Cognitive Control

What is cognitive control?

The intentional selection of actions, thoughts, and emotions in accordance with current goals, context, and task demands.

What is required for cognitive control?

Voluntary, goal-directed behaviour.

What are executive functions?

A range of processes involved in cognitive control such as working memory, decision-making, and task-switching.

Name two examples of cognitive control in everyday life.

Staying focused on studies while resisting social media, or being patient when frustrated.

What is the aim of cognitive control tasks?

To assess the ability to inhibit inappropriate responses and make correct actions.

Give an example of a task used to measure cognitive control.

Stroop task.

What do participants need to do in the Stroop task?

Name the color of the ink rather than reading the word.

How do competing goals affect cognitive control?

They can create interference and complicate decision-making.

What role does the prefrontal cortex play in cognitive control?

It is involved in inhibiting inappropriate responses and directing attention.

What processes does the anterior cingulate cortex support?

Detection of response conflict during task performance.

Define 'goal-directed behavior' in the context of cognitive control.

Behavior that is directed towards achieving a current goal.

What is the impact of lesions in the prefrontal cortex on cognitive tasks?

They can impair cognitive control functions like attention and decision-making.

What are the two subregions of the PFC discussed?

Prelimbic and infralimbic PFC.

What does the dorsolateral PFC do?

Holds the rule in mind for decision-making.

What is the significance of parallel activation in cognitive control?

It explains how multiple pathways can lead to competing responses.

What defines a task-switching process?

The ability to shift attention and resources from one task to another.

How can cognition be affected in schizophrenia?

Cognitive impairments include speed of processing and working memory.

What behavioral symptom does impulsivity entail in cognitive control?

The tendency to act without thinking or planning.

How do rats demonstrate executive functions?

They exhibit selective attention, behavioral inhibition, and task-switching abilities.

What does fMRI data show about cognitive control?

It highlights brain areas that are active during cognitive control tasks.

What role does contextual information play in cognitive tasks?

It helps disambiguate responses in complex situations.

What psychological disorders are linked to cognitive control impairments?

Dementia, ADHD, schizophrenia, and addiction.

What does 'inhibitory control' refer to?

The ability to control impulses and refrain from acting on them.

What impact does chronic methamphetamine use have on cognitive control?

It leads to cognitive deficits that persist after drug cessation.

How is decision-making impaired in individuals with addiction?

Their ability to weigh risks and benefits can be compromised.

What does the term 'executive dysfunction' mean?

Impairments in tasks that require cognitive control and executive functions.

How is the Stroop task an example of response conflict?

Participants face a conflict between reading the word and naming its color.

What does the term 'rule application' refer to in cognitive control?

Using known rules to guide behavior in decision-making situations.

Why is the anterior cingulate cortex critical in cognitive control tasks?

It is essential for detecting conflicts in responses based on rules.

Describe the outcome of acute ketamine administration in relation to cognitive control.

It impairs the ability to use contextual cues in decision-making.

What is cognitive control?

The intentional selection of actions, thoughts, and emotions in accordance with current goals, context, and task demands.

What is required for cognitive control?

Voluntary, goal-directed behaviour.

What are executive functions?

A range of processes involved in cognitive control such as working memory, decision-making, and task-switching.

Name two examples of cognitive control in everyday life.

Staying focused on studies while resisting social media, or being patient when frustrated.

What is the aim of cognitive control tasks?

To assess the ability to inhibit inappropriate responses and make correct actions.

Give an example of a task used to measure cognitive control.

Stroop task.

What do participants need to do in the Stroop task?

Name the color of the ink rather than reading the word.

How do competing goals affect cognitive control?

They can create interference and complicate decision-making.

What role does the prefrontal cortex play in cognitive control?

It is involved in inhibiting inappropriate responses and directing attention.

What processes does the anterior cingulate cortex support?

Detection of response conflict during task performance.

Define 'goal-directed behavior' in the context of cognitive control.

Behavior that is directed towards achieving a current goal.

What is the impact of lesions in the prefrontal cortex on cognitive tasks?

They can impair cognitive control functions like attention and decision-making.

What are the two subregions of the PFC discussed?

Prelimbic and infralimbic PFC.

What does the dorsolateral PFC do?

Holds the rule in mind for decision-making.

What is the significance of parallel activation in cognitive control?

It explains how multiple pathways can lead to competing responses.

What defines a task-switching process?

The ability to shift attention and resources from one task to another.

How can cognition be affected in schizophrenia?

Cognitive impairments include speed of processing and working memory.

What behavioral symptom does impulsivity entail in cognitive control?

The tendency to act without thinking or planning.

How do rats demonstrate executive functions?

They exhibit selective attention, behavioral inhibition, and task-switching abilities.

What does fMRI data show about cognitive control?

It highlights brain areas that are active during cognitive control tasks.

What role does contextual information play in cognitive tasks?

It helps disambiguate responses in complex situations.

What psychological disorders are linked to cognitive control impairments?

Dementia, ADHD, schizophrenia, and addiction.

What does 'inhibitory control' refer to?

The ability to control impulses and refrain from acting on them.

What impact does chronic methamphetamine use have on cognitive control?

It leads to cognitive deficits that persist after drug cessation.

How is decision-making impaired in individuals with addiction?

Their ability to weigh risks and benefits can be compromised.

What does the term 'executive dysfunction' mean?

Impairments in tasks that require cognitive control and executive functions.

How is the Stroop task an example of response conflict?

Participants face a conflict between reading the word and naming its color.

What does the term 'rule application' refer to in cognitive control?

Using known rules to guide behavior in decision-making situations.

Why is the anterior cingulate cortex critical in cognitive control tasks?

It is essential for detecting conflicts in responses based on rules.

Describe the outcome of acute ketamine administration in relation to cognitive control.

It impairs the ability to use contextual cues in decision-making.

What is the primary role of the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PFC) in cognitive control?

It is involved in goal-directed behavior and decision-making by representing outcomes of actions.

What is the primary role of the infralimbic prefrontal cortex (PFC) in cognitive control?

It is associated with extinction of conditioned responses and inhibiting prepotent (automatic) responses.

Define 'cognitive flexibility' in relation to cognitive control.

The ability to adapt behavior and thought processes in response to changing environmental demands or rules.