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This study was designed to test the effects of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) on depression levels and investigate the mediating role of executive function (EF) in adults. Adults with ADHD, DCD, and ADHD + DCD (N = 139) completed self-report measures of ADHD, DCD, depression, and EF. There were distinct profiles of EF across diagnostic groups, and higher depression symptoms in adults with ADHD + DCD than DCD alone. All EF domains were predicted by ADHD symptoms, and several by DCD symptoms. ADHD and DCD symptoms, and most EF domains, predicted depression symptoms. Overall EF difficulties fully mediated the relationships between ADHD/DCD and depression symptoms. Several specific EF domains relating to behavioural regulation and metacognition also showed full/partial mediating effects. The mediating role of EF difficulties between these neurodevelopmental conditions and depression symptoms has implications for their understanding and treatment, suggesting that targeting EF may be important for preventing co-occurring depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has suggested that particular content of television programmes, such as watching fantastical scenes, can have negative consequences on cognitive functions in young children. We examined the effects of watching fantastical programmes on executive functions measured at both pre‐ and post‐television viewing. Eighty 5‐ to 6‐year‐old children participated and were randomized into either fantastical or non‐fantastical conditions. They completed inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and planning tasks both before and after watching either the brief fantastical or non‐fantastical television clip. Whilst there were no differences between the groups at pre‐test on any of the cognitive measures, children in the fantastical condition were poorer on inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility tasks at the post‐test session. Watching fantastical television content, even briefly, seems to disrupt cognitive function performance in young children across a broad range of aspects of executive function. Statement of contributionWhat is already known on this subject?Exposure to fantastical content within a television programme may impair executive functions in young children.What does this study add?Exposure to fantastical content within television programmes impairs executive functions in children of early primary school age.Impairment extends to all three core aspects of executive functions.Watching fantastical clips slows down planning performance without improving accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research examining cognition and science learning has focused on working memory, but evidence implicates a broader set of executive functions. The current study examined executive functions and learning of biology in young adolescents. Fifty-six participants, aged 12-13 years, completed tasks of working memory (Spatial Working Memory), inhibition (Stop-Signal), attention set-shifting (ID/ED) and planning (Stockings of Cambridge), from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. They also participated in a biology teaching session, practical and assessment on the topic of DNA designed specifically for the current study that measured (a) memory for biology facts taught and (b) understanding of information learned in the practical. Linear regression analysis revealed that planning ability predicted performance on the factual assessment, and both spatial working memory and planning were predictive of performance on the conceptual assessment. The findings suggest that planning ability is important in learning biological facts but that a broader set of executive functions are important for conceptual learning, highlighting the role of executive functions in understanding and applying knowledge about what is learned within science teaching. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accumulating evidence supports methylphenidate-induced enhancement of neuropsychological functioning in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The present study was designed to investigate the acute effects of the psychostimulant drug, methylphenidate (MPH), on neuropsychological performance in stimulant naïve boys with ADHD. Methods: Seventy-three drug-naïve boys (age 7–15) with ADHD (combined type) completed neuropsychological tasks from the CANTAB battery under randomised, placebo controlled, double-blind conditions following an acute challenge with either placebo ( n = 24), .3 ( n = 25) or .6 ( n = 24) mg/kg oral MPH. Results: MPH did not impair performance on any task. MPH (.6 mg/kg) lengthened response latencies on a task of Spatial Recognition, shortened response times on a Reaction Time task and restored performance on a Delayed Matching to Sample visual, non-working memory task. Contrary to predictions, MPH did not enhance performance on tasks with a prominent executive component, including Go/NoGo, Spatial Working Memory, Stockings of Cambridge and Attentional Set shifting tasks. Conclusions: Acute administration of MPH to drug-naïve boys with ADHD did not impair neuropsychological performance. Acute MPH enhanced performance on some aspects of non-executive functioning. MPH-induced slowing of responding on a relatively complex Spatial Recognition memory task and quickened responding on a reaction time task requiring less cognitive resources suggests that MPH may act by improving self-regulatory ability. MPH may not exert its effects on neuropsychological functioning by enhancing executive processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]