Somewhere, deep down, I know my level-eight reaction is a mismatch to the level-three problem: I’ve fallen behind on emails, and now I seem like a total flake. My inner voice chides me, “You’re an ...

Those who study the brain or treat patients (or both) talk a lot about executive functioning, often in the negative. We refer to “poor executive functioning,” “executive dysfunction,” “frontal lobe ...

Executive function—top-down processes by which the human mind controls behavior, regulating thoughts and actions—have long been studied using a standard set of tools, with these assessments being ...

If you’ve ever said, “I just need to focus,” and then found yourself scrolling, snacking, and reorganizing your sock drawer—you’ve just met your executive function. And it wasn’t having its best day.

Parents of young children probably recognize the hectic mornings filled with reminding the kids to eat breakfast, brush their teeth and put on their shoes – and hurry up, you’re gonna be late! Most ...

Executive function skills are a set of inter-related processes that support attention, self-control, and goal-directed behavior. Executive function has been linked to positive outcomes across multiple ...

Have you ever watched a toddler try to put on their own shoes? It’s a masterclass in concentration. They’re balancing, pulling, and—hopefully—not throwing the shoe across the room in frustration. That ...

Kumar is the head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago and past president of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Pliskin is director of ...