Differential Relations of Parental Behavior to Children’s Early Executive Function as a Function of Child Genotype: A Systematic Review

Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review - Child genotype is an important biologically based indicator of sensitivity to the effects of parental behavior on children’s executive function...     

Executive Cognitive Function as a Correlate and Predictor of Child Food Intake and Physical Activity

Investigated were relations among executive cognitive function (ECF), food intake, and physical activity in 184, fourth grade children. It was hypothesized that self-reported ECF proficiency would predict greater self-reported fruit/vegetable intake and physical activity, but less “snack food” intake. Structural models demonstrated that ECF was significantly correlated with less concurrent snack food intake and greater concurrent fruit/vegetable intake, but not physical activity. Baseline ECF also significantly predicted greater fruit/vegetable intake and physical activity four months later, but not snack food intake. One implication is to promote ECF as a correlate and predictor of food intake and physical activity in children by providing opportunities for youth to practice newly developing ECF capacities.     

执行功能与精神分裂症

执行功能障碍是精神分裂症最重要的认知功能障碍,与精神分裂症其它方面的障碍有着密不可分的关系。文章在相关的认知神经心理学和临床研究的基础上,分别综述了精神分裂症执行功能障碍的特点、研究方法、相关脑机制,执行功能与注意、记忆等一般认知功能间的关系,执行功能与精神症状间的联系及其在诊断、康复、判断预后方面的作用等。对精神分裂症执行功能障碍的认识有助于更深入地理解其病因机制,并有利于临床评价与防治     

Assessment and Development of Executive Function (EF) During Childhood

This review paper outlines the issues associated with the assessment of executive function (EF) in children and adolescents, and describes the developmental profile of executive processes across childhood. At the outset, EF is defined, and cognitive and behavioral impairments associated with executive dysfunction (EDF) are described. A developmental model of EF is proposed incorporating four discrete but inter-related executive domains (attentional control, cognitive flexibility, goal setting, and information processing) which operate in an integrative manner to enable “executive control”. Characteristics that constitute traditional EF measures are discussed, as are the problems associated with test interpretation. The ecological validity of EF tests and neuropsychological assessment procedures are examined, and adjunct methods of measurement are presented to enable a more comprehensive and valid assessment of EF. Based on developmental and normative studies, the maturation of executive domains is mapped. Attentional control appears to emerge in infancy and develop rapidly in early childhood. In contrast, cognitive flexibility, goal setting, and information processing experience a critical period of development between 7 and 9 years of age, and are relatively mature by 12 years of age. A transitional period is thought to occur at the beginning of adolescence, and shortly after “executive control” is likely to emerge. In order to confirm our current understanding of EF development and further enhance our understanding of brain-behavior relationships, longitudinal studies incorporating structural and functional neuroimaging are required.     

执行功能与数量加工：回顾与展望

回顾了执行功能与数量加工之间的复杂关系。其中,执行功能的4个子系统——抑制、转换、刷新和双任务协调对数量加工的影响各不相同：抑制可以在一定程度上改变数量加工时的自动激活程度;转换功能则主要依赖注意来进行调节;刷新与数量加工关系的研究成果比较少;而双任务协调与数量加工之间的联系存在争论。文章最后分3个方面进行了研究趋势的展望,认为未来执行功能与数量加工的研究将突破相关研究的局限,通过更精巧的设计和大量特殊被试的研究取得突破性进展。     

聋童执行功能发展：聋童与正常儿童的比较

利用标准Dimensional Change Card Sort任务(DCCS),对76名智力正常的3~8岁聋童和78名3~5.5岁的正常儿童进行了对比测试,旨在考察聋童执行功能发展的年龄特征与发展水平。结果发现,3岁组的聋童和正常儿童在DCCS任务上的表现没有显著性差异,但正常儿童在4~4.5岁时进入一个迅速发展期,而聋童要在6岁时才有快速的发展,到7岁后才相当于正常儿童5岁的发展水平,大约滞后2年。研究认为,造成聋童执行功能发展滞后的原因主要有：（1）语言符号系统和聋童特有的符号系统之间可能存在的差异;（2）聋童可能存在计划和灵活性的缺陷;（3）聋童可能存在命名和标识策略上的困难和注意机制的缺陷。结合关于聋童心理理论发展滞后于正常儿童7年以上的报道,心理理论发展和执行功能发展在聋童身上表现出较大的不一致性。     

3～5岁幼儿执行功能的发展

该研究在两种理论背景下,探讨了3~5 岁幼儿执行功能年龄发展特征。通过运用8种不同的执行功能任务,结果发现,从3 岁到4 岁是幼儿执行功能发展的重要时期;但执行功能的不同类型在发展的趋势上有所不同,表现为:抑制控制及“热”执行功能的发展主要在3~4 岁之间,而计划控制和“冷”执行功能在3~5岁期间都有显著的发展。     

大脑前扣带回皮层与执行功能

回顾了近期有关大脑前扣带回皮层（ACC）参与执行功能的研究资料。结果显示,ACC可以对正在进行的目标定向行为实施在线监控,在出现反应冲突或错误时提供信号,以便能及时调整与分配注意资源,因此可能是一个行为规划与执行的高级调控结构。这两年来的新发现提示,ACC的执行监控作用可能是基于动机与奖赏期待做出的对“意志行动”的整合性控制,并可能具有对行动结果的情绪评价意义。     

执行功能与儿童数学认知

儿童数学认知能力的发展与儿童执行功能之间有着密切的联系.这种联系不仅仅表现在认知加工机制方面,如工作记忆、抑制控制等,还涉及到深层的认知神经机制,如前额叶皮质等.此外,儿童数学认知和执行功能在研究范式上也存在着一些共同的模式,例如冲突抑制任务和规则转换任务等.     

Interaction Between the Development of Postural Control and the Executive Function of Attention

The authors examined the interaction between the development of postural control and the development of the executive function of attention in 13 children and 6 adults in dual-task conditions. Participants performed an attentionally demanding cognitive task and a postural task simultaneously. The authors equalized the attentional load of the cognitive task across age groups. Comparative changes in the center of pressure in dual- and single-task conditions indicated that dual tasks interfered with postural performance in the wide stance (WS) and the modified Romberg stance (RS). Children at 4-6 years of age (but not children at ages 7-12 years of age or adults) experienced postural control interference in both stance positions, but interference was greater in the RS (p = .018). For all participants, cognitive task performance in RS was unchanged from that in WS. The knowledge gained from the results of this study will contribute to the design and implementation of academic and preacademic programming for young children. Their performance of an intentionally demanding cognitive task would be enhanced by the provision of appropriately sized desks and chairs or their use of an alternate, less demanding position.     

Executive Function and the Frontal Lobes: A Meta-Analytic Review

Currently, there is debate among scholars regarding how to operationalize and measure executive functions. These functions generally are referred to as “supervisory” cognitive processes because they involve higher level organization and execution of complex thoughts and behavior. Although conceptualizations vary regarding what mental processes actually constitute the “executive function” construct, there has been a historical linkage of these “higher-level” processes with the frontal lobes. In fact, many investigators have used the term “frontal functions” synonymously with “executive functions” despite evidence that contradicts this synonymous usage. The current review provides a critical analysis of lesion and neuroimaging studies using three popular executive function measures (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Phonemic Verbal Fluency, and Stroop Color Word Interference Test) in order to examine the validity of the executive function construct in terms of its relation to activation and damage to the frontal lobes. Empirical lesion data are examined via meta-analysis procedures along with formula derivatives. Results reveal mixed evidence that does not support a one-to-one relationship between executive functions and frontal lobe activity. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of construing the validity of these neuropsychological tests in anatomical, rather than cognitive and behavioral, terms.     

The Contribution of Executive Function to Source Memory Development in Early Childhood

Age-related differences in episodic memory judgments assessing recall of fact information and the source of this information were examined. The role of executive function (EF) in supporting early episodic memory ability was also explored. Four- and 6-year-old children were taught 10 novel facts from two different sources (experimenter or puppet), and memory for both fact and source information was later tested. Measures of working memory, inhibitory control, and set shifting were obtained to produce an indicator of children's EF. Six-year-olds recalled more fact and source information than did 4-year-olds. Regression analyses revealed that age, language ability, and EF accounted for unique variance in children's fact recall and source recall performance. These findings suggest a link between episodic memory and EF, and we propose that developmental investigations should further explore this association.