Noradrenalin release in prefrontal cortex increases the responsiveness of neurons to diverse inputs, thereby facilitating cognitive flexibility (Vazey and Aston-Jones, 2012).
Release of dopamine from this network modulates prefrontal D2 receptors and thereby facilitates cognitive flexibility, a core feature of executive processing (Floresco and Magyar, 2006).
His research interests focus on neural circuits that facilitate different forms of learning and cognition, with a particular interest in the interactions between different brain regions within the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system that facilitate cognitive processes, such as behavioural flexibility, cost/benefit decision making and reward-related learning.
However, Ashby and colleagues proposed that this DA input would facilitate goal switching and updating as opposed to maintenance, accounting for behavioral observations that positive affect may facilitate cognitive broadening/flexibility and creative problem solving (Dreisbach, 2006; Fredrickson & Branigan, 2005; Isen et al., 1987).
For example, PA leads to greater cognitive flexibility and facilitates creative problem solving across a broad range of settings [ 27].
These incongruent findings could be explained by the fact that Tanabe et al. [ 28] used a modified version of the IGT that prevented successive choices from a particular deck, thereby facilitating correct choices in the SD groups by eliminating the need for cognitive flexibility that is likely to be defective in pathological gamblers [ 26, 30].
A key to cognitive flexibility.
Moore, A. & Malinowski, P. Meditation, mindfulness and cognitive flexibility.
This effect may ultimately contribute to increases in cognitive flexibility.
So, what can we do to augment this cognitive flexibility?
