Central Executive Functions Overview

Questions and Answers

What is the central executive?

Term for processes that organize and coordinate the functioning of the cognitive system to fulfil current goals

When is the central executive employed?

Reading

Problem solving

Multi-tasking

All of the above (correct)

Where is the central executive located?

Prefrontal cortex

What did Miyake et al propose?

3 basic processes: inhibition, shifting, and updating Signup and view all the answers

What is inhibition?

The ability to deliberately halt or stop automatic or prepotent responses when required Signup and view all the answers

What does the Stroop task demonstrate?

Inhibition Signup and view all the answers

What is shifting?

The ability to move flexibly between multiple tasks, operations, or mental sets Signup and view all the answers

What is updating?

Keeping track of working memory operations - revising info you need to remember Signup and view all the answers

What did Collette find?

Each executive process was found to have activation associated with a different region within the prefrontal cortex Signup and view all the answers

When is the right intraparietal sulcus activated?

Selective attention to relevant stimuli and suppression of irrelevant stimuli Signup and view all the answers

When is the left superior parietal sulcus activated?

In switching and integration Signup and view all the answers

When is the lateral prefrontal cortex activated?

In monitoring and updating Signup and view all the answers

What are the two parts of each executive function?

<ol> <li>What is unique to it and 2. What is common to all three processes</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What is the unitary factor of executive processes?

The ability to maintain task goals and use this to bias lower-level processing Signup and view all the answers

What is the evidence for unity?

fMRI scans showing that tasks assessing each of the functions produced activation in other areas Signup and view all the answers

What is the executive processing missing from the Miyake framework?

Dual task performance - performing two different tasks at the same time Signup and view all the answers

What is activated in dual task performance?

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex Signup and view all the answers

How does dysexecutive syndrome form?

Damage to the frontal lobes results in impaired central executive functioning Signup and view all the answers

What did Stuss and Alexander find?

3 executive processes based in the frontal lobes: task setting, monitoring, energization Signup and view all the answers

What is task setting?

Process that involves planning Signup and view all the answers

What is monitoring?

Reexamining the task to make sure it will be executed well and make necessary adjustments Signup and view all the answers

What is energization?

Involves sustaining attention or concentration - used to initiate a response or action and maintain performance Signup and view all the answers

Where is task setting found?

Left lateral frontal cortex Signup and view all the answers

Where is monitoring found?

Right lateral frontal cortex Signup and view all the answers

Where is energization found?

Superior medial region of frontal cortex Signup and view all the answers

What is metacognition?

Involves integration and coordinating and orchestrating information Signup and view all the answers

What is a weakness of Stuss's model?

Evidence for distinct processes disappears in healthy individuals as processes are highly positively correlated Signup and view all the answers

What is the episodic buffer?

A temporary store that exists to integrate information from different sources Signup and view all the answers

Why was the episodic buffer added to the working model of memory?

Limitations associated with the original model in terms of the ability to explain findings Signup and view all the answers

What happens in the episodic buffer?

Information from LTM can be combined with information held in the phonological loop and visual-spatial sketchpad Signup and view all the answers

What did Baddeley and Wilson find?

Prose recall study - capacity of episodic buffer is 4 chunks Signup and view all the answers

What did Baddeley and Wilson find of amnesic patients?

If they had poor central executive functioning they had poor immediate prose recall Signup and view all the answers

What brain area is involved in the episodic buffer?

Hippocampus Signup and view all the answers

What did Rudner et al find?

Construct representations based on both sign language and speech - activation in the left hippocampus Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Central Executive Overview

The central executive organizes and coordinates cognitive processes to achieve current goals.
It is actively employed during reading, problem-solving, and multitasking.

Location and Functionality

The central executive is located primarily in the prefrontal cortex.
It involves three basic processes: inhibition, shifting, and updating, as proposed by Miyake et al.

Key Executive Processes

Inhibition: The ability to intentionally stop automatic or dominant responses.
Shifting: Flexibility in moving between different tasks or mental sets.
Updating: Keeping track of information in working memory and revising necessary details.

Brain Activation and Executive Functions

Different regions of the prefrontal cortex activate for each executive process:
- Right intraparietal sulcus: Selective attention to relevant stimuli.
- Left superior parietal sulcus: Involvement in switching and integration tasks.
- Lateral prefrontal cortex: Responsible for monitoring and updating.

Unity of Executive Processes

Each executive function has unique aspects and commonalities across processes.
Evidence for unity includes fMRI scans showing activation overlap among different functions.
Dual-task performance is noted as a missing element in Miyake's framework.

Impact of Brain Damage

Damage to the frontal lobes can lead to dysexecutive syndrome, characterized by impaired central executive functioning.
Stuss and Alexander identified three executive processes in the frontal lobes: task setting, monitoring, and energization.

Specific Executive Functions

Task Setting: Involves planning, found in the left lateral frontal cortex.
Monitoring: Reassessing tasks for execution quality, located in the right lateral frontal cortex.
Energization: Sustaining attention and concentration, associated with the superior medial region of the frontal cortex.

Metacognition and Model Weaknesses

Metacognition integrates and orchestrates information for better cognitive processing.
A weakness of Stuss's model is that distinctions between processes diminish in healthy individuals due to high correlation among functions.

Episodic Buffer in Working Memory

The episodic buffer serves as a temporary store integrating information, holding details briefly.
It was added to the working memory model to address limitations of the original framework.
This buffer allows for combining long-term memory information with data from other memory components like the phonological loop.

Baddeley and Wilson's study indicated the capacity of the episodic buffer is around four chunks.
Amnesic patients showed poor immediate prose recall linked to inadequate central executive functioning.
The hippocampus is associated with the episodic buffer's function.

Additional Research

Rudner et al. researched language processing, leading to activation in the left hippocampus when combining sign language and speech representations.

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Description

This quiz explores the role of the central executive in cognitive processes like reading, problem-solving, and multitasking. It also examines its location in the prefrontal cortex and key processes such as inhibition, shifting, and updating. Test your understanding of how these executive functions operate and their relevance in daily activities.