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EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS

When knowing what to do isn't always enough to do it

  • You know what you should do.
  • Sometimes you even feel like doing it.
  • However, you keep putting it off.
  • You start several tasks without finishing them.
  • You're forgetting some important steps.
  • You easily lose track of what you were doing.
In children, this can translate into frequent forgetfulness, difficulty following instructions or organizing their schoolwork.
In adolescents or adults, difficulties often take the form of chronic disorganization, poor time management, persistent procrastination, or a feeling of being constantly overwhelmed despite efforts made.
These difficulties are not always linked to a lack of motivation or willpower. They can reflect the functioning of what neuroscience calls executive functions.

The control tower of our brain

  • Imagine a large international airport.
  • Planes are taking off.
  • Others are preparing to land.
  • Hundreds of pieces of information are circulating simultaneously.
To ensure that everything runs smoothly and securely, a control tower coordinates operations, manages priorities, and prevents conflicts.
Executive functions play a comparable role in our brain.
These difficulties are not always linked to a lack of motivation or willpower. They can reflect the functioning of what neuroscience calls executive functions.
They allow us to organize our actions, keep our goals in mind, resist distractions, manage multiple pieces of information at once, and adapt our behavior when the situation changes.
When this "control tower" malfunctions, daily life can quickly become more complicated.
We may know what should be done but fail to do it at the right time, in a sufficiently organized or regular manner.

What are executive functions?

Executive functions are a set of abilities that allow the brain to direct behavior towards a goal.

Working memory

The ability to temporarily keep information active in order to use it.

For example :
  • remember an instruction;
  • perform a mental calculation;
  • to follow several steps of a task.
They come into play when we need to:
  • plan an action;
  • organize several steps;
  • keep a goal in mind;
  • resist distractions;
  • control certain impulses;
  • to make decisions;
  • adapt our behavior when the situation changes.
They play a central role in learning, work, relationships and daily autonomy.
The main executive functions

Attention

The ability to select relevant information and maintain one's objective despite distractions.

L'inhibition

The ability to resist an impulse or a distraction.

For example :
  • wait your turn;
  • do not interrupt;
  • resist an immediate temptation.

Cognitive flexibility

The ability to change strategy when the situation demands it.

For example :
  • to find a new solution to a problem;
  • adapting to an unforeseen change;
  • consider several points of view.

Planning and organization

The ability to prepare a complex action and anticipate the different steps necessary for its completion.

What neuroscience teaches us

Les fonctions exécutives reposent principalement sur les réseaux cérébraux frontaux et leurs nombreuses connexions avec le reste du cerveau.
Contrairement à certaines capacités plus précoces, elles continuent à se développer pendant toute l’enfance et une grande partie de l’adolescence.
Cette maturation progressive explique pourquoi certains comportements qui paraissent simples pour un adulte représentent encore un défi pour un enfant.
Les fonctions exécutives peuvent également être affectées par différents facteurs :
  • le TDAH ;
  • certains troubles des apprentissages ;
  • le stress chronique ;
  • anxiety;
  • fatigue;
  • certain neurological or neurodevelopmental conditions.

Executive functions and presence

We often consider executive functions as purely individual capacities. Yet, they develop in a relational environment.

In early life, a child cannot regulate their attention, emotions, or behavior on their own. They rely on the adults around them.

Parents, teachers, and other attachment figures gradually contribute to the development of self-regulation skills. The presence of a calm, predictable, and supportive adult acts as external support, helping the child to organize their behavior before they can do so independently.

Gradually, this external regulation becomes internal self-regulation. Executive functions, therefore, do not develop solely in the child's brain. They are also built through repeated interactions with the people who accompany them.

This perspective aligns with the work developed within the framework of the Presence Brain project, dedicated to the study of how the presence of others influences the development and functioning of the brain.

When to consult a doctor?

A consultation can be helpful when there are difficulties with organization or self-regulation:
  • disrupt learning;
  • lead to repeated conflicts at home or at school;
  • complicate work or studies;
  • are accompanied by significant procrastination;
  • suggest ADHD or other neurodevelopmental difficulties.

How I work

Neuropsychological assessment allows us to explore the different components of executive functions and to better understand the difficulties encountered on a daily basis.
Depending on the situation, it can help to identify:
  • attentional difficulties;
  • a working memory deficit;
  • planning difficulties;
  • inhibition problems;
  • certain manifestations of ADHD.
The goal is not just to measure performance during a test.
It is about understanding how the person organizes themselves, learns, makes decisions and regulates their behavior in their daily life.

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