Chapter 3 executive functions

executive functions

Higher-level cognitive processes that help a person plan, organize, initiate, monitor, and adjust goal-directed behavior.

Why are executive functions important in everyday life?

They help people manage tasks, solve problems, make decisions, control impulses, adapt to changes, and complete activities independently.

problem solving

Recognizing a problem, identifying what is wrong, generating possible solutions, choosing a solution, and evaluating the outcome.

planning

Identifying an end goal and determining the steps needed to reach it.

what is multitasking

Attempting to perform two or more tasks at the same time.

What is metacognition?

Thinking about your own thinking—being aware of how you perform, recognizing strengths and weaknesses, and monitoring whether your goals are being achieved

metacognitive knowledge?

Understanding one's own abilities, limitations, and the strategies that help or hinder performance.

What is self-awareness

Recognizing an impairment, understanding how it affects daily life, and anticipating situations in which difficulties may occur.

What brain region is especially associated with executive functions

The prefrontal cortex. However, executive functioning depends on networks involving multiple cortical and subcortical structures.

What is the general role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the lecture model?

Monitoring and adjusting behavior using working memory and executive processes.

What is the general role of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex?

Arousal, motivation, and initiation of activity.

How can executive dysfunction affect communication?

It can interfere with planning what to say, adapting language to a situation, inhibiting inappropriate comments, maintaining relevant information, and monitoring a listener's responses.

Which conditions can be associated with executive dysfunction?

TBI, left or right hemisphere stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, and other neurological conditions.

What is the BRIEF-A?

The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function–Adult. It is a self-report measure of executive functioning and self-regulation in everyday environments.

What is the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX)

A measure used to examine difficulties associated with executive dysfunction in everyday life

What is SMART (Strategic Memory and Reasoning Training)?

An approach that emphasizes understanding the overall meaning or gist of information, filtering irrelevant details, and reasoning abstractly rather than focusing on memorizing isolated facts