The central executive does not exist

Abstract

In this article I critically review the concept of the central executive. I argue that the experimental evidence for a central executive lacks rigor to the point where it is an unfalsifiable construct. I examine the neuropsychological and neuroradiological evidence and demonstrate that there is no localization evidence for a central executive. What emerges instead is a pattern of extensive heterogeneity with different executive tasks associated with different neural substrates. In sum it is argued that the idea of a central executive should be abandoned, and, from a neuropsychological perspective, tests that purport to measure executive function should do so in a qualitative way rather than assume that a range of tests load on a unitary dimension of performance. (JINS, 1998, 4, 518–522.)