Central executive system

Warburton and Rusted (1993) have summarized the effects of cholinergic, particularly nicotinic, systems on cognition by suggesting that the data support a role for such systems in regulating the functional state of the cortex and the central executive mechanism [or supervisory attentional system). They further conclude that nicotine s most robust memory effects are seen in tasks that have a high attentional requirement, that is, that memory enhancement may be a consequence of improved attentional functioning. 

Drugs that affect the central nervous system may also have a major action in the gut. Thus, the constipating effects of opium alkaloids are exerted through this system and a number of the important withdrawal symptoms reflect the actions of the enteric nervous system. The nervous system is often regarded as a command (efferent) system that sends instructions to be executed. However, there is also a sensory (afferent) component, that receives information from innervated systems... 

By their very nature, tasks which enable one to measure spatiotemporal accuracy are complex or higher-level sensory-motor tasks. These place demands on a large number of lower-level PRs such as visual acuity, dynamic visual perception, range of movement, strength, simple reaction times, acceler-ation/deacceleration, static steadiness, dynamic steadiness, prediction, memory, open-loop movements, concentration span, attention switching, that is, central executive function or supervisory attentional system (multitask abilities), utilization of preview, and learning. 

Sensory-motor system Comprises all performance resources responsible for all types of sensory-motor performance. Encompasses sensory systems (visual, auditory, proprioceptive, tactile), motor systems (muscles, neuromuscular pathways and reflexes, motor planning, motor execution and coordination), and many higher-level systems in the CNS (visuoperception, cognition, memory, central executive, arousal, attention, default mode, etc.). 

General central nervous system effects (of drug) Selected activity of daily hving execution speed Postural stability Upper extremity neuromotor channel capacity Manual manipulation speed Visual-upper extremity information processing speed Visual attention span Visual-spatial memory capacity Visual-numerical memory capacity... 

Assistive systems that apply FES to restore sensory or motor function are called neural prostheses. A neural prosthesis (NP) could improve sensory or motor function in subjects after cerebro-vascular accident (CVA), spinal cord injury (SCI), and some other diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) [1]. A motor NP applies electrical stimulation to artificially generate muscle contractions required for executing of a functional task in subjects who have lost voluntary control because of a disease or injury. The basic phenomena of the FES are the contraction of a muscle due to the direct stimulation... 

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