Lo sviluppo delle Funzioni Esecutive

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1 Lo sviluppo delle Funzioni Esecutive

2 Executive functioning is very much aligned to our special gifts as humans. When we talk about someone as being clever, it is almost always a comment about their creativity and their flexible problem-solving ability. We pride ourselves on our ability to adapt flexibly to the environment. We are also at time disappointed when we are deprived of our initiate an our ability to seemingly make our own decisions. Unlike other species (who run out stereotyped responses) we have many alternatives depending not only on the present circumstances but also on our estimated future consequences of our actions

3 Executive functioning is about adapting to changing circumstances in an independent and flexible way.

4 Some definitions... Executive functions are intrinsic to the ability to respond in an adaptive manner to novel situations... And can be conceptualised as having four components: 1) volition (capacity for intentional behaviour) 2) planning 3) purposive action (the translation of an intention or plan into productive, self-serving activity requires the individual to initiate, maintain, switch and stop sequences of complex behaviour in an orderly and integrated manner) 4) effective performance (Lezak, 2004)

5 Executive functions are a collection of processes that are responsible for guiding, directing and managing cognitive, emotional and behavioural functions, particularly during active novel problem solving (Gioia et al., 2000)

6 Some models... Baddeley and Hitch s (1974) model of Working Memory used the unitary concept of the Central Executive as a supervisory cognitive process, presiding over the functions of the working memory system.

7 Baddeley (1986) later suggested that his Central Executive be conceptualised in terms of the Supervisory Attentional System (SAS) suggested by Norman and Shallice (1986).

8 However, executive function has also been conceptualised as a collection of multiple, inter-related processes that function together as an integrated supervisory control system (Stuss & Alexander, 2000) Anderson (2002) suggested a multi-system model was composed of four inter-related domains: a) Cognitive flexibility included skills of working memory, divided attention and utilising feedback as a source of information. b) Goal Setting included conceptual reasoning, planning and strategic organisation. c) Attentional control included selective attention, selfregulation, inhibition and self-monitoring. d) Information processing included efficiency, fluency and speed of processing.

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10 Common across the various models and definitions, is the concept of executive functioning as a supervisory directive system exerting regulatory control over other basic, domain specific neuropsychological functions, with the purpose of achieving a specified goal (Banich, 2009). The term executive function therefore refers to a complex set of cognitive abilities, encompassing multiple processes that are involved in goal directed behaviour.

11 Corteccia prefrontale

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13 Misurazione: problemi e soluzioni Difficile definire operativamente FE: il contrasto tra processi controllati ed automatici non è assoluto ma i due poli sono gli estremi di un continuo Complessità dei compiti per valutare FE* Bassa corrispondenza tra processi e comportamento Con i bambini potrebbe andare meglio.ma - Limitazioni dovute al linguaggio

14 Test di Stroop FAS test di fluenza verbale Quindi i compiti per testare le FE nei bambini devono essere molto semplici

15 Test per età evolutiva A. Luria (1966): GO/ NO GO task

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17 Test per età evolutiva A. Luria (1966): Non verbal Stroop task: picture-based day/night task

18 Test per età evolutiva A. Luria (1966): Fluency task: nomi appartenenti alla stessa categoria semantica (animali, vestiti..) piuttosto che nomi che iniziano con la stessa lettera

19 Test per età evolutiva A. Luria (1966): The hand game (control vs. conflict condition)

20 FE e sviluppo L importanza delle FE emerge con lo studio dei veterani della II Guerra Mondiale Importanti per il pensiero astratto, di alto livello (competenze presenti nell adulto) A supporto di questo: studi anatomici che mostrano una maturazione di queste aree fino all adolescenza. Si spiega così l assenza di studi sullo sviluppo delle FE

21 Lo sviluppo delle FE 1) usando task appropriati sappiamo ora che si sviluppano presto: es. PFC dorsolaterale sottostante al compito piagetiano A non è B (a 12 mesi il bambino sa eseguire il compito) FE nei bambini si compongono delle stesse componenti che negli adulti (analisi delle componenti principali, Welsh et al., 1991)

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