执行功能是人类高级认知功能，本质就是对一般认知过程进行控制和调节，神经心理研究认为大脑的前额叶负责人类执行功能的主要脑区。近10年来，由于执行功能在个体发展，以及各种疾病（如注意缺陷障碍，精神分裂症等）等中的重要作用，执行功能逐渐成为认知心理学、认知神经科学、神经心理学、行为遗传学、影像遗传学等学科研究的热点和前沿。目前该领域研究的主要问题包括：执行功能的结构和成分、个体执行功能的毕生发展的特点、执行功能个体差异的脑机制、执行功能对个体行为的调控机制（执行功能和心理理论、反社会行为的关系等）以及特殊个体（脑损伤和精神疾病患者）的执行功能特点。在这些问题中，对于执行功能结构和成分的探讨是其中最为核心的、最基本的问题。对于该问题的研究具有重要的理论价值和实践意义，一方面能够促进我们对于执行功能本身的理解，并且有助于执行功能相关研究的开展；另一方面为障碍个体的诊断和治疗提供科学依据。本研究以大学生群体作为研究对象，围绕对执行功能结构和成分的探讨，结合认知行为测验、分子遗传学的手段和方法，通过三个系列研究，旨在考察：执行功能是否可能分离成三个相互关联的子成分；执行功能的结构能否通过其对高级心理认知活动的作用而得到验证；执行功能各成分的遗传基础。主要研究方法和研究结论如下：研究一：通过对六个执行功能任务进行探索性因素分析发现：执行功能六个任务能提取三个公因子，抑制控制、记忆刷新和心理定势转换。通过验证性结构方程模型借助潜变量分析发现：执行功能可以分离出三个互相关联的成分。研究二：通过执行功能在高级心理认知活动中作用的考察，从认知行为测验角度验证研究一的结果，从而进一步深入了解执行功能的结构和成分。结果发现：将执行功能分成三个互相关联的成分作用于高级心理认知活动构建的理论模型拟合度最好。再次验证执行功能可以分离出三个互相关联的成分。研究三：行为研究证实了执行功能的三个稳定的核心成分。在此基础上，本研究借助分子遗传学的技术和方法，通过对执行功能三个成分六个任务和多巴胺神经递质系统基因的关联分析，从遗传学层面揭示执行功能各成分的遗传基础。结果发现：抑制控制成分受到多巴胺受体和多巴胺代谢酶的调节。体现在Stroop成绩与DDC、DRD1、MAOA、MAOB基因多态显著相关，线索冲突任务与DRD5基因多态显著相关；记忆刷新成分受到儿茶酚胺氧甲基转移酶的调节，言语刷新成绩和图形刷新成绩均与COMT基因多态显著相关；心理定势转换成分受到多巴胺受体和多巴胺转运体的调节，体现在连线任务与DRD1、DRD3、DRD5基因多态显著相关；WCST任务与DAT、DRD3基因多态显著相关。本研究首次系统探讨执行功能不同成分的遗传基础，提示了执行功能的不同成分分别和特定基因相关。总之，本研究通过行为研究，验证了执行功能的结构模型，证实了执行功能能够分离出三个相互关联的子成分：抑制控制、记忆刷新和心理定势转换，并通过分子遗传学研究探索了执行功能三个成分的遗传基础。

Executive function is the advanced cognitive function of human beings. Its essence is to carry through controlling and accommodating for the general cognitive process. Neuropsychological researches indicate that the executive function of human beings is mainly regulated by frontal lobes. Recent decades, it has been the hot spot in the field of cognitive psychology, cognitive neuropsychology, neuropsychology, behavioral genetics and imaging genetics. The structure of executive function is the most basic, most the kernel. Synthetically exploring this problem is of theoretical value and practical significance. On the one hand, it can improve our understanding of executive function and is useful to carry out related researcch. On the other hand, it provides scientific basis for the diagnosis and treatment of disorders.Taking the undergraduate group as the research object and combining cognitive tests and molecular genetic method, the present research explored the structure of executive function through three series of studies, aiming to solve problems as follow: was executive function separated into three correlated sub-components? could the structure of executive function be verified through the investigationits of its effect on high-level psychological cognitive activity? what was the genetic basis of each component of executive function? The first study statistically analyzed six tasks of executive function by means of exploratory factor analysis. We extracted three common factors, inhibition control, memory updating and mental orientation shift. Furthermore, through latent variable analysis of structural equation model, the results showed that the three elements were correlative.The second study verified the results of the first one on the behavior level. We investigated the role of executive function in high-level psychological cognitive process and further understood the structure of executive function. The results indicated that the theoretical model which divided the executive function into three correlated components to act on high-level psychological cognitive activity had the best fitting degree. It proved that executive function could separated into three correlated components once again.By means of technology and method of molecular genetics, the third study carried out correlation analysis between six tasks of executive function and dopamine neurotransmitters system genes. It investigated the genetic basis of each component of executive function on the genetic level. The results showed that the inhibitory control was modulated by dopamine receptors and dopamine metabolic enzymes, embodied in the significant correlation between the performance of Stroop with DDC genetic polymorphism, DRD1 genetic polymorphism and MAOA genetic polymorphism, in the significant correlation between the score of Cue Conflicting Task with DRD5 genetic polymorphism. Meanwhile, both Phonology Updating Task and Picture Updating Task scores were significant correlated with COMT genetic polymorphism, reflecting the factor of updating was regulated by Catechol-O-methyltransferase. The mental shifting factor was modulated by dopamine receptors, embodied in the significant correlation between the performance of Trial Making Test(TMT) with DRD1, DRD3, and DRD5 genetic polymorphism, between the performance of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test(WCST) with DAT and DRD3 genetic polymorphism. Very importantly, the present study firstly synthetically explored the the genetic basis of the three components of executive function, revealing that different component correlated with distinct genes.In summary, by means of behavioral study, the current research verified the structure model of executive function and proved that executive function could separated into three correlated sub-components, inhibition control, memory updating and mental orientation shift. Furthermore, we investigated the genetic basis of the three components of executive function through molecular genetic study.