The Exercise Effect on Mental Health in Children and Adolescents
Henning Budde, Mirko Wegner in The Exercise Effect on Mental Health, 2018
The term cognition includes processes of perception, attention, thinking/problem solving, memory, and language and is typically referred to as how the mind works (Pinker 1999). Cognitive control processes, also called executive functions, include different cognitive functions such as self-control, selective attention, cognitive inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility (Diamond 2013; Miyake et al. 2000). Executive functions are usually subsumed into the three categories of self-control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Self-control involves resisting temptations and avoiding impulsive acting. The working memory supports keeping information in mind and allows working with this information mentally (e.g. to solve a problem). And cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to change perspectives on how to solve a problem, and the flexibility to adjust to changing priorities, rules, or demands (Diamond 2013). Executive functions further contribute to the higher-order cognitive processes of planning, problem-solving, and reasoning and are linked to mental health (Collins and Koechlin 2012; Diamond 2013). Individuals suffering from mental disorders (e.g. attention deficit hyperactivity, conduct disorder, depression) show decreased executive functioning (Diamond 2005; Fairchild, van Goozen, Stollery, Aitken, & Savage 2009; Taylor Tavares et al. 2007).
The effect of different exercise programmes on cognitive functioning in children and adolescents
Romain Meeusen, Sabine Schaefer, Phillip Tomporowski, Richard Bailey in Physical Activity and Educational Achievement, 2017
The term cognition includes processes of perception, attention, thinking/problem solving, memory and language and is typically referred to as how the mind works (Pinker, 1999). Cognitive control processes, also called executive functions, include different cognitive functions such as self-control, selective attention, cognitive inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility (Diamond, 2013; Miyake et al., 2000). Executive functions are usually subsumed into the three categories of self-control (also called inhibition), working memory and cognitive flexibility. Self-control involves resisting temptations and avoiding impulsive acting. Working memory helps to keep information in mind and allows us to work with this information mentally (e.g. to solve a problem). And cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to change perspectives on how to solve a problem, and the flexibility to adjust to changing priorities, rules or demands (Diamond, 2013). Executive functions further contribute to the higher-order cognitive processes of planning, problem solving and reasoning and are linked to mental health (Collins & Koechlin, 2012; Diamond, 2013). Individuals suffering from mental disorders (e.g. attention deficit-hyperactivity, conduct disorder, depression) often show decreased executive functioning (Diamond, 2005; Fairchild, van Goozen, Stollery, Aitken, & Savage, 2009; Taylor Tavares et al., 2007).
Prevention is Better Than Cure
Adam Gledhill, Dale Forsdyke in The Psychology of Sports Injury, 2021
Another potential explanation for the effectiveness of the intervention could be that mindfulness and stress management practice have been related to functional changes in the brain's attention systems (Fox et al., 2006; Hölzel et al., 2011). These changes can lead to increased capacity to pay attention to relevant cues in the environment (Cozolino, 2010). Because previous research has found peripheral vision narrowing to be a predictor of sport injuries (Rogers & Landers, 2005), increased attentional abilities might decrease injury risk. The explanation for this suggestion may be that attention and executive functions are closely related with humans' abilities to select goal-directed behaviours through, for example, paying attention towards important information (Clacy et al., 2013). More appropriate selection of behaviours (e.g. move to avoid a tackle) that meet the demands for a specific situation might be associated with a decreased injury risk.
Oxytocin, cortisol, and cognitive control during acute and naturalistic stress
Published in Stress, 2021
Shari Young Kuchenbecker, Sarah D. Pressman, Jared Celniker, Karen M. Grewen, Kenneth D. Sumida, Naveen Jonathan, Brendan Everett, George M. Slavich
Finally, even though cognitive control affects emotion regulation ability (Gross, 2015) and stress reactivity (Shields et al., 2017a; Slavich, 2020b), the role that cognitive control plays in influencing cortisol and oxytocin responses to stress remains poorly understood. Cognitive control involves the ability to focus on the most important aspects of a situation and direct attention to perform behaviors that are needed to achieve the desired goal (Diamond, 2011). Cognitive control is particularly important during times of stress when cognitive resources are increasingly taxed and adaptive responses are critical (Quinn et al., 2020). Moreover, cognitive control plays a crucial role in emotion regulation, which is important for adaptation, social behavior, and wellbeing (Gross, 2015). Although a small literature exists examining associations between oxytocin and various aspects of cognitive control (e.g. Striepens et al., 2016), few studies have investigated these associations in the context of stress and we know of none that have assessed both cortisol and oxytocin during stress. Given oxytocin’s social cognitive performance-enhancing effects and the fact that cortisol mobilizes metabolic resources that are needed for quick decision making during stress, we hypothesized that higher oxytocin levels would be associated with better cognitive-emotional accuracy in the context of stress and, in addition, that cortisol levels would be related to quicker cognitive reaction times.
The Role of Executive Functions in Object- and Action-Naming among Older Adults
Published in Experimental Aging Research, 2019
Eve Higby, Dalia Cahana-Amitay, Amy Vogel-Eyny, Avron Spiro, Martin L. Albert, Loraine K. Obler
There is no agreed-upon definition of cognitive control or the various executive functions that make up this construct. Using factor analyses, researchers have identified several interrelated but distinct components of cognitive control such as inhibition (also described as resistance to interference), task-shifting, working memory updating, coordinative ability (i.e., divided attention), and strategic retrieval from long-term memory (i.e., fluency) (Adrover-Roig et al., 2012; Fisk & Sharp, 2004; Fournier-Vicente, Larigauderie, & Gaonac’h, 2008; Miyake et al., 2000; Verhaeghen, 2011). Several of these have been noted to decline in aging. Since we were interested in the relation between age-related changes in executive functions and lexical retrieval, the current study included measures of three executive functions: inhibition, task-shifting, and fluency.
ERP correlates of cognitive control in children prenatally exposed to methadone or buprenorphine
Published in Developmental Neuropsychology, 2018
Carolien Konijnenberg, Nils Martin Jondalen, Mikael Falkhaugen Husby, Annika Melinder
Only a few studies have recorded brain activity of children prenatally exposed to methadone or buprenorphine, all of which investigated development in infancy (Kahila, Kivitie-Kallio, Halmesmäki, Valanne, & Autti, 2007; McGlone et al., 2013; Walhovd et al., 2012; Whitham et al., 2010). Many cognitive functions, including executive function, defined as a set of higher order cognitive processes that underlie flexible goal-directed behavior, develop long into adolescence (De Luca et al., 2003). Impairments in these functions may therefore not be detected early on in childhood. Executive function has been found to be particularly vulnerable to early insults, including prenatal drug exposure (Connor, Sampson, Bookstein, Barr, & Streissguth, 2000; P. Fried & Smith, 2001; P. A. Fried, Watkinson, & Gray, 1998). One component of executive function is cognitive control, which refers to a set of processes aimed to carry out goal-directed processes in the face of interference (Kerns et al., 2004). Cognitive control develops gradually, following the development of the prefrontal cortex, and plays an important role in self-regulation (Diamond, 2002; Rueda, Posner, & Rothbart, 2005). While younger children have difficulty inhibiting irrelevant stimuli, due to the immaturity of the frontal lobes, older children are generally better at interference suppression (Rueda et al., 2004).
Related Knowledge Centers
- Attentional Control
- Cognition
- Cognitive Flexibility
- Inhibitory Control
- Neuropsychological Test
- Neuropsychology
- Problem Solving
- Stroop Effect
- Working Memory
- Planning