More people are talking about executive dysfunction—but what exactly is it?
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
More people are talking about executive dysfunction—but what exactly is it?
Collage with hands holding arrows in many directions with brain illustration on blue background.
Organizing thoughts, prioritizing tasks, and managing time efficiently are just a few of the skills required to get things done, and they’re all associated with a complex cognitive process known as executive function. From making a schedule to getting to work on time, executive function skills help people achieve everyday tasks.
If you find those tasks challenging, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with what’s known as executive dysfunction.
Interest in executive dysfunction spiked in spring 2023 and has remained high since, based on Google Trends data. Searches for the term on social media platforms like TikTok return a wide range of videos from individuals detailing their everyday struggles and how they manage them.
There’s no singular reason for the surge in interest on the topic. Still, social media visibility, combined with studies, suggests new research on executive function has increased the understanding of its role in academic success, professional achievement, and self-regulation. Sustained problems with attention, from organizing work and setting schedules to recalling and following multistep directions, are just a couple of examples of executive dysfunction and how it impacts an individual’s ability to plan, prioritize, and execute complex tasks.
Tile took a closer look at executive dysfunction, compiling research on conditions that cause it, how it manifests, and how those experiencing it can manage its effects.
Symptoms and causes of executive dysfunction
Executive dysfunction, sometimes known as disordered executive function, is not a stand-alone diagnosis, but a side effect of several neurological, mental health, and behavioral conditions that disrupt the ability to self-regulate. In other words, it impacts the brain’s ability to control thoughts, emotions, and behavior.
Executive dysfunction is often associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but other conditions affect executive functioning. Deficits in executive function are commonly associated with various conditions, including autism spectrum disorder, as well as learning disabilities and depression or anxiety disorders, Dr. Sam Goldstein, assistant clinical instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Utah and a leading researcher on executive function, told Stacker.
In recent years, the understanding of inattention has shifted from a narrow inability to stay on task to the broader concept of executive function disorder, which involves a pattern of chronic difficulty with “analyzing, planning, organizing, scheduling, and completing tasks,” Larry Silver, clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown Medical Center, wrote for ADDitude magazine.
Brain damage and degenerative brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and brain tumors can cause symptoms of executive dysfunction. Beyond diseases, experts say other factors like stress, loneliness, and a lack of exercise can also affect your executive functions.
Everyday liabilities and executive function
Executive function is often broken down across a set of cognitive processes related to problem-solving efficiency. Executive dysfunction problems are associated with nine: attention, emotion regulation, flexibility, inhibitory control, initiation, organization, planning, self-monitoring and working memory.
“If you’re going on a vacation, planning what clothes you need, what time you have to leave to the airport, etc., is going to be a problem,” said Goldstein, coauthor of the book “The Power of Resilience.” “Organizing and packing your things so you take everything with you is going to be a problem.”
Goldstein added: “When you don’t have as much time, any of these variables become a liability. When the task is more complex, any of these weaknesses create a liability. When the task is repetitive or effortful, any of these tasks can create a liability.”
Executive dysfunction involves a wide range of brain processes and can manifest itself in many everyday tasks, adversely impacting one’s ability to carry out plans and tasks.
People with executive dysfunction may struggle with focus, motivation, and staying on task, particularly amid distractions and interruptions. This might include difficulty with transitions or having trouble explaining your thought process clearly. Other symptoms of executive dysfunction can include trouble meeting deadlines and being on time, challenges regulating emotions, and being chronically late to appointments.
Managing and understanding ED
While executive dysfunction is not a stand-alone diagnosable medical condition, neuropsychological testing and observation typically identify executive function deficits, Goldstein said. He also added that deficits are often treated with a combination of strategies, including behavioral interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy, and, in some cases, medication, particularly if they are associated with a disorder like ADHD.
Goldstein said solutions might vary widely, going beyond therapy to include consulting self-help literature on topics like being more efficient, organized, and effective with time management.
Goldstein said that once executive dysfunction is identified as the problem, an individual should focus on the underlying cause. “We don’t treat the executive dysfunction,” he said. “We try and find what the underlying driver is. You can compensate for it, but we still want to know what it is, especially if it’s something that can be impaired.”
Health care providers like neurologists may be able to order specific tests that gauge certain executive functioning skills, including the Stroop test, which evaluates inhibition control. Beyond testing, according to the Cleveland Clinic, individuals can improve their executive functioning skills by participating in computerized cognitive training, neurofeedback training, mindfulness training, and exercising.
Goldstein said a self-analysis to see which symptoms align with what one is experiencing can also help with management. If an individual has problems with planning, for example, working with an executive coach who can help develop organizational strategies might be helpful.
Another challenge of executive dysfunction is that it’s a “hidden disability,” Goldstein said. Because manifestations can be inconsistent, other people might not have as much empathy for someone who is late or disorganized. But as awareness grows, that’s changing, he suggested.
“I think somewhere in the universe is a society that doesn’t pathologize or demonize or moralize, and [we] just discuss impairment.”
Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Paris Close.
This story originally appeared on Tile and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
