The ADHD Skills Lab Research Recap with William Curb: ADHD & Hot and Cold Executive Function
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Sep 5, 2025 William Curb, from Hacking Your ADHD, dives into the intriguing world of hot and cold executive functions and their effects on decision-making in ADHD brains. He explains why stress can lead to forgetfulness and how emotions can hijack logic. The conversation also touches on a promising yet preliminary study involving brain stimulation techniques aimed at enhancing executive function. Get insights into how emotional states influence productivity and self-control, making it a must-listen for anyone navigating ADHD.
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Hot Versus Cold Executive Functions
- Hot executive functions are emotionally charged processes like reward, risk, and emotion regulation.
- Cold executive functions are logical processes like working memory and problem-solving that feel unemotional.
Vacuuming Versus Crisis Example
- Skye compares vacuuming calmly as a cold task and responding to a child yelling or a fire as a hot task.
- Will notes that adding emotional pressure makes staying on task much harder for him.
State Changes Break Plans
- Different emotional states change how the brain plans and predicts future actions.
- Decisions made in a cold state often fail when faced with a hot, emotional state.