Executive functions

Executive functions are goal-directed cognitive abilities centered in the prefrontal cortex: planning, organizing, maintaining goals, and translating intentions into action. 1 2

• Frontal-lobe damage and dysfunction: Difficulties setting priorities, achieving goals, staying focused, and adapting flexibly can reflect impaired frontal-lobe function. 3
• Supporting executive function: Goal-management training uses therapist-guided, real-life projects—breaking them into subgoals, staying focused, and monitoring progress—and can help skills carry over into everyday life. 4
• Creativity and imagination: The default mode network supports autobiographical thought and imagination, while the prefrontal cortex can suppress its activity when focused attention is needed. 5
• Memory and ADHD: Executive function and memory are closely linked. In ADHD, the prefrontal cortex’s communication with other brain areas—not necessarily the prefrontal cortex itself—is often less effective. 6 7