ABSTRACT
Executive functions (EF) are a complex set of supervisory functions that are involved in the control of mental processes. Burgess and Simons describe EF as those capacities that make people effective in the real world, allowing them to adapt to new situations and to develop and pursue their life goals in a constructive way. EF is an umbrella term, incorporating a range of aspects that are equally important in complex task behaviour, but can be differentially affected by brain damage. Miyake and colleagues applied a factor analytical approach to find out whether core elements of EF could be identified from different tasks. They used standard neuropsychological tests supposed to measure EF in healthy subjects and found three executive components, which they labelled mental flexibility, updating working memory (WM) and inhibition. WM supports inhibitory control, but inhibitory control in turn supports working memory by suppressing irrelevant information from WM limited-capacity workspace.
