Patterns and Role of Executive Functioning on Psychosocial Well-Being and Life Designing in Acquired Neurological Disabilities

Studies in the literature clearly show that the effects of executive dysfunctions on day-to-day life are relevant for both functional independence and for active participation to social and work life. In times we are currently living, studying executive functioning and developing knowledge on these skills is particularly relevant. It is compelling for persons with acquired neurological disabilities, for individuals who due to a neurological disease experience impairment in executive skills. The first part of the paper will deal with some conceptual knowledge and methods underlying dominant neuropsychological studies dealing with neurological disabilities. A brief introduction will be devoted to describing the most recent approaches and the assessment procedures used when addressing executive functioning in some acquired neurological disabilities which will be referred to in this analysis. Then a description will be provided of main characteristics of their executive profiles. These conditions have been chosen as examples of prototypical conditions, insofar they differ in the expected long term everyday outcome. With direct tasks and self rated interviews, patterns of executive functioning in traumatic brain injury, in multiple sclerosis and in Parkinson’s disease will be described. Usefulness and limits of the approaches used until recently will be summarized. In the second part of the paper, recent theoretical perspectives from the world of disability and psychological studies which underlie ongoing developments in EFs studies will be presented. An integrated approach combining the analysis of EFs with other dimensions of psychological functioning can, in fact, motivate new efforts and widen breath of executive functioning studies. Research conducted by the authors will be described which support the role of these abilities on dimensions of psychosocial wellbeing, such as satisfaction for quality of life, self-determination, inclusion and work participation; on dimensions relevant in life designing such as attitudes toward future and future time perspective. Finally, some implications for future research and intervention will be derived from theoretical choices and research findings outlined.