2～3.5岁儿童执行功能发展特点及其言语能力的影响

2~3.5岁是婴儿成长到幼儿的重要发展转折期,也是儿童执行功能及言语能力的发展萌芽期。研究通过测查北京市81名2~3.5岁儿童在固定盒子任务、搭积木任务、A非B任务和皮博迪图片词汇测验上的表现,探究了该年龄段儿童执行功能的发展特点、各成分间的内部关系、以及言语能力对执行功能的影响。结果发现:(1)在2~3.5岁期间,除认知灵活性外,儿童的工作记忆与抑制控制均快速发展,其中,2.5岁前后是工作记忆与抑制控制的重要发展时期;(2)在2~3岁期间,认知灵活性与工作记忆之间相关密切,在3~3.5岁期间,认知灵活性与抑制控制的相关密切,3岁是儿童执行功能内部成分关系的重要发展转折期;(3)在2~3.5岁期间,儿童言语能力呈现快速发展,并且言语能力对该年龄段执行功能各成分间关系产生一定的影响,但不同言语能力的儿童在执行功能各成分的表现并没有显著差异。     

多巴胺D2受体参与调节感觉门控的机制

精神分裂症是一种常见的病因不明的精神疾病。大量文献表明精神分裂症患者所表现出来的认知紊乱和思维异常等症状与感觉门控功能的缺失有密切的关系, 感觉门控是指在充满刺激的环境中, 从外界的感觉信息中过滤无关的感觉信息然后执行与注意力相关的认知过程, 以对显著的刺激做出反应。研究感觉门控的经典范式是震惊反射的前脉冲抑制。研究发现多巴胺D₂受体可以参与调控前脉冲抑制的过程, 但是多巴胺D₂受体参与调控前脉冲抑制的机制仍不清楚。探讨多巴胺D₂受体参与调控感觉门控即前脉冲抑制的关键脑区、神经环路及分子机制, 有利于促进对精神分裂症感觉门控功能的深入研究。     

执行功能可分离性及与年龄关系的潜变量分析

应用潜变量分析研究抑制优势反应、记忆刷新和注意转换三种执行功能的可分离性,以及与年龄的关系。被试为18~85岁的健康成年人142名,完成九项执行功能任务。结果显示：本研究设计的九项执行功能任务有较好的信度;验证性因子分析显示,九项任务与对应执行功能间的因子负荷较高（汇聚性效度好）,而不同执行功能间的相关较低（鉴别性效度好）;在此基础上建立了三种执行功能及其与年龄关系的潜变量分析模型。研究结果表明,执行系统不是单一的认知结构,可以分离为若干相对独立的执行加工过程。     

轻度认知功能障碍与颈动脉狭窄的相关性研究

为了探讨颈动脉狭窄与轻度认知功能障碍(MCI)的关系,选取轻度认知功能障碍病例89例,健康对照组100例,全部行颈动脉彩超检查及简易智能状态量表(MMSE),蒙特利尔认知量表(MoCA),临床痴呆量表(CDR),日常生活能力量表(ADL),汉密尔顿抑郁量表(HAMD)测评.结果发现轻度认知功能障碍组颈动脉狭窄发生率明显高于对照组,左侧发生率明显高于右侧.其中随着狭窄的严重程度增加,患者在延迟回忆、视空间与执行功能、计算力与注意力、语言能力方面评分显著下降.从这一结果可以看出轻度认知功能障碍与颈动脉狭窄密切相关.     

内隐序列学习与中央执行功能的关系

内隐序列学习与一般认知的关系一直处于争议之中。近年来,越来越多的研究显示内隐序列学习与工作记忆（尤其是中央执行功能）存在显著关联。基于此,本研究通过两个实验来探测两者的相关及机制。实验1从行为与脑电两个角度探讨经典位置序列学习与中央执行功能的相关,发现经典位置序列学习的内隐习得量与中央执行功能的抑制、刷新功能的强度呈负相关,与转换功能没有显著相关,脑电结果也支持了这一结论。实验2在内隐序列学习中加入认知冲突来增加中央执行功能的负荷。结果发现在高抑制功能负荷任务条件下,内隐习得量与抑制功能强度的相关性发生了反转,进一步证明内隐序列学习与中央执行功能的抑制子成分在脑功能上的关系：不同条件下呈现竞争、协作等不同状态。     

学前期儿童执行功能与攻击性行为的关系：认知共情的中介作用

学前期儿童的攻击性行为与其执行功能密切相关，而共情则可能是二者产生联系的关键。因此，本研究拟探讨学前期儿童执行功能(研究1)及其子成分(研究2)与其攻击性行为之间的关系，并考察共情的中介作用。结果发现，学前期儿童的攻击性行为与其整体执行功能、抑制控制和工作记忆显著负相关，认知共情分别在攻击性行为与整体执行功能、抑制控制和工作记忆的关系间起中介作用。结果表明，学前期儿童的执行功能是其攻击性行为的限制器，抑制控制和工作记忆起主要作用；学前期儿童的执行功能通过促进认知共情从而抑制其攻击性行为。     

精神分裂症对情绪的面部表情加工及其神经机制

综述了近年来关于精神分裂症对情绪面部表情加工损伤的研究,讨论了这种损伤的性质,以及对这种损伤性质的解释,比如它属于一般性还是特异性的损伤,与临床症状以及认知特征之间的关系等。比较分析表明,精神分裂症情绪面部表情知觉损伤,可能兼有面部信息加工障碍和情绪信息知觉困难的特性。另外,介绍了国外关于针对精神分裂症面部表情再认和识别的康复训练研究以及近年来利用事件相关电位（ERPs）和功能磁共振成像（fMRI）等认知神经科学技术进行的神经生理机制研究     

从心理理论与执行功能的关系看孤独症

孤独症是一种病因未明的广泛性发展障碍,它的诊断主要基于患者的行为表现。针对这些行为特点,研究者们提出了心理理论缺失说和执行功能障碍说。但是,有研究表明孤独症患者并不是在所有的心理理论任务和执行功能任务上都存在障碍。所以,单纯地采用心理理论缺失说或执行功能障碍说都不能完整解释孤独症症状。一般来说,心理理论缺失的孤独症个体,同时也伴有执行功能障碍。近年来,大量的研究结果发现,心理理论与执行功能确实存在紧密联系。然而,目前对它们关系的考察主要集中在学龄前儿童的错误信念理解和抑制控制上。心理理论与执行功能都分别包含许多成分,它们彼此的关系可能会在不同年龄段发生变化。因此,研究者需要进一步探查不同年龄段,不同心理理论任务与执行功能不同成分与范式之间的关系,并将这种关系应用于临床实践,帮助诊断和培训孤独症个体。     

精神分裂症患者的儿童期心理创伤研究

虽然目前对于儿童期心理创伤的提法不一致,但是大部分相关研究都集中在性虐待,躯体/情感虐待,躯体/情感忽视方面的内容却是一致的。在研究这些儿童期心理创伤和精神分裂症之间的关系时发现两者存在高度相关,它们之间的联系表现在儿童期心理创伤对于阳性症状、阴性症状和认知症状以及对社会功能各个方面的影响,且影响存在时间特殊性和多重创伤的复杂关系。目前仍需要加强对于精神分裂症的儿童期心理创伤的关注和研究。     

3~6岁儿童执行功能子成分发展的研究

执行功能是对目标指向活动进行信息整合和控制调节的一系列认知能力,在学前期发展迅速。研究使用执行功能任务组软件考察了210名3~6岁儿童（6组,组间年龄跨度6个月）执行功能各子成分（工作记忆、抑制控制和认知灵活性）的发展特征。结果表明：（1）随年龄增长,3~6岁儿童执行功能呈上升趋势发展,4岁左右为抑制控制与认知灵活性的高速发展期;（2）执行功能各子成分发展不同步,抑制控制最快,工作记忆最慢;（3）各子成分间呈中度正相关。结论：3~6岁执行功能能力发展迅速,但各子成分的发展进程并不一致;幼儿阶段执行功能测试的年龄分组最好精确到6个月。     

Adaptive skills and executive function in autism spectrum disorders.

There is active debate regarding the nature of executive dysfunction in autism. Additionally, investigations have yet to show a relationship between deficits in executive function and the everyday behavioral difficulties that may originate from them. The present study examined the relationship between executive abilities and adaptive behavior in 35 children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, using two parent reports of everyday functioning, the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Results found several relationships: The Initiate and Working Memory domains were negatively correlated with most domains of adaptive behavior. Also, the Communication and Socialization domains of the VABS were negatively correlated with several areas of executive functioning, suggesting that impairments in executive abilities are strongly associated with the deficits in communication, play and social relationships found in children with autism.     

Cognitive estimations as a measure of executive dysfunction in childhood epilepsy

Children and adolescents with epilepsy are known to demonstrate executive function deficits. Despite prior work that has shown that cognitive estimation tasks are sensitive to executive dysfunction in children, such tasks have not been studied in children with epilepsy. This is particularly important given the fact that executive tasks have heretofore shown poor ecological validity, and it has been speculated that estimation tasks may show stronger ecological validity than other executive tests. One hundred and thirteen clinically referred children and adolescents with epilepsy were included. The Biber Cognitive Estimations Test was sensitive to cognitive dysfunction, with about half showing impairments on this task in comparison to age-matched normative data; the most frequently impaired subscales were quantity estimation and time estimation. Moreover, the Biber Cognitive Estimation Test showed moderate correlations with not only overall intellectual functions and academic achievement but also other commonly administered tests of executive functions, including digit span, Trailmaking, and the Tower of London but not with the contingency naming test. Cognitive estimations were also modestly correlated with age of epilepsy onset but not other epilepsy-severity variables such as number of antiepilepsy drugs (AEDs) or seizure frequency. Unfortunately, the hypothesis that the Biber Cognitive Estimation Test would show strong ecological validity was not supported, as it showed weak relations with parent-reported executive function deficits. The significance and limitations of this investigation are discussed.     

Identifying the nature of impairments in executive functioning and working memory of children with severe difficulties in arithmetic

An age-matched achievement-matched design was used to examine whether the executive functioning and working memory impairments exhibited by children with severe difficulties in arithmetic (SDA) are better viewed as developmental lags or as cognitive deficits. Three groups of children were included: 20 SDA children, 20 typically achieving children (CM) matched in chronological age with the SDA children, and 20 younger typically achieving children (AM) matched in achievement with the SDA group. While children with SDA did not exhibit impairments in color-word inhibition and verbal working memory, they did demonstrate impairments in shifting, quantity-digits inhibition, and visuospatial working memory. As children with SDA did not perform more poorly than their AM counterparts on any of these tasks, impairments in specific areas of executive functioning and working memory appear to reflect developmental lags rather than cognitive deficits.     

Cognitive Remediation as an Adjunct Treatment for Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review

Neuropsychology Review - Substance use disorders are associated with diverse neuropsychological impairments, with deficits in memory and executive functioning commonly observed. Cognitive...     

Working memory impairments in children with specific arithmetic learning difficulties.

Working memory impairments in children with difficulties in arithmetic have previously been investigated using questionable selection techniques and control groups, leading to problems concluding where deficits may occur. The present study attempted to overcome these criticisms by assessing 9-year-old children with difficulties specific to arithmetic, as indicated by normal reading, and comparing them with both age-matched and ability-matched controls. A battery of 10 tasks was used to assess different aspects of working memory, including subtypes of executive function. Relative to age-matched controls, children with poor arithmetic had normal phonological working memory but were impaired on spatial working memory and some aspects of executive processing. Compared to ability-matched controls, they were impaired only on one task designed to assess executive processes for holding and manipulating information in long-term memory. These deficits in executive and spatial aspects of working memory seem likely to be important factors in poor arithmetical attainment.     

Effects of hypertension on attention, memory, and executive function in older adults.

Hypertension is associated with impairments in cognitive function in older adults, but the nature and extent of these deficits are unclear. Brief cognitive measures lack sensitivity, whereas comprehensive assessments produce numerous variables that are difficult to interpret. The authors performed a principal-components analysis using a computerized cognitive assessment battery and neuropsychological measures of executive function in 506 hypertensive and normotensive older participants. Composite factor scores were used to reanalyze data from 223 untreated participants without vascular complications. The hypertensive group had deficits in Speed of Cognition, Episodic and Working Memory, and Executive Function but not Continuity of Attention. Using composite scores simplified data interpretation and suggested differential effects of hypertension on cognitive performance not clearly evident in individual test results.     

The extent of working memory deficits associated with Williams syndrome: exploration of verbal and spatial domains and executively controlled processes

The present study investigated verbal and spatial working memory (WM) functioning in individuals with the neuro-developmental disorder Williams syndrome (WS) using WM component tasks. While there is strong evidence of WM impairments in WS, previous research has focused on short-term memory and has neglected assessment of executive components of WM. There is a particular lack of consensus concerning the profile of verbal WM functioning in WS. Here, WS participants were compared to typically developing participants matched for (1) verbal ability and (2) spatial ability (N = 14 in each of the 3 groups). Individuals with WS were impaired on verbal WM tasks, both those involving short-term maintenance of information and executive manipulation, in comparison to verbal-matched controls. Surprisingly, individuals with WS were not impaired on a spatial task assessing short-term maintenance of information in memory (remembering spatial locations) compared to spatial-matched controls. They were, however, impaired on a spatial executive WM task requiring the manipulation of spatial information in memory. The present study suggests that individuals with WS show WM impairments that extend to both verbal and spatial domains, although spatial deficits are selective to executive aspects of WM function.     

Language Abilities in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Reading Disabilities, and Normal Controls

Research has demonstrated a high prevalence of language impairments (LI) and reading disabilities (RD) in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Since RD is also associated with LI, it is unclear whether the language impairments are specific to ADHD or associated with comorbid RD. The language abilities of ADHD children with and without RD were investigated in a task requiring recall of a lengthy narrative, and in tests assessing knowledge of the semantic aspects of language. The study was conducted with 50 boys—14 ADHD, 14 ADHD + RD, 8 RD, and 14 normal controls, aged 7 to 11. Children with ADHD (ADHD-only, ADHD + RD) exhibited difficulties in organizing and monitoring their story retelling. Children with RD (RD-only, ADHD + RD) demonstrated deficits in receptive and expressive semantic language abilities on the language processing tests. The comorbid group (ADHD + RD) exhibited the deficits of both ADHD and RD children. The deficiencies of ADHD children are consistent with higher-order executive function deficits while the deficits of RD children are consistent with deficits in the basic semantics of language processing.     

Understanding the executive functioning heterogeneity in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is characterized by heterogeneous brain abnormalities involving cerebral regions implied in the executive functioning. The dysexecutive syndrome is one of the most prominent and functionally cognitive features of schizophrenia. Nevertheless, it is not clear to what extend executive deficits are heterogeneous in schizophrenia patients. Furthermore, it is still unknown if the executive impairments observed in schizophrenia are better characterized as specific or as reflecting generalized cognitive factors. The four executive processes (i.e. updating, inhibition, shifting and divided attention) described in Miyake et al.'s (2000) theoretical model were examined in 62 individuals with schizophrenia and 49 healthy controls. At group level, impairments in all four executive processes confirmed the marked impairment in executive functioning in patients with schizophrenia. Statistical analysis indicated that executive performances in schizophrenia patients were more heterogeneous than in healthy controls. Compared with standardized norms, 94% of patients exhibited impairment in at least one of the executive tasks. Twenty-one percent of patients exhibited impairment in one executive task, 27% in two tasks, 23% in three executive tasks and 23% exhibited impairments in the four executive tasks. Six percent of patients had normal executive profile. Regression analysis indicated that only premorbid intellectual quotient and a general slowing in processing speed predicted the executive dysfunction severity. Executive functioning was not affected by age, duration of illness, psychotic status, or by antipsychotic dosage. Our results emphasize the heterogeneity of the dysexecutive syndrome in schizophrenia when individual profile analysis is considered, and extend the view that individual cognitive differences in schizophrenia are largely underlined by general cognitive factors such as intellectual level and general processing speed.     

Spatial navigational impairments in hydrocephalus

Whilst much is known about the neuropathological consequences of hydrocephalus, there have been comparatively few studies of the cognitive impairments associated with it. Studies using standardised tests of cognitive function have identified a general pattern of impairments, with patients exhibiting particular difficulty on tests of spatial memory and executive function. A strong prediction is that these deficits are likely to affect daily wayfinding behaviour, and we report a study of spatial and navigational abilities in a group of patients with hydrocephalus but without spina bifida. Participants completed a range of experimental tasks assessing spatial cueing behaviour, landmark memory and route-learning, and idiothetic path integration. This patient group was compared to a control sample matched on verbal, spatial, and intelligence measures, and hydrocephalus was found to be associated with relative impairments in each of the tasks. Patients exhibited reduced sensitivity to spatial cueing, less accurate route-learning, poorer memory for landmark objects, and less accurate spatial updating (with particular impairments in the calculation of heading). Overall, these data represent the first empirical demonstration of navigational impairments in hydrocephalus, and we suggest some of the cognitive, neural, and individual differences factors that may contribute to the pattern of performance reported.