Frontal Lobes, Executive Function, and Human Brain Damage
Prefrontal Cortex: Organizes cognitions, emotions and behavior.
Blue – dorsolateral prefrontal
Green – orbitofrontal region
Rosenzweig et al., 2002
Prefrontal Cortex: Distinguishes Homo Sapiens from other mammals
Rosenzweig et al., 2002
Changes from Birth – 21: Frontal Lobes for Behavioral Control
Age
What are the specific functions that fall into this category?
•Selecting relevant task goals •Planning and organizing information and ideas •Prioritizing and focusing on relevant themes rather than irrelevant details •Initiating and sustaining activities •Holding information in working memory •Shifting strategies flexibly •Inhibiting competing actions •Self-monitoring, checking, and regulating behavior
Scientific American: Why Kids Don’t Get It.
http://www.pbs.org/saf/1302/video /watchonline.htm
Difficulties with academic performance are due to weaknesses in the core executive processes:
Problems with any process will affect learning:
Planning & Goal Setting Self-Monitoring & Checking Organizing
Shifting Flexibly
Prioritizing Memorizing
From: Meltzer, 2007
Executive Function: Reading Comprehension
What is required? Numerous EF skills What can go wrong? Problems can arise in Monitoring performance to ensure tracking of the text correctly (especially if there are phonological or orthographic problems ) and synthesizing content to in order to “build meaning” contained within the text. Shifting flexibly to draw inferences & conclusions, process redundant information, and interpreting words and language that are ambiguous. Prioritizing and repriortizing to make the text useful the students particular purposes (e.g., what is the most important event in this book?”)
Executive Function: Written Expression
What is required? Allocating and managing cognitive and attentional resources so the student can focus on the meaning of the text: What can go wrong? Problems can arise in: Planning and defining the first step (note: this causes problems with initiation of the activity). Flexible thinking is needed to evaluate, rephrase or paraphrase information on the assigned topic. Organizing and prioritizing a broad range of subskills including crafting a complete thought to communicate to an “absent audience,” spatial organization of writing on the page, using accurate syntax, organizing arguments to persuade, using the traditional structure of an essay (intro, body and conclusion).
Executive Function Effect: Independent Studying, Homework & Long-Term Projects
What is required? self-regulation, self-monitoring, cognitive flexibility What can go wrong? Problems can arise in planning ahead, predicting outcome, and setting long term goals Organization Time management Acquiring materials & information Sequencing information Bringing task to completion Remembering to submit in a timely manner Skills needed for completing independent projects in higher grades
Executive Function: Test Taking
What is required? Alertness, active engagement, thoughtfulness throughout the test taking process What can go wrong? Problems can arise in “showing what a student knows” Organizing & Prioritizing is necessary to recognize what is important in the array of information the student needs to learn. Shifting flexibly is necessary to draw inferences & conclusions, process redundant information, and interpreting words and language that are ambiguous. Self-monitoring & checking is necessary for test preparation (e.g., carefully going over the material, allocating enough time) and during test taking (e.g., planning responses, taking the test efficiently).
How do you help a child with problems in Executive Function?
Teach interventions that allow the child to learn and use strategies:
Effective Strategy Use Focused Effort
Efficient Performance
Positive Academic Self-concept
Academic Success
Strategies to Promote Learning
Sample strategy from Meltzer (2007) chapter 8 to address writing: Sample strategy from Meltzer (2007) chapter 11 to address memory/sequencing issues associated with math*: PEMDAS P = Parentheses E = Exponents M = Multiplication D = Division A = Addition S = Subtraction *Memory strategy for remembering the
sequence of steps for simplifying algebraic equations.
STOPS
S = Sentence Structure T = Tenses O = Organization P = Punctuation S = Spelling
Etiology of Brain Damage
• • • • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Cerebrovascular Injury (CVI) Tumors Anoxia (e.g., near drowning, drug overdose) • Toxins (e.g., lead) • Diseases (e.g., Herpes, encephalitis) • Seizures