Neurological Disorders

There are Two Different Dysexecutive Syndromes

Abstract

Alfredo Ardila

The idea of “executive function” has become a fundamental concept in contemporary neurosciences. However, some disagreement remains around the question of unity or diversity (non-unitary) of executive functions and different points of view have been proposed. In this paper it is suggested that two major types of executive dysfunction syndromes can be separated: (a) Metacognitive executive dysfunction syndrome associated with dorsolateral frontal damage; and (b) Motivational/emotional executive dysfunction syndrome associated with orbitofrontal and medial frontal pathology. The first one is characterized by disturbances in intellectual abilities (“intelligence”), whereas the second one relates to impairments in behavioral control (disinhibition, impulsivity, etc.). Contemporary neuroimaging studies support this proposal.