10. Thinking & 12. Decisions, Goals, and Actions Flashcards
what are 2 broad types of cognitive operatios linked to the executive system
- guide behaviour by internal representations
> formulation of plans and then guiding behaviour according to those plans
- capacity of “switching” gears when something unexpected happens
what is meant by “mental flexibility”?
how to test?
mental flexibility
> capacity to respons rapidly to unanticipated environmental contingencies
> frequently used: wisconsin card sorting test, measures decision making and rule adaptation
tower of london task
> what does it measure
> which brain regions active in which subjects?
tower of london task:
> multiple steps have to be taken to reach the goal
> subject has to develop a plan and execute
> activation in DLPFC, with more activation in subjects who found the task difficult
what are the two broad types problem solving?
problem solving
- explicit - clear, conscious goal, clearly defined steps
> e.g. mental arithmetic
> more executive control, higher mental workload, more cortical activation
- implicit - not conscious
> e.g. learning a language as a child
> less executive control, less mental workload, less conscious access, less cortical activation
controlled vs automatic behaviour
> what does the SAS do?
Supervisory Attentional System:
> some familiar tasks can be completed with minimal attention
> when something unexpected happens, the SAS disrupts ongoing behaviour and sets up novel actions/cognitive procedures
what is the n -back task?
> wat does task load predict?
n-back task:
> subject has to hold in mind the stimulus showed n trials before
> higher n, higher mental effort
> the task load predicts cortical activation
what is one role of the ACC in executive functioning?
> which brodman?
Anterior Cingulate Cortex (Brodman 24)
> inhibitory effect on frontal lobes
> may help us to resist being distracted
what is a function of the dACC?
> what do monkeys with lesion do?
> when most active?
> conclusion?
dorsal anterior cingulate cortex
> detection of errors and of response conflicts (potential errors)
> monkeys with lesions do not troubleshoot after making an error
> is most active while making error, not afterwards
> possibly ACC detects but does not correct conflicts and errors
what are the 2 suggested regions in the ACC?
> how do they differ in executive functioning?
both involved in error detection
> dorsal ACC: cognitive tasks
> ventral ACC: emotional tasks
which brain regions active in tip-of-the-tongue state?
temporal and frontal regions
frontal lobes are also called …?
why?
frontal lobes are also called the silet lobes
> they could not be linked to any single, easily defined function
> this was earlier
what is important to know when neuroimaging the executive brain?
> any experimental task used in a neuroimaging study will necessarily involve some activation in the executive brain regions and throughout the brain
frontal lobe dysfunction
> what are symptoms of dorsolateral PFC dysfunction?
dorsolateral PFC dysfunction
> perseverative behaviour (inability to initiate and to end behaviour)
> field dependent behaviour (act dependent from objects not situations e.g. drink from empty cup)
> mental rigidity
> typically flat affect (emotionless voice and facial expression)
frontal lobe dysfunction
> symptoms of orbitofrontal dysfunction
orbitofrontal dysfunction
> opposite of dorsolateral
> emotionally disinhibited, poor impulse control
> severly impaired ability to inhibit the urge for instant gratification
> “immature personality”
which region in PFC possibly the least well understood?
orbitofrontal cortexx
