Demystifying cognitive flexibility: Implications for clinical and developmental neuroscience

Dajani, Dina R.; Uddin, Lucina Q.

doi:10.1016/j.tins.2015.07.003

Cited by 716 publications

(597 citation statements)

References 87 publications

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“…One critical source of inconsistency may be variability in defining and operationalizing the construct of cognitive flexibility (Dajani and Uddin, 2015). Cognitive flexibility has been broadly defined as the ability to flexibly adjust behavior to the demands of a changing environment (e.g.…”

Section: Cognitive Inflexibility In Ocd: Face Validity and Conceptualmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cognitive flexibility has been broadly defined as the ability to flexibly adjust behavior to the demands of a changing environment (e.g. Armbruster et al, 2012; Dajani and Uddin, 2015), more narrowly as relating only to tests of attentional set shifting and task shifting (as further defined below; Dajani and Uddin, 2015), and in numerous other way. One thing that is clear is that cognitive flexibility, however it is operationalized, depends on the interaction of multiple component cognitive systems.…”

Section: Cognitive Inflexibility In Ocd: Face Validity and Conceptualmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cognitive inflexibility in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Gruner¹,

2017

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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by maladaptive patterns of repetitive, inflexible cognition and behavior that suggest a lack of cognitive flexibility. Consistent with this clinical observation, many neurocognitive studies suggest behavioral and neurobiological abnormalities in cognitive flexibility in individuals with OCD. Meta-analytic reviews support a pattern of cognitive inflexibility, with effect sizes generally in the medium range. Heterogeneity in assessments and the way underlying constructs have been operationalized point to the need for better standardization across studies, as well as more refined overarching models of cognitive flexibility and executive function. Neuropsychological assessments of cognitive flexibility include measures of attentional set shifting, reversal and alternation, cued task switching paradigms, cognitive control measures such as the Trail-Making and Stroop tasks, and several measures of motor inhibition. Differences in the cognitive constructs and neural substrates associated with these measures suggest that performance within these different domains should be examined separately. Additional factors, such as the number of consistent trials prior to a shift and whether a shift is explicitly signaled or must be inferred from a change in reward contingencies, may influence performance, and thus mask or accentuate deficits. Several studies have described abnormalities in neural activation in the absence of differences in behavioral performance, suggesting that our behavioral probes may not be adequately sensitive, but also offering important insights into potential compensatory processes. The fact that deficits of moderate effect size are seen across a broad range of classic neuropsychological tests in OCD presents a conceptual challenge, as clinical symptomatology suggests greater specificity. Traditional cognitive probes may not be sufficient to delineate specific domains of deficit in this and other neuropsychiatric disorders; a new generation of behavioral tasks that test more specific underlying constructs, supplemented by neuroimaging to provide greater insight into the underlying processes, may be needed.

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Section: Cognitive Inflexibility In Ocd: Face Validity and Conceptualmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Cognitive Inflexibility In Ocd: Face Validity and Conceptualmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive inflexibility in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Gruner¹,

2017

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“…Cognitive flexibility, or the ability to appropriately adjust one's behavior according to a changing environment (Dajani and Uddin, 2015), has long been studied in patients with schizophrenia (SZ), using a variety of measures. Considerable early evidence from studies of SZ pointed to the presence of deficits in cognitive executive functions, such as attentional set-shifting and task switching (Kehagia et al, 2010), similar to those observed individuals with frontal lobe lesions (Elliott et al, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The neural underpinnings of cognitive flexibility and their disruption in psychotic illness

Waltz

2017

Neuroscience

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Schizophrenia has long been associated with a variety of cognitive deficits, including reduced cognitive flexibility. More recent findings, however, point to tremendous inter-individual variability among patients on measures of cognitive flexibility/set-shifting. With an eye toward shedding light on potential sources of variability in set-shifting abilities among schizophrenia patients, I examine the neural substrates of underlying probabilistic reversal learning (PRL) – a paradigmatic measure of cognitive flexibility – as well as neuromodulatory influences upon these systems. Finally, I report on behavioral and neuroimaging studies of PRL in schizophrenia patients, discussing the potentially influences of illness profile and antipsychotic medications on cognitive flexibility in schizophrenia.

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“…EFs encompass several subdomains, including planning for future goals, inhibiting maladaptive responses, maintaining and manipulating information in working memory, and flexibly adapting behaviors to changes in the environment6. EFs are particularly important in children because EFs support the complex behaviors necessary for successful social interactions7.…”

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confidence: 99%

Heterogeneity of executive functions among comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders

Dajani

Llabre

Nebel

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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Executive functions (EFs) are used to set goals, plan for the future, inhibit maladaptive responses, and change behavior flexibly. Although some studies point to specific EF profiles in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — prevalent and often highly comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders — others have not differentiated them. The objective of the current study was to identify distinct profiles of EF across typically developing (TD) children and children with ASD and ADHD. We employed a latent profile analysis using indicators of EF (e.g., working memory, inhibition, and flexibility) in a mixed group of 8–13 year-olds including TD children (n = 128), children with ASD without ADHD (n = 30), children with ADHD (n = 93), and children with comorbid ASD and ADHD (n = 66). Three EF classes emerged: “above average,” “average,” and “impaired.” EF classes did not reproduce diagnostic categories, suggesting that differences in EF abilities are present within the ASD and ADHD groups. Further, greater EF dysfunction predicted more severe socioemotional problems, such as anxiety/depression. These results highlight the heterogeneity of current diagnostic groups and identify an “impaired” EF group, consisting of children with both ASD and ADHD, which could specifically be targeted for EF intervention.

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Demystifying cognitive flexibility: Implications for clinical and developmental neuroscience

Cited by 716 publications

References 87 publications

Cognitive inflexibility in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Cognitive inflexibility in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

The neural underpinnings of cognitive flexibility and their disruption in psychotic illness

Heterogeneity of executive functions among comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders

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