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Executive Function Tasks (executive + function_task)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Psychology	50%

Selected Abstracts

Fronto-striatal dysfunction and potential compensatory mechanisms in male adolescents with fragile X syndrome

HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 6 2007
Fumiko Hoeft
Abstract Response inhibition is an important facet of executive function. Fragile X syndrome (FraX), with a known genetic etiology (fragile X mental retardation-1 (FMR1) mutation) and deficits in response inhibition, may be an ideal condition for elucidating interactions among gene-brain-behavior relationships. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have shown evidence of aberrant neural activity when individuals with FraX perform executive function tasks, though the specific nature of this altered activity or possible compensatory processes has yet to be elucidated. To address this question, we examined brain activation patterns using fMRI during a go/nogo task in adolescent males with FraX and in controls. The critical comparison was made between FraX individuals and age, gender, and intelligent quotient (IQ)-matched developmentally delayed controls; in addition to a control group of age and gender-matched typically developing individuals. The FraX group showed reduced activation in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and right caudate head, and increased contralateral (left) VLPFC activation compared with both control groups. Individuals with FraX, but not controls, showed a significant positive correlation between task performance and activation in the left VLPFC. This potential compensatory activation was predicted by the interaction between FMR1 protein (FMRP) levels and right striatal dysfunction. These results suggest that right fronto-striatal dysfunction is likely an identifiable neuro-phenotypic feature of FraX and that activation of the left VLPFC during successful response inhibition may reflect compensatory processes. We further show that these putative compensatory processes can be predicted by a complex interaction between genetic risk and neural function. Hum Brain Mapp, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

In first presentation adolescent anorexia nervosa, do cognitive markers of underweight status change with weight gain following a refeeding intervention?

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 4 2010
Ainslie Hatch BA
Abstract Objective: To determine the nature and severity of cognitive functioning impairment in adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN) when underweight and following weight gain. Method: In 37 first admission adolescent (12,18 years) AN patients and 45 matched controls, general cognitive functions were assessed at baseline and follow-up using the IntegNeuro-computerized battery. AN participants were tested between days 3 and 10 of their admission when underweight, with retesting conducted after weight restoration. Results: When underweight, AN participants performed more poorly than controls on sensori-motor speed tasks and exhibited a susceptibility to interference, but had superior working memory. Once the weight is restored, individuals significantly improved relative to their own performance. Relative to controls, they were significantly faster on attention and executive function tasks, exhibited superior verbal fluency, working memory, and a significantly superior ability to inhibit well-learnt responses. Discussion: Cognitive impairments in adolescent AN appear to normalize with refeeding and weight gain. © 2009 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2010 [source]

Cognitive deficits in narcolepsy

JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, Issue 3 2006
A. NAUMANN
Summary The aim of the investigations was to explore the nature and the severity of cognitive deficits in narcolepsy patients. In two studies, narcolepsy patients were compared with matched control subjects on a range of attention, memory and executive control tasks. Impairments were only observed on attention and executive function tasks which involved higher demands on inhibition or task management abilities whereas relatively routine memory and attention tasks yielded intact performance in narcolepsy patients. The overall pattern of results indicates an executive control deficit in narcolepsy which might be related to a reduction of available cognitive processing resources because of the need for continuous allocation of resources to monitoring and maintenance of vigilance. [source]

Neurocognitive Function and Joint Attention Ability in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Versus Developmental Delay

CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2002
Geraldine Dawson
Studies have shown that young children with autism are not impaired on prefrontal tasks relative to what would be expected for their mental age, raising questions about the executive dysfunction hypothesis of autism. These studies did not include ventromedial prefrontal tasks, however. The present study examined whether young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are impaired on ventromedial prefrontal tasks, and whether performance on such tasks is correlated with a core autism symptom, joint attention ability. Seventy-two 3- to 4-year-old children with ASD, 34 3- to 4-year-old developmentally delayed children, and 39 12- to 46-month-old typically developing children, matched on mental age, were administered ventromedial and dorsolateral prefrontal tasks and joint attention tasks. Children with ASD performed similarly to comparison groups on all executive function tasks, indicating that at this early age, there is no autism-specific pattern of executive dysfunction. Ventromedial, but not dorsolateral, prefrontal task performance was strongly correlated with joint attention ability, however. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is hypothesized to play a role in the development of joint attention and possibly some aspects of the autistic syndrome. [source]