The role of executive functions in psychiatric disorders

Abstract

Introduction Executive function (EF) deficits are the most consistently described impairments found in studies of neurocognition in psychiatric disorders. More recent research suggests that EF deficits are most prominent in psychiatric disorders that have their onset during the late childhood and adolescence period, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. Therefore, neurodevelopmental mechanisms affecting these functions are likely to play an important role in the emergence of these psychiatric conditions or, alternatively, the emergence of these disorders may adversely affect such functions. As we discuss below, the EF system is continu..