Week Four Flashcards

1
Q

What is Executive Functioning

A
  • The ability to over-ride automatic behaviours in order to deal with novel situations.
    • The ability to switch flexibility between tasks.
    • The ability to carry out a task while holding in mind other goals.
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2
Q

hot executive functioning

A

Performance in a social or emotional environment

Usually people have worse performance.

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3
Q

cold executive functioning

A

Less context processes, less emotionally invested

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4
Q

prefrontal cortex

A

• One common subdivision of the prefrontal cortex is into three ‘regions’:
• Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
• Orbitofrontal cortex
• Mediofrontal cortex
Frontal lobes are connected with other cortical and subcortical regions of the brain.

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5
Q

Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex

A
  • DLPC is involved in cognitive operations.
  • Often labelled the executive circuit
  • Is also implicated in the mediation of emotional, motivational and social behaviour.
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6
Q

deficits in the DLPC

A
  • Working memory
  • Planning, task setting and problem solving
  • Sequencing
  • Selective and sustained attention
  • Perseveration
  • Inhibition
    Cognitive flexibility
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7
Q

testing DLPC damage

A
  • F-A-S test (give words for each letter of the alphabet) with someone who has damage may repeat items or get stuck.
  • Digit span backwards, backwards 7’s, N- back task
  • Tower of hanoi
  • Stroop
  • Wisconsin card sort
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8
Q

orbitofrontal cortex

A
  • Involved in the mediation of emotional and social responses.
  • Responsible for executive processing of emotional stimuli.

Deficits can include:

  • Emotional lability
  • Diminished social insight
  • Socially inappropriate behaviour, especially conversational skills
  • Difficulties with changing reinforcements
  • Lack of sensitivity to future outcomes, both positive and negative.
  • Lack of empathy
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9
Q

mediofrontal cortex

A
  • Very rare to get isolated damage
  • Involved in response monitoring
  • Error detection
  • Deciding between competing responses
  • Motivation or drive behaviour

Deficits following damage may include:

  • Apathy
  • Akinesia (motor responses reduced)
  • Difficulties with emotion: flat affect (can still be enthusiastic but does not outwardly express it)
  • Difficulties with decision-making
  • Diminished verbal output
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10
Q

clinical implications of executive functioning

A
  • Difficulties with activities of daily life
  • Mood disturbances
  • Disordered eating behaviour
  • Other risky behaviours
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11
Q

when is executive functioning required?

A

Executive functions required when

- Planning and decision making needed 
- Error correction or troubleshooting required 
- Non-automatic or novel responses to be made 
- Dangerous or technically complicated responses needed 
- Need to overcome habit or temptation
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12
Q

What is included in one conceptualisation of executive functioning?

A

Volition
- Goal/intention formulation, motivation, self awareness etc.
Planning
- Conceptualise change, think abstractly, ability to conceive of alternative solutions and make choices, impulse control, sustained attention, memory.
Purposive action
- Initiative, maintain attention, which and stop sequences of complex behaviour (non-routine).

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