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PS3032 > Executive Dysfunction > Flashcards

Executive Dysfunction Flashcards

1
Q

What is the executive function?

A

Allows for the maintenance of goals

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2
Q

What are the components of the executive function?

A
  1. Inhibition
  2. Visual imagery - ability to hold images in mind
  3. Inner voice
  4. Emotional control
  5. Planning and problem solving
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3
Q

What categories can the components of the executive function be grouped into?

A

1) Inhibition of inappropriate behaviour
2) Control of emotions
3) Planning and problem solving

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4
Q

What are the issues with definitions of executive function?

A

1) resemble definition for intelligence

2) matches the norms of a society

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5
Q

What are the characteristics of ADHD?

A

Inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness

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6
Q

How can ADHD affect people?

A

An impairment despite normal IQ

  • Large number of adults matched with IQ followed for 15 years
  • Higher number with ADHD were suspended, fired from employment or had not graduated high school
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7
Q

What can executive dysfunction also be a symptom of?

A
  • Schizophrenia
  • Depression
  • Dementia
  • Parkinsons
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8
Q

What is the clinical definition of executive dysfunction?

A

A mismatch between intelligence and disability in real life tasks

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9
Q

What are the cognitive psychology definitions of executive function?

A

A family of top-down mental proccesses which are needed to concentrate and pay attention when going on intuition would be ill advised

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10
Q

What are common diagnostic tests for executive dysfunction?

A
  • Stroop task
  • Card sorting task (into deck, told if correct or incorrect, rule not known)
  • Fluency task (write as many words starting with the same letter in 2 minutes)
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11
Q

What do the diagnostic tests for executive dysfunction measure?

A

Stroop - inhibition, flexibility
Card - inhibition, flexibility, working memory
Fluency - working memory, planning and inhibition

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12
Q

What are the potential problems with tests of executive function?

A
  • Relies on language ability which can be impacted by aphasia
  • Normal executive function can worsen to to other factors e.g lack of sleep
  • The emotional aspect of executive dysfunction is not assesed
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13
Q

What are the two components of the short term memory?

A
  • Short term storage

- Working memory

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14
Q

What brain regions are activation of the working memory associated with?

A

Frontal, parietal and temporal cortex

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15
Q

What are the roles of norepinephrine and dopamine in executive function?

A
  • Both modulate neuronal firing in attentional systems
  • Too little or too much can result in faulty firing
  • Therefore can be used to treat executive dysfunction, however, effect depends on starting state
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16
Q

What is cognitive rehabilitation?

A
  • Can train working memory, independence and compensation in patients with frontal lobe brain lesions - however no significant measure increase in working memory, global EF or quality of life (meta-analysis of 13 studies)
17
Q

What measures have tried to improve executive function in children?

A
  • Cognitive training
  • Sports
    However only a few poorly designed studies
    Training only helps individuals with low EF score
18
Q

What evidence is there that self control is ‘like a muscle’?

A

People who had to resist eating a cookie and instead eat a radish then performed more poorly on an executive function task

19
Q

What are cognitive enhancer drugs?

A

ADHD drugs taken by healthy people in order to enhance productivity for intellectual challenges

  • Taken in 1/4 >25 years
  • Reported increase in mental energy and sustained thinking
20
Q

What have meta-analyses of cognitive enhancers found?

A

Ritalin-C
- Significant increase in memory but not on EF
- Sleep deprived individuals overestimate performnce
Modafinil
- Improvement in attention and wakefulness
- Improvement of executive function in sleep deprived individuals

21
Q

How effective is cognitive training in ADHD treatment?

A
  • Improved working memory performance but limited effects of ADHD symptoms
  • Little transfer - may need to target a greater variety of neuropsychological deficits
22
Q

Give an example of a working memory task vs a short term storage task

A

Working memory - verbal 2-back test, shown letters with task of stating whether each letter was shown two slides ago
Short term storage - was letter in previously shown group

23
Q

Where is norepinephrine produced in the brain?

A

In locus coreolus

24
Q

How effective are pharmacological treatments of ADHD?

A

Have shown some positive long term effects as far as in self-esteem, social functioning and academics. However limited effects on antisocial behaviour and problems in occupation

PS3032 (5 decks)

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