Smart Ageing International Research Center, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
Brain Struct Funct. 2013 Jul;218(4):1017-32. doi: 10.1007/s00429-012-0444-z. Epub 2012 Aug 1.
Executive functions involve control processes such as goal-oriented planning, flexible strategy generation, sustaining set maintenance, self-monitoring, and inhibition. Executive functions during everyday events (EFEEs) are distinct from those measured under laboratory settings; the former can be severely impaired while the latter remain intact. Non-routine everyday problems due to executive dysfunctions affect individual functioning in everyday life and are of great clinical interest. Despite the importance of anatomical bases underlying better EFEEs, such bases have never been investigated among non-clinical samples. Using voxel-based morphometry to measure regional gray matter volume (rGMV) and regional white matter volume (rWMV) and diffusion tensor imaging to determine fractional anisotropy values, we identified the anatomical correlates of better EFEEs using the Dysexecutive Questionnaire in 303 normal young subjects (168 men and 135 women). Better EFEEs were associated with a smaller rGMV in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) spread across Brodmann areas (BA) 25, 11, and 12 and larger rWMV in the WM area of OFC adjacent to BA 11. Furthermore, individual EFEEs were positively associated with rWMV in the temporal areas, primarily the inferior longitudinal fasciculus and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, the latter of which connects OFC and posterior regions. Thus, our findings suggest that brain structures involving OFC, together with other regions, contribute to the maintenance of effective EFEEs among non-clinical subjects.
执行功能涉及控制过程，如目标导向的规划、灵活的策略生成、持续集维护、自我监控和抑制。日常事件中的执行功能（EFEE）与在实验室环境下测量的功能不同；前者可能严重受损，而后者则保持完整。由于执行功能障碍导致的非常规日常问题会影响个体在日常生活中的功能，这具有重要的临床意义。尽管了解更好的 EFEE 的解剖学基础很重要，但在非临床样本中从未对此进行过研究。我们使用基于体素的形态测量学来测量区域灰质体积 (rGMV) 和区域白质体积 (rWMV)，并使用弥散张量成像来确定各向异性分数值，通过在 303 名正常年轻受试者（168 名男性和 135 名女性）中使用执行功能障碍问卷，确定了更好的 EFEE 的解剖学相关性。更好的 EFEE 与眶额皮层 (OFC) 的 rGMV 减少有关，该区域横跨 Brodmann 区域 (BA) 25、11 和 12，与 BA 11 相邻的 OFC 白质区的 rWMV 增大有关。此外，个体的 EFEE 与颞叶区域的 rWMV 呈正相关，主要是下纵束和下额枕束，后者连接 OFC 和后区。因此，我们的发现表明，涉及眶额皮层的大脑结构以及其他区域有助于非临床受试者维持有效的 EFEE。
