social cognition, picture mental rotation test to evaluate spatial ability, and several tests including digit span, Corsi block tapping, day-night, grass-snow, dimensional change card sort, and active and passive vocabulary tests to assess executive functions. The findings revealed that German children performed better than their Iranian peers regarding spatial ability and theory of mind. Additionally, German children outperformed Iranian children in working memory, cognitive flexibility, and verbal fluency, while Iranian children demonstrated better inhibitory control. Furthermore, the correlational analysis indicated that in German children, executive function correlated with the theory of mind, whereas in Iranian children, executive function was associated with perceptual functions. Age impacted the results. These results highlight the role of cultural factors in shaping cognitive functioning and emphasize the need to consider cultural influences when examining cognitive development in different populations.

Executive Functioning in Different Types of Reading Disabilities.

Students with reading disabilities form a heterogeneous group: some struggle with accurate and fast reading (dysfluent readers), others with comprehension (poor comprehenders), and some face challenges in both areas (poor readers). Research has indicated a link between executive functioning skills and reading performance; yet, further studies are necessary to fully understand the executive profiles in various types of reading disabilities. The goal of this study was to examine differences in executive functioning among three types of reading disabilities, comparing their performance with that of children without difficulties in either skill (typical readers). Ninety-one students from schools in Portugal participated in the study. The results reveal specific deficits in naming speed and cognitive flexibility in poor readers and dysfluent readers compared to the other groups. Additionally, poor readers exhibited significantly slower processing speed and lower working memory. However, no significant differences were observed in planning. Discriminant function analysis results indicated that the examined executive functions are better at discriminating groups with fluency deficits than those with comprehension difficulties. In conclusion, these results suggest distinct deficit patterns in executive functioning skills across different types of reading disabilities. Taking into account these findings is crucial for effective assessment and intervention with these children.

The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Cognitive Control Across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are strongly associated with impaired cognitive control, yet research on ACEs' effects across cognitive control domains-working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control-remains sparse. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the overall impact of ACEs on each of these cognitive control domains and explored moderating factors such as age, gender, cognitive control paradigms, and ACEs subtypes based on the dimensional model of adversity and psychopathology. A database search was conducted in SCOPUS, MedLine, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Only prospective studies were included to ensure temporal order inferences, with at least two data collection points, assessing ACEs at baseline (T1) and cognitive control during follow-up (T2). Thirty-two studies (N = 26,863) producing 124 effect sizes were analyzed. Three-level meta-analyses revealed small-to-medium negative associations between ACEs and overall cognitive control (g = -0.32), and in each domain: working memory (g = -0.28), cognitive flexibility (g = -0.28), and inhibitory control (g = -0.32). The negative associations between ACEs and cognitive control were consistent across age, gender, and cognitive control paradigms. ACEs subtypes moderated the association with cognitive flexibility (p = .04) but not working memory or inhibitory control. Specifically, the deprivation subtype exhibited a stronger negative association with cognitive flexibility compared to threat and threat-and-deprivation subtypes. These findings highlight the pervasive negative impact of ACEs on cognitive control across ages and emphasize the need for targeted interventions. Implications, current gaps, limitations in research, and future study recommendations are discussed.

Predictor factors for teacher innovative behavior during curriculum reform: The role of cognitive flexibility, positive affect, and negative affect

Teacher innovative behavior is a key capability for maximizing teacher performance as well as the student learning process, especially when teachers face new changes in their education system such as curriculum reform. However, insufficient attention has been given to understanding the interaction of predictor factors to encourage teacher innovative behavior. This study aims to assess the role of cognitive flexibility, positive affect, and negative affect in predicting teacher innovative behavior. A cross-sectional and quantitative design was used for this study. The data collection procedure used convenience sampling, with questionnaires distributed online via social media through several teacher communities. Three instruments were used: the Teacher Innovative Behavior Scale, the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule. Data were collected from 322 teachers from three educational levels. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were conducted. The result showed that cognitive flexibility and positive affect positively predict teacher innovative behavior. On the other hand, negative affect negatively predicts teacher innovative behavior. Regarding the model, the result indicates that cognitive flexibility plays a more crucial role in predicting teacher innovative behavior, explaining 28,1% of the variance in the model. Researchers and policymakers could use the outcome to create future research, policies, and programs to enhance the capabilities of teachers to perform innovative behavior, especially during the educational system’s changes.

Perihatch surge of thyroid hormone drives cognitive flexibility in newborn chicks

Early experience in infancy affects cognitive development. Birds, like mammals, acquire cognitive flexibility attributed to a well-developed telencephalon. Precocial chicks acquire imprintability just after hatching when thyroid hormone (T 3 ) flows into the brain and primes later learning. Here, we show that the perihatch synthesis of T 3 paralleling thyroid development is crucial for imprinting and endows newborn chicks with cognitive flexibility via a mechanism involving the nidopallium dorsocaudale, the avian “prefrontal cortex.” Imprinted chicks showed higher cognitive flexibility than those unimprinted in switching or reversal task experiments. Notably, we discovered that exogenous T 3 endowed similar flexibility in unimprinted chicks. Cognitive stimulation by a surge of thyroid hormone indicates a vertebrate tactic involving high cognitive ability for adapting to environmental changes.

Mindful Wealth Management: Thematic Integration and Analysis of Mindfulness in Financial Decision-Making

Purpose: This paper explores the influence of mindfulness on financial decision-making, aiming to develop a comprehensive framework that integrates psychological and behavioral finance perspectives. It addresses gaps in current literature, including the limited exploration of personality traits like openness and conscientiousness and the role of mindfulness across generations. Study Design: The research employs a conceptual analysis based on a comprehensive literature review, synthesizing insights from psychology, finance, and neurobiology. The study also examines the intersection of mindfulness and emerging financial technologies such as robo-advisors and cryptocurrencies. Findings: The study identifies how mindfulness influences financial behaviors, particularly in risk aversion, cognitive flexibility, and emotional regulation. It highlights generational differences in financial decision-making and mindfulness’s role in navigating digital financial environments. Contributions: This paper introduces a revised conceptual framework that expands the understanding of mindfulness in financial decision-making. It includes new dimensions, such as personality traits, generational differences, and the interaction between mindfulness and digital finance. Implications: The findings provide actionable insights for financial advisors, practitioners, and policymakers. Recommendations include the integration of mindfulness-based strategies tailored to individual traits and generational needs, as well as mindfulness training in leadership development programs to foster ethical and resilient decision-making.

Second Language Lexical Competence in Classroom Environment from the Perspective of Cognitive Flexibility Theory

This paper is based on the framework of cognitive flexibility theory, this study intends to test the vocabulary skills of three groups of subjects representing low, middle and high levels of English and explored the following three main questions:1. Whether there are differences in second-language vocabulary competence in the classroom environment for subjects with different language levels. 2.whether there are differences in the cognitive flexibility of subjects with different language levels. 3. whether there is a correlation between cognitive flexibility and classroom second language vocabulary competence. The purpose of this paper is to provide experiences for developing learners' ability to apply their knowledge flexibly.

Modifiable dementia risk factors associated with objective and subjective cognition.

Early detection of both objective and subjective cognitive impairment is important. Subjective complaints in healthy individuals can precede objective deficits. However, the differential associations of objective and subjective cognition with modifiable dementia risk factors are unclear. We gathered a large cross-sectional sample (N=3327, age 18 to 84) via a smartphone app and quantified the associations of 13 risk factors with subjective memory problems and three objective measures of executive function (visual working memory, cognitive flexibility, model-based planning). Depression, socioeconomic status, hearing handicap, loneliness, education, smoking, tinnitus, little exercise, small social network, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension were all associated with impairments in at least one cognitive measure. Subjective memory had the strongest link to most factors; these associations persisted after controlling for depression. Age mostly did not moderate these associations. Subjective cognition was more sensitive to self-report risk factors than objective cognition. Smartphones could facilitate detecting the earliest cognitive impairments. Smartphone assessments of cognition were sensitive to dementia risk factors. Subjective cognition had stronger links to most factors than did objective cognition. These associations were not fully explained by depression. These associations were largely consistent across the lifespan.

Prophylactic clemastine treatment improves influenza A virus-induced cognitive dysfunction in mice

Respiratory infection by influenza A virus (IAV) is known to cause systemic inflammation, neuroinflammation, and cognitive impairment. We previously found that experimental infection with IAV affected oligodendrocyte homeostasis, which was associated with altered expression of genes involved in myelin maintenance as well as the lipidome. In this study, we sought to determine if clemastine, an antihistamine with myelin promoting properties, could reverse the effects of IAV on oligodendrocyte (OL) specific genes, as well as mitigate infection-induced cognitive impairment. Male and female C57BL/6J mice were randomized into experimental groups based on clemastine treatment, infection, and sex. Treatment with vehicle or clemastine (10 mg/kg/d) commenced seven days prior to inoculation with either saline or IAV and continued throughout the experiment. Body weight was measured throughout the infection. Spatial learning and memory were assessed by Morris water maze. Sickness behavior was assessed by measuring burrowing response. Immune cell responses were determined by flow cytometry, RT-qPCR, antigen recall assays and ELISA, and viral load assessed by RT-qPCR. Hippocampal levels of neuroinflammatory (Tnf, Cdkn1a) and myelin (Plp1, Mag, Ugt8a) genes were determined by RT-qPCR. Mice infected with IAV developed weight loss, impaired cognitive flexibility, reduced burrowing behavior, altered lung immune cell infiltration, increased circulating anti-viral IgM and IgG levels and increased T cell responses to IAV epitopes. Infection increased hippocampal levels of genes associated with neuroinflammation and decreased levels of genes involved in myelination. Clemastine treatment resulted in earlier recovery of weight loss in males and increased IgM levels for both sexes, but neither affected expression levels of Tnf or Cdkn1a, nor rescued changes to oligodendrocyte genes. However, treatment mitigated infection-induced neurocognitive impairment.

Pre-choice midbrain fluctuations affect self-control in food choice: A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study.

Recent studies have shown that spontaneous pre-stimulus fluctuations in brain activity affect higher-order cognitive processes, including risky decision-making, cognitive flexibility, and aesthetic judgments. However, there is currently no direct evidence to suggest that pre-choice activity influences value-based decisions that require self-control. We examined the impact of fluctuations in pre-choice activity in key regions of the reward system on self-control in food choice. In the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner, 49 participants made 120 food choices that required self-control in high and low working memory load conditions. The task was designed to ensure that participants were cognitively engaged and not thinking about upcoming choices. We defined self-control success as choosing a food item that was healthier over one that was tastier. The brain regions of interest (ROIs) were the ventral tegmental area (VTA), putamen, nucleus accumbens (NAc), and caudate nucleus. For each participant and condition, we calculated the mean activity in the 3-s interval preceding the presentation of food stimuli in successful and failed self-control trials. These activities were then used as predictors of self-control success in a fixed-effects logistic regression model. The results indicate that increased pre-choice VTA activity was linked to a higher probability of self-control success in a subsequent food-choice task within the low-load condition, but not in the high-load condition. We posit that pre-choice fluctuations in VTA activity change the reference point for immediate (taste) reward evaluation, which may explain our finding. This suggests that the neural context of decisions may be a key factor influencing human behavior.

Game-based Training of Cognitive Functions: An Exploratory Study Involving Seniors in Switzerland

The aging population is resulting in a worldwide rising prevalence of individuals experiencing cognitive decline, whether it be normal age-related changes or pathological conditions. Game-based training in the form of serious games represents an alternative way to enhance cognitive functions among older people. We developed a set of games to train multiple cognitive functions of seniors, considering that their level of digital literacy can vary greatly. A participatory approach has been applied to the development process, involving a multidisciplinary research team and older people. Interviews, usability tests, and a workshop were run with ten seniors (70+) in Southern Switzerland to explore accessibility, usability, and preferences. This paper presents the development process and the games created. Six different games were designed to stimulate multiple cognitive functionalities (e.g., cognitive flexibility, attentiveness, and memory). The serious games run on a tablet. Following Laamarti’s classification, we developed the games to be applied in well-being and health areas, requiring mainly mental activities through visual modalities, played through a touchscreen in a 2D digital environment. Participants appreciated the experience and the challenges provided by the games, understanding the broader aim (cognitive functions training) and the rules, and could complete the required tasks. Feedback was provided on graphical elements (icons and colours), as well as with suggestions for improvements. The tablet appeared to be functional and relatively easy to use, even for first timers. The promising results of this participatory study pave the way for the follow-up phase of the project, which will gather data on the usage of the application and its effectiveness with a greater number of subjects.

Inflammation and cognitive performance in elite athletes: A cross-sectional study

Functional cognition is relevant for athletic success and interdependent with physical exercise, yet despite repeatedly demonstrated inflammatory responses to physical training, there are no studies addressing the relationship between cognition and inflammation in athletes. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive performance and selected inflammatory, and further physiological biomarkers in elite athletes. Data from 350 elite athletes regarding cognitive performance (processing speed, selective attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility), systemic inflammatory markers, metabolic hormones, growth factors, tissue damage markers, and micronutrients (e.g., ferritin, 25-OH-vitamin D), as well as physiological, subjective ratings of recovery and stress were analysed by correlative and multiple regression analyses. Results show that across all athletes variance in processing speed, selective attention, and working memory, could be best explained through a combination of metabolic hormones with physiological and psychological indicators of stress, and in cognitive flexibility through vitamin D levels. Only for the subgroup of athletes from closed-skill sports, the ratio TNF-α:IL-10 significantly contributed to explanation of variance in working memory and cognitive flexibility. In general, found correlations point to the importance of inflammatory balance and sufficient long-term nutrient supply for unaffected cognitive performance.

Psychotic Experiences Questionnaire. Part 2

BACKGROUND: On the basis of the concept of psychotic and psychotic-like experiences, delusions and auditory hallucinations presented in Part 1 of this article, the structure of the links between psychotic experiences and social anxiety and its components and psychological parameters is analyzed. A mediator model of the relationship between social anxiety and the phase of psychotic alienation — "experiencing external control" — is discussed. AIM: To investigate the parameters and stages of development of psychotic and psychotic-like experiences registered with the Psychotic Experiences Questionnaire in the context of analyzing the structure of relationships with psychological variables (social anxiety, metacognitive and cognitive phenomena). Тo construct a mediator model of the indirect effect of social anxiety components on the “experience of being controlled externally” mediated by thought suppression (“polar bear effect”). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample — 122 respondents, includes non-clinical and two clinical groups — with symptoms of the affective spectrum and with symptoms of the psychotic spectrum. The author's ‘Psychotic Experiences Questionnaire’ was used to assess the severity of psychotic experiences, the scales of which represent the phases of the unfolding of the experiences. Social anxiety and its components (author's “Social Anxiety and Social Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire”), cognitive (“Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire”, “Behavioural Self-Regulation Style — SSPM 2020” questionnaire) and metacognitive (Thought Suppression Scale, author's “Self-Focused Attention Questionnaire”) strategies were determined. RESULTS: Pearson correlation analysis showed significant ‘direct’ associations of early and moderate psychotic and psychotic-like experiences with social anxiety and its components, metacognitive (self-focused attention and thought suppression) parameters, and ‘inverse’ links with cognitive parameters (cognitive component of conscious self-regulation and cognitive flexibility). Correlations with psychological parameters become insignificant in intense psychotic experiences. Using mediator analysis, the full indirect effects of the social anxiety components influence on the enhancement of “experiencing being controlled externally” as a phase of psychotic experiences maximum intensity were measured (mediator — thought suppression). CONCLUSION: Metacognitive strategies, social anxiety, disturbed self-regulation and flexibility play an important role in the genesis and maintenance of psychotic experiences. Significant correlations of the parameters with psychotic experience are shown, but at the height of alienation the significant correlations weaken. At the height of psychotic experience in the absence of direct effects it is possible to explicate the indirect influence of the predictor — social anxiety on the experience of controllability from the outside, mediated by thought suppression. This article is a continuation of the article by Sagalakova OA, Truevtsev DV, Zhirnova OV. Psychotic Experiences Questionnaire. Part 1. Neurology Bulletin. 2024;56(1):23–36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/nb623959

Inhibitory control and working memory predict rhythm production abilities in patients with neurocognitive deficits

Deficits in rhythm perception and production have been reported in a variety of psychiatric, neurodevelopmental and neurologic disorders. Since correlations between rhythmic abilities and cognitive functions have been demonstrated in neurotypical individuals, we here investigate whether and how rhythmic abilities are associated with cognitive functions in 35 participants with neurocognitive deficits due to acquired brain lesions. We systematically assessed a diverse set of rhythm perception and production abilities including time and beat perception and finger-tapping tasks. Neuropsychological tests were applied to assess separable cognitive functions. Using multiple regression analyses we show that lower variability in aligning movements to a pacing sequence was predicted by better inhibitory control and better working memory performance. Working memory performance also predicted lower variability of rhythmic movements in the absence of an external pacing sequence and better anticipatory timing to sequences with gradual tempo changes. Importantly, these predictors remained significant for all regression models when controlling for other cognitive variables (i.e., cognitive flexibility, information processing speed, and verbal learning ability) and potential confounders (i.e., age, symptom strength of depression, manual dexterity, duration of illness, severity of cognitive impairment, and musical experience). Thus, all rhythm production abilities were significantly predicted by measures of executive functions. In contrast, rhythm perception abilities (time perception/beat perception) were not predicted by executive functions in this study. Our results, enhancing the understanding of cognitive underpinnings of rhythmic abilities in individuals with neurocognitive deficits, may be a first mandatory step to further potential therapeutic implications of rhythm-based interventions in neuropsychological rehabilitation.

Eye-tracking training improves visuospatial working memory of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder.

Given the close connection between eye movement and frontal lobe functions and some evidence supporting the effect of eye-tracking training on enhancing cognitive performance mediated by the frontal lobe, this study aimed to explore if after-school eye-tracking training can improve the visuospatial working memory (VSWM) and cognitive flexibility performance in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study is a non-randomized cluster trial. Forty children from eight primary schools were selected, half receiving eye-tracking training for 20 sessions over 9 months, while the other half served as a waitlist control. They were matched on demographic characteristics and baseline cognitive performance. Their VSWM and cognitive flexibility were assessed at the beginning and end of the study. Results showed that children who received eye-tracking training, but not those on a waitlist, exhibited significant improvements in the total score and working memory span of the VSWM tests, and the correct responses in cognitive flexibility tests. Specifically, VSWM performance at higher span levels (5 or above) yielded a greater improvement. The findings suggest that eye-tracking training can be a feasible and effective after-school program for improving working memory and cognitive flexibility performance in children with ADHD and ASD. This study was prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov/, trial number: NCT05428657).