How to Use executive function in a Sentence

executive function

noun
  • We counties are mandated by state law to carry out executive functions provided by state law and the Arizona Constitution.
    Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 3 Sep. 2024
  • The researchers were also aware that the dopaminergic system in the brain has been tied to both physical exercise and executive function in the brain, i.e. top-flight thinking.
    Alison Escalante, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2021
  • That study and others have found that the largest differences appear in areas of the brain that handle language, executive function and memory.
    Lydia Denworth, Scientific American, 1 June 2022
  • Those with this biotype also made errors in executive function tests but did do well on cognitive tasks.
    Kristen Rogers, CNN, 20 June 2024
  • While the area of the teen brain wired to seek rewards is fully developed, the areas associated with long-term planning and executive function are not.
    Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2022
  • Many of these changes happen in areas related to clear thinking and executive function.
    Sonya Collins, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2022
  • My executive function, feeble in the best of times, is apparently never coming back from war.
    Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2021
  • Cognitive changes tend to be a non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease in older adults, who may begin to lose their executive function.
    Patti Greco, Health.com, 9 Sep. 2021
  • The college application process is an ideal time for teens to apply and strengthen their executive function skills.
    Dr. Aviva Legatt, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2023
  • The structure provided by games, or even just the task of walking down the hall quietly, helps improve executive function, the ability to plan and shift flexibly between tasks.
    Alexandra Ossola, Quartz, 2 Sep. 2020
  • By preschool, most kids learn to lie as the parts of their brain that govern executive function, empathy and the ability to regard others as separate from themselves come online.
    Washington Post, 27 July 2021
  • Calhoun was largely left alone to parent herself, her O’Hara-like executive function juxtaposed against the adults’ chaos and self-absorption.
    Hamilton Cain, BostonGlobe.com, 17 June 2022
  • There’s our prefrontal cortex, this sort of seat of executive function that makes rational decisions.
    Katie Bain, Billboard, 22 May 2024
  • Since a concussion does not typically show up on any imaging, ongoing and long-lasting changes to executive function can be hard to detect.
    Tami Abdollah, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2023
  • The study authors have some explanations as to why there was no discernible difference in executive function and attention in this group of children who had theirr tonsils and adenoids removed.
    Nina Shapiro, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
  • The connections between his brain’s frontal lobes, which are responsible for executive function, and the parts of the brain that generate fear, anger, impulsiveness and violence were badly frayed.
    Dave Philipps, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024
  • Often these patients have executive function trouble and a setback can derail their recovery, providers said.
    Jenna Portnoy, Washington Post, 28 May 2023
  • This is the part of your brain responsible for executive functions—things like planning, organizing, and yes, remembering what’s needed to finish a task.
    Erica Sloan, SELF, 28 June 2024
  • The second cognitive test, known as the Stroop test, assessed more complex elements of executive function, like the ability to override your instinctive response.
    Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 28 May 2021
  • In fact, one study found that senior citizens who given basic math and reading problems to work on every day for six months experienced boosts in processing speed and executive function. 5.
    Kaitlyn Phoenix, Good Housekeeping, 25 Feb. 2023
  • Specifically, research has pinpointed declines in the frontal lobe, which includes your prefrontal cortex, or the area that handles executive functions.
    Erica Sloan, SELF, 17 June 2024
  • The parents reported each child’s screen time, and researchers found there was an association between screen time in infancy and attention and executive function at 9 years old, according to the study.
    Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 30 Jan. 2023
  • Lanny Davis, a legal expert who was formerly Michael Cohen’s lawyer, said that the decision would have little impact on the hush-money case because paying hush money is not an executive function.
    Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 1 July 2024
  • The two groups of children, with an average age of six years, were assessed before study enrollment and 12 months later for improvement in behavior, focus, executive function and quality-of-life.
    Nina Shapiro, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
  • Looking more closely, the researchers found that the areas of the brain with more white matter were associated with executive functions such as decision making, moral reasoning, and adherence to rules.
    Paul Tullis, Town & Country, 30 Apr. 2023
  • This allows a longer period of executive function, better memory and improved overall health and quality of life.
    Jennifer Sala, Discover Magazine, 9 Aug. 2022
  • The women also performed better on a test measuring for executive function after their weight loss procedures.
    Lauryn Higgins, Health, 16 Apr. 2024
  • What's more, researchers have found that persistent PCS can have lasting effects on cognition, learning, memory, and executive function.
    Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024
  • Research shows that learning and speaking more than one language improves the brain’s executive function, the set of neural processes used daily to make plans, solve problems and perform various mentally demanding tasks.
    Dallas News, 2 Oct. 2020
  • For one, research by Gilmore and others points to the importance of inhibitory control, an aspect of executive function that relates to suppressing distracting information and unwanted responses when doing math.
    Jaimie Seaton, Scientific American, 29 Mar. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'executive function.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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