Executive functioning encompasses a large category of cognitive functions and abilities such as:
Executive functioning can be broken down into 4 levels: goal formulation, planning, implementation and self-monitoring, which are all crucial to successfully complete tasks. The requirements for successfully completing each level are discussed as well as the potential struggles that individuals with TBI may encounter.
1. Goal formulation:
->sense of self
->understanding of the relevant environments
->motivation and initiation
Difficulties: forming an intention to initiate activities
4. Monitoring for effective performance
Difficulties with self-monitoring may arise and individuals may exhibit an erratic performance, which is a hallmark of brain injury
- anticipating future needs and planning accordingly
- setting priorities
- regulating impulses and drives
- self-awareness and self-correction
Executive functioning can be broken down into 4 levels: goal formulation, planning, implementation and self-monitoring, which are all crucial to successfully complete tasks. The requirements for successfully completing each level are discussed as well as the potential struggles that individuals with TBI may encounter.
1. Goal formulation:
- it requires conceptualization of needs and goals before acting upon them
- it goes beyond basic instincts/ response to stimuli
- it is the ability to create motives out of past experiences and requires:
->sense of self
->understanding of the relevant environments
->motivation and initiation
Difficulties: forming an intention to initiate activities
- some mildly impaired individuals can accomplish in-the-moment chores/ hobbies, but can’t take on responsibilities that involve long-term, abstract goals
- impaired people can be abulic
- Lively description of activities frequently turn out to be pre-morbid; individuals may be affectively flat and do not appear to have strong feelings about anything
- requires sustained attention
- you have to deal objectively with self in relation to the environment
- requires abilities to generate/ weigh alternate ways to approach to get to plans and to develop a conceptual framework and to have a plan A & B
- people may be able to formulate goals, but not be able to come up with a realistic plan
- they may lose track of their plan or have difficulty taking care of smaller, blueprint/ scheduling issues
- “Cognitively Rigid” people –their brain may have difficulties with disengaging from the idea.
- Egocentricity and impulsivity can be be an issue when coming up with a plan.
- translating a plan into activity/carrying out activities
- Initiate, maintain, switch and stop complex sequences
4. Monitoring for effective performance
- Individuals have to self-correct, self-monitor and regulate tempo as well as the intensity (qualitative aspects)
- for example, it may involve:
Difficulties with self-monitoring may arise and individuals may exhibit an erratic performance, which is a hallmark of brain injury
- they may show perseverations, impersistence or discontinuities that disrupt the normal course of sequentially organized activities (writing, drawing, speaking, etc..)
- some patients do not perceive their mistakes and therefore cannot correct them
- others perceive their errors and may even point them out, but still do nothing to change them