week 10

Set of flashcards covering key concepts related to executive function and higher-order thinking in neuropsychology.

Executive Function

Skills used to manage everyday tasks like making plans, solving problems, and adapting to new situations.

Frontal Lobe

Brain region that plays a prominent role in executive function and controlling behavior toward a goal.

Contention Scheduling

A cognitive system that enables automatic processing learned over time, proposed by Shallice.

Supervisory Attentional System

Cognitive system required to direct attention and guide action through decision processes, as suggested by Shallice.

Environmental Dependency Syndrome

Condition where a person appears disinhibited and unable to control behavior or urges due to frontal lobe damage.

Perseveration

The repetition of the same action or thought due to inhibited control from frontal lobe damage.

Task-Setting

Type of executive ability involving organizing and planning tasks, typically linked to left lateral regions of the brain.

Error-Related Negativity (ERN)

An event-related potential that occurs approximately 100 ms after an error is made, indicating monitoring of performance.

Higher-Order Thinking

More complex aspects of thought including abstract thinking, deduction of rules, and flexibility in response.

Cognitive Flexibility

The ability to adapt and change responses or strategies in novel situations.

Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC)

Region of the brain involved in working memory, planning, and decision making.

Judgment and Decision Making

Process where the frontopolar cortex is important for evaluating strategies and making choices based on potential rewards.

Tower of London Task

A task used to assess strategy and sequencing in problem-solving, particularly affected by frontal lobe damage.

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)

Classic neuropsychological test used to examine task-switching abilities and executive function.

Self-Monitoring and Evaluation

The skill of assessing and adjusting one's own behavior, often impaired by frontal lobe lesions.

Novelty

An event or situation with a low probability of occurring that captures attention and prompts flexible responses.

Working Memory

System used to hold and manipulate information for cognitive tasks, essential for planning and maintaining goals.