The influence of age on the development of Executive Functions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57247/riec.vi4.72Keywords:
neurodevelopment, sensitive periods, environmental stimulation, prefrontal cortexAbstract
brain maturation processes have an influence on the development of executive functions, which are cognitive control processes that allow the individual to optimize the performance of their activities. They function as a metacognitive supervisory entity, regulating emotional and behavioral processes that affect higher processes such as planning, problem solving and decision making. They include working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility in interaction with the attentional system, giving rise to executive control. Executive functions reach their degree of maturity between the ages of 26 and 30, however, they present an accelerated development in childhood and have another accelerated peak in adolescence. As children mature at the neural level, they achieve better self-control, self-regulation, and greater coordination of cognitive processes to achieve different goals. This study seeks to establish a profile of executive functions of 23 children with low IQ and learning difficulties, to identify the influence of age on their development. Among the results, it was found that there is no significant difference between the profile of executive functions by the different age ranges and that age is not a representative factor in relation to the development of executive functions.
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