Executive functions (EF) constitute a large conglomerate of cognitive abilities that, as their name indicates, carry out decisive actions in decision-making and human behavior. They are of a cognitive and socio-emotional nature, they coordinate the input and output information to regulate the behaviors, thoughts, and emotions of a task to be performed. Alexander Luria raises its conceptualization at the beginning of the seventies, being Muriel Lezak the one in charge of its scientific dissemination. In this article, a bibliographic compilation on EFs, their best known theoretical models, their neuropsychological evaluation process, the most common disorders and the most relevant studies in recent years is made.
Prefrontal cortex
Construcción teórica neuropsicológica de las funciones ejecutivas. Theoretical neuropsychological construction of executive functions
Palabras clave: Corteza prefrontal,
flexibilidad mental,
Funciones Ejecutivas,
lóbulo frontal,
Memoria de Trabajo,
Escala de Observación Clínica Para Valorar la Tercera Unidad Funcional de la Teoría de Luria: EOCL-1. Scale Of Clinical Observation To Valuate The Third Functional Unit Of The Luria Theory: EOCL-1.
Luria’s brain organization model proposes the interaction of three functional units to understand the work performed by the human brain. The first of them is responsible for the regulation of tone and wakefulness. The second one to receive, process and store the information. The third, and of central interest of the investigation, is responsible for programming, executing and verifying mental activity. To evaluate this theory, a series of experimental neuropsychological tests have been developed, however, a scale has not been proposed that, based on the theoretical precepts on the third functional unit, allows to assess it based on the behaviors of the daily life of the human being. This research proposes a scale that will allow the clinician to assess the mental abilities associated with the ability to program, execute and verify the most complex form of mental activity; integrated in the third functional unit of Luria. The proposal is discussed, based on the benefit that is generated by having a scale that will allow to assess this theory, in the different environments where the individual develops through the action of the cerebral abilities of the third functional unit.
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Evaluación de las Habilidades de la Corteza Prefrontal: La Escala Efeco II-VC y II-VR. Evaluation Of The Skills Of The Prefrontal Cortex: The Efeco II-VC And II-VR.
The pre-frontal cortex is the basis of the most complex mental abilities of human development. In its evaluation process, the EFECO scale provides an important contribution to assess its status. In previous investigations this scale has been studied with its configuration of 67 items, narrative focused on the deficit and evaluation of 8 executive functions. This research presents a new version of the scale, centered on its narrative in executive ability, proposed items to assess executive verification function and a summarized version of 42 items. The study included 118 healthy adults between 18 and 25 years of age (Mage = 20.72, SD = 1.65). In the results it was found that the EFECO II-VC scale (modified and complete version) obtained as internal consistency α = .96 and its sub-scales internal consistency between α = .64 and .81. The EFECO II-VR scale (modified and summarized version) obtained α = .94 and its sub-scales between α = .68 and .79. The internal consistency of the factors in which the executive functions are included were adequate: the supervisory system of cognition II-VC α = .93 and II-VR α = .70, while the supervisor system of behavior II- VC α = .93 and II-VR α = .81. The correlations between the executive functions assessed with both scales were between medium and large r = .36 and .94. The work is closed discussing the clinical and scientific contribution of the modification of the EFECO scale.
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Palabras clave: Corteza prefrontal,
escala EFECO,
evaluación neuropsicológica,
Funciones Ejecutivas,
