Prefrontal Cortex Executive Functions:

Genetic & Environmental Influences, and Clinical Implications

 

Adele Diamond

Canada Research Chair Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience,

Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

adele.diamond@ubc.ca

 

This course will address (a) what ‘executive functions’ are, (b) their development, and surprising differences and similarities between the executive functions of young children and adults, (c) roles of genes that affect the level of dopamine in prefrontal cortex, and sex differences in that, (d) the bidirectional relation between executive functions and stress, (e) clinical implications for disorders such as ADHD and autism, and (f) how early bilingualism and educational and recreational programs can produce marked improvements in executive functions in young children.

            Research shows that activities that often get squeezed out of school curricula, including the arts and physical exercise, are excellent for developing EFs and thus can be critical for academic success and for success later in life.  Schools are also under pressure to cut back on time allowed for play to provide more time for academic instruction.  However, children who spend more time in supervised play perform better on academic outcome measures than comparison children who spend more time in direct academic instruction.

 

Day 1:   Definition and Development of Executive Functions

 

Readings:

Diamond, A. (2006).  The early development of executive functions.  In E. Bialystok & F. Craik (eds.), Lifespan Cognition: Mechanisms of Change (pp. 70-95).  NY:  Oxford University Press.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/Lifespan%20Cognition%20chapter.pdf

Garon, N., Bryson, S. E., & Smith, I. M. (2008). Executive function in preschoolers:  A review using an integrative framework. Psychological Bulletin, 134, 31–60.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/garon_Bryson_Smith.pdf

Zelazo, P. D. (2004). The development of conscious control in childhood. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 8, 12-17.    http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/Zelazo.pdf

Diamond, A. & Kirkham, N.Z. (2005).  Not quite as grown-up as we like to think:  Parallels between cognition in childhood and adulthood.  Psychological Science, 16, 291-297.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/adults-%20Psych%20Sci%20-%202005.pdf

Davidson, M.C., Amso, D., Anderson, L.C., & Diamond, A. (2006). Development of cognitive control and executive functions from 4-13 years: Evidence from manipulations of memory, inhibition, and task switching.  Neuropsychologia, 44, 2037 - 2078     http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/Davidson%20et%20al-directional%20Stroop%20-2006.pdf

Diamond, A., Carlson, S.M., & Beck, D.M. (2005).  Preschool children’s performance in task switching on the dimensional change card sort task:  Separating the dimensions aids the ability to switch.  Developmental Neuropsychology, 28, 689-729. http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/diamond,%20carlson,%20&%20beck-separated%20dimensions.pdf

 

Day 2:   Genetic Influences on Executive Functions Bidirectional Relations between Executive Functions & Stress Gender Differences

 

Readings:

Arnsten, A. F. T. (1999).  Development of the cerebral cortex: XIV. Stress impairs prefrontal cortical function.  Development and Neurobiology, 38, 220-222.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/arnsten.pdf

Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B. M. (2007). Putting feelings into words:  Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18, 421-428.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/Lieberman_Putting_feelings_into_words.pdf

Pennebaker, J. W. (1997). Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process. Psychological Science, 8, 162-166.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/Pennebaker1997.pdf

Diamond, A. (2007).  Consequences of variations in genes that affect dopamine in prefrontal cortex.  Cerebral Cortex, 17, 161-170.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/Diamond-Cerebral%20Cortex%202007.pdf

Xie, T., Ho, S.-L., & Ramsden, D. (1999). Characterization and implications of estrogenic down-regulation of human catechol-o-methyltransferase gene transcription. Molecular Pharmacology, 56, 31-38.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/xie.pdf

Shansky, R. M., Glavis-Bloom, C., Lerman, D., McRae, P., Benson, C., Miller, K., et al. (2004).  Estrogen mediates sex differences in stress-induced prefrontal cortex dysfunction. Molecular Psychiatry, 9, 531-538.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/shansky.pdf

 

Day 3:   Clinical Implications ADHD Autism

 

Readings:

Diamond, A.  (2005).   ADD (ADHD without hyperactivity), a neurobiologically and behaviorally distinct disorder from ADHD (with hyperactivity).  Development and Psychopathology, 17, 807-825. http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/ADD.pdf

Diamond, A., Churchland, A., Cruess, L., & Kirkham, N. (1999).  Early developments in the ability to understand the relation between stimulus and reward. Developmental Psychology, 35, 1507-1517.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/velcro-paper.pdf

Diamond, A. (2006).Bootstrapping conceptual deduction using physical connection: Rethinking frontal cortex. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 10, 212-218.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/TICS--2006.pdf

 

Day 4:   How Early Bilingualism can Aid the Development of Executive Functions

 

Readings:

Kovács AM, Mehler J. (2009) Cognitive gains in 7-month-old bilingual infants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA). [Epub ahead of print]
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/TICS--2006.pdf

Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I. M., Klein, R., & Mythili, V. (2004). Bilingualism, aging, and cognitive control: Evidence from the Simon task. Psychology and Aging, 19, 290-303.               http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/Bialystok_et_al_2004.pdf

Bialystok, E., & Martin, M. M. (2004). Attention and inhibition in bilingual children: Evidence from the dimensional change card sort task. Developmental Science, 7, 325-339.     http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/Bialystok_Martin_2004.pdf

Feng, X., Bialystok, E., & Diamond, A. (submitted).  Do Bilingual Children show an Advantage in Working Memory?
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/Feng_Bialystok_Diamond.pdf

 

Day 5:   An Early Education Program that Aids the Development of Executive Functions Why Dance, Sports, and other Arts Programs might Aid the  Development of Executive Functions

 

Readings:

Diamond, A., Barnett, W.S., Thomas, J., & Munro, S. (2007).  Preschool program improves cognitive control, Science, 318, 1387-1388. http://www. devcogneuro.com/Publications/Science%20article%20-%20Diamond%20et%20al.pdf

Diamond, A. (2000). Close interrelation of motor development and cognitive development and of the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex. Child Development, 71, 44-56.                    http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/motor_&_cog_paper.pdf

Hillman, C. H., Erickson, K. I., & Kramer, A. F. (2008). Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nat Rev Neurosci, 9, 58-65.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/Hillman_CH_et_al_2008.pdf

excerpt from:

Heath, S. B., Paul-Boehncke, E., & Wolf, S. (2007). Made for each other:  Creative sciences and arts in the secondary school. London: Creative Partnerships.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/Heath_SB_et_al_2007.pdf

 

Heath, S. B., & Wolf, S. (2005). Focus in creative learning:  Drawing on art for language development. Literacy, 39, 38-45.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/Heath_Wolf_2005.pdf

Lakes, K. D., & Hoyt, W. T. (2004). Promoting self-regulation through school-based martial arts training. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 25, 283-302.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/Lakes_Hoyt_Martial_Arts.pdf

Konzak, B., & Boudreau, F. (1984). Martial arts training and mental health:  An exercise in self-help. Canada’s Mental Health, 32, 2-8.
http://www.devcogneuro.com/Publications/Konzak_Boudreau_1984.pdf

 

Adele Diamond

Adele Diamond, Ph.D., is the Canada Research Chair Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia. Her work integrates developmental, cognitive, neuroscience, and molecular genetic approaches to examine fundamental questions about the development of the cognitive control abilities that rely on a region of the brain known as ‘prefrontal cortex’ and has changed medical practice worldwide for the treatment of PKU (phenylketonuria) and for the type of ADHD without hyperactivity; her recent work, including a paper in the journal, Science, is affecting early education practices around the world.

            Adele Diamond received her BA from Swarthmore College Phi Beta Kappa (in Sociology-Anthropology and Psychology), her PhD from Harvard (in Developmental Psychology), and was a postdoctoral fellow at Yale with Patricia Goldman-Rakic (in Neuroanatomy).  She was named one of the “2000 Outstanding Women of the 20th Century.” Her work has been featured on the Public Television series, Scientific Am. Frontiers Series w/ Alan Alda. A recipient of many awards, she was named a Distinguished Scientific Lecturer by the American Psychological Association (APA), a William James Lecturer by the Association for Psychological Science (APS), received a Canada Fund for Innovation Award, and is a Fellow of the APA in both Developmental Psychology & Behavioral Neuroscience and of the APS.  Her work has been featured in shows on the CBC, CTV, PBS, and NPR, and in articles in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and the Daily Telegraph.  Her research has been continuously funded by NIH & NSF since she was a graduate student.

            She created and organizes the immensely popular international biennial conference on “Brain Development and Learning Conference: Making Sense of the Science” in Vancouver, which presents exciting scientific findings in neuroscience and child development in ways that people working on the frontlines -- parents, teachers, doctors, social workers, and others -- can understand, see the immediate relevance of, and USE:       http://www.interprofessional.ubc.ca/bdl.html

            She loves to dance (any partner dance – waltz, tango, swing, Swedish hambo, Bavarian zweifacher, Cuban rueda, country dance, you name it) and has been invited to visit other countries as a dancer.