What is executive dysfunction and how does it affect daily life?

Think about everything you do during the day: talking with your partner, cooking a recipe, doing a work project, reading a book, going to your medical appointments… All of these daily actions, so natural for you, can be a real challenge for you. those who have executive dysfunction. And their ability to organize, plan, regulate their attention or their will is impaired, which represents a significant limitation and loss of autonomy.

Maybe you’ve never heard of this term, but the truth is that executive dysfunction is more common than we think. It can occur in children, adults and the elderly and affects cognition, emotions and behavior, so it has serious repercussions.

A deficit in executive function hinders the ability to regulate emotions, set goals, direct oneself autonomously, and function in one’s environment. But why is it? We’ll tell you then.

People with executive dysfunction have difficulty planning and regulating their attention.

What is executive dysfunction?

We can understand executive function as the command center of our brain. Like that director who is in charge of the rest of the functions and coordinates them to give rise to complex behavior. It answers the questions, what do I want to do? How can I do it? When? What steps do I have to follow? How is the process going?… Therefore, it is an organizing component that underlies all activities. cognitive.

In reality, it takes care of several extremely important functions:

The initiative, will and determination to start tasks and sustain them to the end. Planning and organization. The ability to regulate attention, concentrate and maintain a good working memory while performing a task. The ability to monitor the process, detect and eliminate elements that interfere with the achievement of achievement. The flexibility to respond to the changing demands of the environment or correct course. The ability to identify desires, thoughts and needs in others.

Thus, executive dysfunction tells us about a deficit in these abilities organization, coordination and control.

How does it manifest?

People with executive dysfunction may have difficulty carrying out multiple activities of daily living. Some of the manifestations of this deficit are the following:

The person has difficulty starting tasks and projects. They do not feel motivated, apathy and emotional indifference may appear. They forget what they were doing and leave the tasks Unfilled.Procrastinate and leave everything for later.It is difficult for you to organize your priorities and organize your time.Is not able to change the focus of attention when necessary, and perseveres in previous tasks or patterns. Has difficulty following sequences of commands or instructions.Has great difficulty controlling impulses and to anticipate the consequences of their actions.It is a challenge to understand the behavior, thoughts or emotions of others. There is difficulty making decisions, choosing between several options or ways of responding to a situation. There is little resistance to distraction and interference.

Causes of executive dysfunction

Executive dysfunction is not a disorder in itself, but rather a deficit that can appear in different conditions. Let us keep in mind that, at a neurobiological level, executive function It is directly associated with the prefrontal cortex. This brain region develops primarily during childhood and adolescence, and it is during these stages that minors progress and perfect these abilities.

There are several disorders that prevent this from happening. executive dysfunction It is a typical reality in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but also in autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders. In the first case, it accounts for the difficulties related to attention and impulse control; while, in the second, it explains the empathy deficit, stereotypical behaviors and restricted interests.

This executive deficit can also appear as part of an anxiety disorder, depression and other psychiatric conditions. And it is especially relevant in the case of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, since it compromises the autonomy and security of the elderly. On the other hand also can arise from brain damage caused by trauma or other injuries.

Executive dysfunction can arise from a stroke.

What to do about it?

There are different interventions and strategies to alleviate the effects of executive dysfunction and increase the person’s quality of life. The options to use will depend on the specific case and what is the cause of said deficit; Regardless of these variables, in all cases they will seek to restore the altered functions and make external adaptations.

The affected areas must be identified, as well as those preserved and the strengths that the person and their environment have. From now on, Guidelines may be applied that include promotion of healthy lifestyle habits, occupational therapy and patient orientation guidelines.

For the person, understanding their executive dysfunction and learning to use elements such as agendas, planners, reminders, and organization and self-motivation strategies can be very useful. In any case, it is best to go to a professional who can diagnose the deficit and design an individualized plan.

You might be interested…