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Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Relationship between Executive Functions, Anxiety Disorders and Other Related Disorders
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Relationship between Executive Functions, Anxiety Disorders and Other Related Disorders

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuropsychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2020) | Viewed by 22039

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pablo José Olivares-Olivares

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Interests: executive functions; obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders; anxiety disorders; social anxiety; meta-analysis; selective mutism; cognitive-behavioral treatment
Prof. Dr. Ana Isabel Rosa Alcázar

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Personality, Assessment, Psychological Treatment Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
Interests: obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders in children and adolescents; borderline personality disorder

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The first author to describe the term “executive functions” was the American neuropsychologist Muriel Lezak (1982). She defined them as those capabilities of the central nervous system needed to formulate goals and plan their achievement in a way that was effective.

In the last decades, research in neuropsychology has tried to check if there is a concordance between neuroimaging data and the results of neuropsychological tests both in order to find a clinical phenotype and to predict and/or improve the outcome of treatments in behavioral disorders.

The role of executive functions such as cognitive flexibility, response inhibition, and working memory remains unclear despite the fact that researchers agree on the importance of their study. A better understanding of anxiety disorders would improve the processes of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment in order to design more effective and efficient interventions.

The World Health Organization (2016) estimates that nearly 10% of the world's population suffers from an anxiety and/or depression disorder and that investment in the treatment of these disorders has a social return of 400%. This situation amply justifies the need to continue advancing in the study of these behavioral disorders.

The objective of this Special Issue is to publish research related to the study of executive functions in anxiety disorders that provide novel results.

This field can be considered a cutting-edge in the study of behavioral disorders both because of the importance of the issues that have yet to be elucidated and because of their novelty and significance.

Contributions should follow the structure of the journal and contribute new, relevant, and rigorous knowledge to the field of study.

Dr. Pablo José Olivares-Olivares
Prof. Ana Isabel Rosa Alcázar
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Anxiety disorders
  • Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
  • Executive functions
  • Cognitive-behavioral assessment
  • Working memory
  • Cognitive flexibility
  • Response inhibition
  • Metacognition

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 710 KiB  
Article
Coping Strategies, Anxiety and Depression in OCD and Schizophrenia: Changes during COVID-19
by Ángel Rosa-Alcázar, José Luis Parada-Navas, María Dolores García-Hernández, Sergio Martínez-Murillo, Pablo J. Olivares-Olivares and Ana I. Rosa-Alcázar
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(7), 926; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11070926 - 13 Jul 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3574
Abstract
Background: The main aim was to examine changes in coping strategies, anxiety and depression in obsessive–compulsive and schizophrenia patients during COVID-19, in addition to controlling the influence of intolerance to uncertainty and experiential avoidance. Method: The first time, the study comprised (15–30 April [...] Read more.
Background: The main aim was to examine changes in coping strategies, anxiety and depression in obsessive–compulsive and schizophrenia patients during COVID-19, in addition to controlling the influence of intolerance to uncertainty and experiential avoidance. Method: The first time, the study comprised (15–30 April 2020) 293 patients, 113 of whom were diagnosed with obsessive–compulsive disorder, 61 with schizophrenia and 119 healthy controls, aged 13–77 years (M = 37.89, SD = 12.65). The second time (15–30 November), the study comprised 195 participants (85 obsessive–compulsive patients, 42 schizophrenic patiens and 77 healthy controls participants). The evaluation was carried out through an online survey. Results: The clinical groups worsened over time in cognitive coping, anxiety and depression, while the control group only worsened in depression. Intergroup differences in anxiety, depression and coping strategies were maintained, highlighting the use of some maladaptive strategies (avoidance, spiritual) in clinical groups. Experiential avoidance and tolerance for uncertainty mainly affected coping. Conclusions: The duration of COVID-19 not only produced changes in anxiety and depression in clinical groups but also in coping strategies to face this pandemic and its consequences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Executive Functions, Anxiety Disorders and Other Related Disorders)
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11 pages, 799 KiB  
Article
Executive Functioning and Clinical Variables in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
by Inmaculada Concepción Martínez-Esparza, Pablo J. Olivares-Olivares, Ángel Rosa-Alcázar, Ana I. Rosa-Alcázar and Eric A. Storch
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(2), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11020267 - 20 Feb 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4015
Abstract
Background: Cognitive flexibility, response inhibition, and working memory are considered the main mechanisms responsible for executive control. This study examined differences in cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and working memory in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) relative to a control group. Method: A total of [...] Read more.
Background: Cognitive flexibility, response inhibition, and working memory are considered the main mechanisms responsible for executive control. This study examined differences in cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and working memory in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) relative to a control group. Method: A total of 62 obsessive-compulsive participants (OCD = 32; healthy control = 32) aged between 17 and 56 years old (M = 33.16, SD = 9.23) were administered the computerized Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Stroop Color–Word Test, Go/No-Go Task, Digit Test, and Corsi Block Test. Clinician-rated and self-reported obsessive–compulsive symptom severity, and anxiety, depression, and obsessive beliefs were evaluated. Results: The control group performed better than the OCD group in tasks involving cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and visuospatial working memory. Anxiety and obsessive beliefs influenced the participants’ performance on inhibition and working memory tasks. Similarly, comorbidity also influenced inhibition and working memory. In addition, the use of pharmacotherapy and the degree of OCD symptom severity influenced verbal working memory. Conclusions: Cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and visuospatial working memory deficits may be endophenotypes of OCD but require further examination for specificity. OCD severity, comorbidity patterns, anxiety, and obsessive beliefs may influence performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Executive Functions, Anxiety Disorders and Other Related Disorders)
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9 pages, 1850 KiB  
Communication
Changes in Psychological Anxiety and Physiological Stress Hormones in Korea National Shooters
by Sang-Hyuk Park, In-Hye Park, Seung-Taek Lim and Eunjae Lee
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(12), 926; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10120926 - 1 Dec 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2545
Abstract
Psychological anxiety and physiological stress hormone management is closely related to an athlete’s performance, especially in shooting competitions. Thus, we aimed to investigate the changes in saliva stress hormones according to anxiety scores of Korean elite shooters immediately before a shooting competition. Seventy-two [...] Read more.
Psychological anxiety and physiological stress hormone management is closely related to an athlete’s performance, especially in shooting competitions. Thus, we aimed to investigate the changes in saliva stress hormones according to anxiety scores of Korean elite shooters immediately before a shooting competition. Seventy-two Korean national shooting athletes (Rifle = 62, Pistol = 8, Shotgun = 2) were recruited for the present study. The physiological stress hormones were assessed based on cortisol and immunoglobulin A level in saliva. The psychological stress was assessed based on Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) questionnaire. Cortisol concentration and cortisol secretion rate were significant higher in severe anxiety group. Secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) concentration and SIgA secretion rate did not significant different in among the groups. A positive correlation was found between BAI score and cortisol concentration. These findings provide preliminary evidence indicating that psychological anxiety affects physiological stress and therefore may have a negative effect on athletes’ performance. Thus, research is needed to develop a strategy to reduce physiological stress in these athletes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Executive Functions, Anxiety Disorders and Other Related Disorders)
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15 pages, 700 KiB  
Article
A Disruption in the Balance of Attentional Systems Plays a Role in Trait Anxiety
by Mark R. Minnick, Koraly E. Pérez-Edgar and José A. Soto
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(10), 761; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10100761 - 21 Oct 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2625
Abstract
Elevated levels of anxiety are associated with attentional threat biases and inefficient attentional control, with the latter requiring sustained cognitive effort. The current study assessed self-reported and behavioral evidence of attentional functioning, along with electrodermal activity (EDA; measured via changes in skin conductance [...] Read more.
Elevated levels of anxiety are associated with attentional threat biases and inefficient attentional control, with the latter requiring sustained cognitive effort. The current study assessed self-reported and behavioral evidence of attentional functioning, along with electrodermal activity (EDA; measured via changes in skin conductance level [SCL reactivity]) as an index of sympathetic arousal, to examine whether these vulnerabilities are evident among individuals with elevated trait anxiety (non-clinical). Fifty-nine participants completed a working memory span task measuring attentional control under high cognitive load. A visual change detection task assessed stimulus-driven attention as an indicator of vigilance to non-threatening visual information. Trait anxiety was self-reported. SCL was captured at rest and during the working memory task. Results revealed that trait anxiety was positively related to speed of visual change detection, without accuracy costs, suggesting enhanced vigilance for neutral visual information among those higher in trait anxiety. Trait anxiety also moderated the relation between change detection speed and attentional control, such that attentional vigilance was not associated with variation in attentional control for individuals higher in trait anxiety. However, for individuals lower in trait anxiety, vigilance was negatively associated with attention control. The relationship between vigilance and attentional control was also moderated by SCL reactivity such that the association was only significant at lower SCL reactivity levels. Taken together, results suggest that individuals higher in trait anxiety demonstrate greater attentional control in the service of visual detection, but greater attentional control may come at the cost of increased sympathetic arousal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Executive Functions, Anxiety Disorders and Other Related Disorders)
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Review

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18 pages, 833 KiB  
Review
A Systematic Review of Executive Function and Information Processing Speed in Major Depression Disorder
by Laura Nuño, Juana Gómez-Benito, Viviana R. Carmona and Oscar Pino
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(2), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11020147 - 22 Jan 2021
Cited by 60 | Viewed by 8271
Abstract
Background: Major depression is a psychiatric disorder characterized neuropsychologically by poor performance in tasks of memory, attention, processing speed, and executive function. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the evidence regarding the neuropsychological profile of people with major depression and [...] Read more.
Background: Major depression is a psychiatric disorder characterized neuropsychologically by poor performance in tasks of memory, attention, processing speed, and executive function. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the evidence regarding the neuropsychological profile of people with major depression and to determine which of two explanatory models—the processing speed hypothesis or the cognitive effort hypothesis—has most empirical support. Methods: We searched three relevant databases and reviewed the reference lists of the articles retrieved. The results obtained with the Trail Making Test and the Stroop Color-Word Test were reviewed for 37 studies published between 1993 and 2020. Results: The empirical evidence supports both hypotheses: cognitive effort and processing speed, suggesting that depression is not only characterized by psychomotor slowing but also involves a specific deficit in executive function. Discussion: We discuss potentially relevant variables that should be considered in future research in order to improve knowledge about the neurocognitive profile of depression. The main limitation of this study derives from the considerable heterogeneity of participants with MD, which makes it difficult to compare and integrate the data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Executive Functions, Anxiety Disorders and Other Related Disorders)
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