Review article

The development of executive functions and their neurological correlates

Sanja Šimleša ; The Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences
Maja Cepanec ; The Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences

Abstract

Executive functions have recently been defined as a series of interrelated processes (planning, temporal organization of behaviour, goal anticipation, initiating activities, monitoring activities, capability to inhibit or postpone the response, response evaluation, cognitive flexibility) needed to ensure a purposeful, goal oriented behaviour. Numerous studies have suggested executive function to be connected with the frontal lobes, i.e. with the prefrontal cerebral cortex. A number of recent developmental studies of executive functions show that executive function processes have their own developmental paths; start developing and mature each at a different time. The paper plans to present different developmental paths of executive function processes and related brain changes throughout the three development periods: (1) early childhood, (2) preschool period, (3) childhood and adolescence into adulthood.

Keywords

executive functions; developmental paths; developmental periods

Hrčak ID:

81398

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/81398

Publication date:

30.6.2008.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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