[Memory and the executive functions].

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology

Context:

• Executive functioning, or executive control, involves cognitive mechanisms for complex problem-solving.
• The frontal lobes and executive processes interact with memory, utilizing diencephalic and medial temporal lobe structures.
• Frontal lobe damage is frequently linked to memory deficits such as working memory, metamemory, source amnesia, and prospective memory issues.

Purpose:

• Critically review the concept of working memory.
• Propose a new term, the attentional operative system, for memory content processing.
• Highlight the frontal lobes' crucial role in monitoring processes and 'feeling of knowing' judgments.

Summary:

• Patients with prefrontal damage exhibit significant difficulties in recalling information sources, forgetting the learning context.
• Executive functioning deficits impact the ability to remember information and its associated spatiotemporal context.
• Prospective memory involves future intentions and executing planned actions, which is also affected by prefrontal damage.

Impact:

• Understanding executive functioning and memory interactions is crucial for diagnosing and treating cognitive impairments.
• The proposed attentional operative system offers a new framework for studying memory content processing.
• This research underscores the critical role of the frontal lobes in higher-order cognitive functions and memory.