Follow us: hu Improving life after brain injury Need to talk? 0808 800 2244 Donate Home About brain injury Individuals Brain injury and me 7 signs of executive d... Share your story Share your story with us to help others affected by brain injury 7 signs of executive dysfunction after brain injury We list the signs of executive dysfunction, a term that includes many common effects of brain injury. 'Executive dysfunction' is not, perhaps, a particularly well known term, but the effects of brain injury that it covers are very common indeed. It is used to collectively describe impairment in the 'executive functions' - the key cognitive, emotional and behavioural skills that are used to navigate through life, especially when undertaking activities and interacting with others. Although executive dysfunction is a common problem among many brain injury survivors, it is most commonly experienced following an injury to the frontal lobe. The importance of executive functions is shown by the difficulties caused when they don’t work properly and someone has problems with executive dysfunction. Since the executive functions are involved in even the most routine activities, frontal injuries leading to executive dysfunction can lead to problems in many aspects of life. Here we list the most common effects of executive dysfunction, with some examples of issues that brain injury survivors can face: Difficulties with motivation and organisation Loss of ‘get up and go’, which can be mistaken for laziness Problems with thinking ahead and carrying out the sequence of steps needed to complete a task Rigid thinking Difficulty in evaluating the result of actions and reduced ability to change behaviour or switch between tasks if needed Poor problem solving Finding it hard to anticipate consequences Decreased ability to make accurate judgements or find solutions if things are going wrong Impulsivity Acting too quickly and impulsively without fully thinking through the consequences, for example, spending more money than can be afforded Mood disturbances Difficulty in controlling emotions which may lead to outbursts of emotion such as anger or crying Rapid mood changes may occur, for example, switching from happiness to sadness for no apparent reason Difficulties in social situations Reduced ability to engage in social interactions Finding it hard to initiate, participate in, or pay attention to conversations Poor judgement in social situations, which may lead to saying or doing inappropriate things Memory/attention problems Finding it harder to concentrate Difficulty with learning new information Decreased memory for past or current events, which may lead to disorientation Find out more If you or someone you care for is affected by executive dysfunction, it is important to seek support. Speak to your doctor about your symptoms, and ask about referral to specialist services such as counselling, neuropsychology and rehabilitation. You can find out more and get tips and strategies to help manage your condition on our executive dysfunction after brain injury page. Headway groups and branches can offer support in your area, and you can contact our helpline if you would like to talk things through. Back to stories index Executive dysfunction Executive dysfunction is a term for the range of cognitive, emotional and behavioural difficulties which often occur after injury to the frontal lobes of the brain. Find out more Effects of brain injury Find out about some of the main difficulties that arise after brain injury, together with some suggestions as to how to deal with them. Find out more Supporting you From local groups or branches, our Emergency Fund, Brain Injury Identity Card, helpline and much more, find out how Headway can support you after brain injury. Find out more Related resources Psychological effects of brain injury The effects of brain injury Friends of Headway Individual membership Join/Renew Contact Us t: 0115 924 0800 e: enquiries@headway.org.uk Help us improve life after brain injury. Donate Improving life after brain injury 0808 800 2244 Call our free helpline 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday. Or email helpline@headway.org.uk Join our online Community 27k Likes 25k Followers 3k Subscribers Privacy policy Cookies Terms & Conditions Accessibility Contact Us Resource centre Find a Headway Approved care providers Charity shops Fundraising comments, feedback and complaints Vacancies Join our mailing list Headway - the brain injury association is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity no. 1025852) and the Office of the Scottish Regulator (Charity no. SC 039992). Headway is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 2346893. © Copyright Headway 2021 - Site designed and developed by MEDIAmaker By clicking 'Accept All Cookies’ you agree to the storing of cookies on your device. This will help us to offer the best possible experience and develop more of the information you need. Accept All Cookies Cookies Settings