Executive functions

The term executive functioning mental functions in brain research and neuropsychology referred to ( in the broader sense: higher organisms ) by which people control their behavior taking into account the conditions of their environment: setting goals, planning, decision-making on priorities, impulse control, emotional regulation, attention control, targeted initiating and sequencing of actions, motor control, observation of the results of action and self-correction. It is the higher mental or cognitive processes that serve the self-regulation and goal-directed action control of the individual in his environment. Also motivational functions such as decision-making ( Volition ) initiative and are attributed to the executive functions.

The prerequisite for a good functioning of these cognitive functions is to level an intact brain frontal cortex ( frontal lobes, in particular Prefrontal Cortex ) and a balanced interplay of certain arranged in loops nerves and associated neurotransmitters. This neural control circuits comprise not only the frontal lobe, inter alia, parts of the basal ganglia and the thalamus.

For certain organic brain disorders ( eg, frontotemporal dementia, dysphasia, craniocerebral trauma, Dysexekutivem syndrome or frontal syndrome ) executive functions are impaired, but also - more or less pronounced - in a variety of mental disorders, such example, in the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD or ADHD), autism, Korsakoff 's syndrome, schizophrenia, or the borderline syndrome (see also Striatofrontale dysfunction ).