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Peeters G, Black IL, Gomersall SR, Fritschi J, Sweeney A, Guedes de Oliveira Y, Panizzutti R, McEvoy CT, Lampit A. Behaviour Change Techniques in Computerized Cognitive Training for Cognitively Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review. Neuropsychol Rev 2023; 33:238-254. [PMID: 35157209 PMCID: PMC9998598 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-022-09537-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We aimed to describe behaviour change techniques (BCT) used in trials evaluating computerised cognitive training (CCT) in cognitively healthy older adults, and explore whether BCTs are associated with improved adherence and efficacy. The 90 papers included in a recent meta-analysis were reviewed for information about adherence and use of BCTs in accordance with the Behaviour Change Taxonomy. Studies using a specific BCT were compared with studies not using that BCT on efficacy (difference in Hedges' g [Δg]) using three level meta-regression models and on median adherence using the Wilcoxon test. The median number of BCTs per study was 3 (interquartile range [IQR] = 2-5). 'Feedback on behaviour' (if provided by a person; Δg = -0.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.31;-0.07) and 'non-specific reward' (Δg = -0.19, CI = -0.34;-0.05) were associated with lower efficacy. Certain BCTs that involve personal contact may be beneficial, although none were statistically significantly associated with greater efficacy. The median percentage of adherence was 90% (IQR = 81-95). Adherence was higher in studies using the BCT 'self-monitoring of behaviour' and lower in studies using the BCT 'graded tasks' than studies not using these BCTs (p < 0.001). These findings provide first evidence that BCTs can influence both adherence to and efficacy of CCT programs in cognitively healthy older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geeske Peeters
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. .,Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud Institute of Health Science, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
| | - Irene L Black
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, CHI Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sjaan R Gomersall
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Aoife Sweeney
- Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | | | - Rogerio Panizzutti
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Claire T McEvoy
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Amit Lampit
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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2
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Ripp I, Emch M, Wu Q, Lizarraga A, Udale R, von Bastian CC, Koch K, Yakushev I. Adaptive working memory training does not produce transfer effects in cognition and neuroimaging. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:512. [PMID: 36513642 PMCID: PMC9747798 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02272-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite growing interest in cognitive interventions from academia and industry, it remains unclear if working memory (WM) training, one of the most popular cognitive interventions, produces transfer effects. Transfer effects are training-induced gains in performance in untrained cognitive tasks, while practice effects are improvements in trained task. The goal of this study was to evaluate potential transfer effects by comprehensive cognitive testing and neuroimaging. In this prospective, randomized-controlled, and single-blind study, we administered an 8-week n-back training to 55 healthy middle-aged (50-64 years) participants. State-of-the-art multimodal neuroimaging was used to examine potential anatomic and functional changes. Relative to control subjects, who performed non-adaptive WM training, no near or far transfer effects were detected in experimental subjects, who performed adaptive WM training. Equivalently, no training-related changes were observed in white matter integrity, amplitude of low frequency fluctuations, glucose metabolism, functional and metabolic connectivity. Exploratory within-group comparisons revealed some gains in transfer tasks, which, however, cannot be attributed to an increased WM capacity. In conclusion, WM training produces transfer effects neither at the cognitive level nor in terms of neural structure or function. These results speak against a common view that training-related gains reflect an increase in underlying WM capacity. Instead, the presently observed practice effects may be a result of optimized task processing strategies, which do not necessarily engage neural plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Ripp
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany ,grid.6936.a0000000123222966TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Mónica Emch
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany ,grid.6936.a0000000123222966Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Qiong Wu
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany ,grid.6936.a0000000123222966Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany ,grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XInstitute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Aldana Lizarraga
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Robert Udale
- grid.11835.3e0000 0004 1936 9262Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Kathrin Koch
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany ,grid.6936.a0000000123222966Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Igor Yakushev
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany. .,TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
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3
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Lima-Silva TB, Ordonez TN, Santos GD, Moreira APB, Verga CER, Ishibashi GA, Silva GAD, Prata PL, Moraes LCD, Brucki SMD. Effects of working memory training on cognition in healthy older adults: A systematic review. Dement Neuropsychol 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1980-5764-dn-2021-0119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT. The working memory (WM) training in older adults can benefit their cognition. However, there is a dearth of literature reviews on the subject. Objective: This study aimed to investigate and evaluate the effects of WM training on the cognition of healthy older adults, in individual and group interventions reported in the literature. Methods: This is a systematic review involving a qualitative analysis of publications on the SciELO, LILACS, and MEDLINE databases carried out between March and June 2021. Results: A total of 47 studies were identified and analyzed, comprising 40 in older adults only and 7 comparing older and younger adults, investigating individual or group WM training or other types of intervention focused on WM effects. Conclusions: Both individual and group intervention contributed to the maintenance and/or improvement of cognition in older adults exploiting brain plasticity to promote mental health and prevent cognitive problems that can negatively impact quality of life of this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thais Bento Lima-Silva
- Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil; Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil; Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sonia Maria Dozzi Brucki
- Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil; Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil; Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
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4
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Ludyga S, Gerber M, Kamijo K. Exercise types and working memory components during development. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:191-203. [PMID: 35031211 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Working memory is crucial to learning and academic success. Exercise has been found to benefit working memory in late life, but its effects during cognitive development are less clear. Building on findings that working memory is supported by the motor system, we highlight the sensitivity of different working memory components to acute and long-term exercise in children and adolescents. We also consider how the specific skill demands of endurance and coordinative exercise influence this sensitivity. Distinct effects of these exercise types are further linked with neurocognitive and neuroendocrine pathways. Our review suggests long-term rather than acute benefits of exercise for children and adolescents' working memory, which are more pronounced and specific for exercise with high coordinative demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Ludyga
- Department of Sport, Exercise & Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Markus Gerber
- Department of Sport, Exercise & Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Keita Kamijo
- Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Chukyo University, Nagoya, Japan
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5
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Lingo VanGilder J, Lopez-Lennon C, Paul SS, Dibble LE, Duff K, Schaefer SY. Relating Global Cognition With Upper-Extremity Motor Skill Retention in Individuals With Mild-to-Moderate Parkinson's Disease. FRONTIERS IN REHABILITATION SCIENCES 2021; 2:754118. [PMID: 36188810 PMCID: PMC9397847 DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2021.754118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Cognition has been linked to rehabilitation outcomes in stroke populations, but this remains unexplored in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). The purpose of this secondary data analysis from a recent clinical trial (NCT02600858) was to determine if global cognition was related to skill performance after motor training in individuals with PD. Methods: Twenty-three participants with idiopathic PD completed 3 days of training on an upper-extremity task. For the purposes of the original clinical trial, participants trained either "on" or "off" their dopamine replacement medication. Baseline, training, and 48-h retention data have been previously published. Global cognition was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Linear regression examined whether MoCA score predicted longer-term retention at nine-day follow-up; baseline motor task performance, age, PD severity, depressive symptoms, and group (medication "on"/"off") were included as covariates. Baseline and follow-up motor task performance were assessed for all participants while "on" their medication. Results: MoCA score was positively related to follow-up motor task performance, such that individuals with better cognition were faster than those with poorer cognition. Baseline task performance, age, PD severity, depressive symptoms, and medication status were unrelated to follow-up performance. Discussion and Conclusions: Results of this secondary analysis align with previous work that suggest cognitive impairment may interfere with motor learning in PD and support the premise that cognitive training prior to or concurrent with motor training may enhance rehabilitative outcomes for individuals with PD. Findings also suggest that assessing cognition in individuals with PD could provide prognostic information about their responsiveness to motor rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennapher Lingo VanGilder
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Cielita Lopez-Lennon
- Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Serene S. Paul
- Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Discipline of Physiotherapy, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Leland E. Dibble
- Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Kevin Duff
- Center for Alzheimer's Care, Imaging and Research, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah Hospital, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Sydney Y. Schaefer
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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Farhadian N, Khazaie H, Nami M, Khazaie S. The role of daytime napping in declarative memory performance: a systematic review. Sleep Med 2021; 84:134-141. [PMID: 34148000 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Sleep plays an important role in stabilizing and reinforcing memory of newly acquired information. Like nocturnal sleep, a daytime nap is shown to effectively contribute to memory processing. However, studies are often focused on nocturnal sleep. This review has aimed at systematically compiling the results of studies which have examined the effects of napping on declarative memory performance in healthy adults. Such studies have focused on different aspects of memory reinforcement following a diurnal nap including the involved mechanisms in memory reconsolidation, type of declarative tasks, cross-gender differences, the role of age, duration of nap and its delayed onset. One of the reviewed studies reported that even as short as 6 min of napping exerts a positive effect on memory function. Evidence from these studies indicates hippocampal-dependent enhancement of the learned information. Diurnal naps predominantly include non-rapid eye movement sleep with slow waves yielding potential effects on declarative memory. Evidence has shown that the empowered learning and retrieval depends upon spindle density during the nap. Moreover, the role of coordinated autonomic and central events in enhancing declarative memory has also been reported. Slow waves and sleep spindles are known to fuel declarative memory function during the NREM-2 (N2) stage of sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negin Farhadian
- Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Habibolah Khazaie
- Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Mohammad Nami
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Neuroscience Center, INDICASAT, Panama City, Republic of Panama; Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics and Brain Mapping Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sepideh Khazaie
- Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; Student Research Committee, University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
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Traut HJ, Guild RM, Munakata Y. Why Does Cognitive Training Yield Inconsistent Benefits? A Meta-Analysis of Individual Differences in Baseline Cognitive Abilities and Training Outcomes. Front Psychol 2021; 12:662139. [PMID: 34122249 PMCID: PMC8187947 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.662139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite growing interest in improving cognitive abilities across the lifespan through training, the benefits of cognitive training are inconsistent. One powerful contributor may be that individuals arrive at interventions with different baseline levels of the cognitive skill being trained. Some evidence suggests poor performers benefit the most from cognitive training, showing compensation for their weak abilities, while other evidence suggests that high performers benefit most, experiencing a magnification of their abilities. Whether training leads to compensation or magnification effects may depend upon the specific cognitive domain being trained (such as executive function or episodic memory) and the training approach implemented (strategy or process). To clarify the association between individual differences in baseline cognitive ability and training gains as well as potential moderators, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis of the correlation between these two variables. We found evidence of a significant meta-correlation demonstrating a compensatory effect, a negative association between initial ability on a trained cognitive process and training gains. Too few papers met our search criteria across the levels of proposed moderators of cognitive domain and training approach to conduct a reliable investigation of their influence over the meta-analytic effect size. We discuss the implications of a compensatory meta-correlation, potential reasons for the paucity of qualifying papers, and important future directions for better understanding how cognitive trainings work and for whom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary J. Traut
- Cognitive Development Center, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Ryan M. Guild
- Cognitive Development Center, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Yuko Munakata
- Cognition in Context Lab, Department of Psychology and Center for Mind & Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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8
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Lingo VanGilder J, Lohse KR, Duff K, Wang P, Schaefer SY. Evidence for associations between Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure test and motor skill learning in older adults. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2021; 214:103261. [PMID: 33524606 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related declines in motor learning may be related to poor visuospatial function. Thus, visuospatial testing could evaluate older adults' potential for motor learning, which has implications for geriatric motor rehabilitation. To this end, the purpose of this study was to identify which visuospatial test is most predictive of motor learning within older adults. Forty-five nondemented older adults completed six standardized visuospatial tests, followed by three weekly practice sessions on a functional upper-extremity motor task. Participants were re-tested 1 month later on the trained task and another untrained upper-extremity motor task to evaluate the durability and generalizability of motor learning, respectively. Principal component analysis first reduced the dimensions of the visuospatial battery to two principal components for inclusion in a mixed-effects model that assessed one-month follow-up performance as a function of baseline performance and the principal components. Of the two components, only one was related to one-month follow-up. Factor loadings and post hoc analyses suggested that of the six visuospatial tests, the Rey-Osterrieth test (visual construction and memory) was related to one-month follow-up of the trained and untrained tasks. Thus, it may be plausible that older adults' long-term motor learning capacity could be evaluated using the Rey-Osterrieth test, which would be feasible to administer prior to motor rehabilitation to indicate risk of non-responsiveness to therapy.
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9
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Sar-El R, Sharon H, Lubianiker N, Hendler T, Raz G. Inducing a Functional-Pharmacological Coupling in the Human Brain to Achieve Improved Drug Effect. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:557874. [PMID: 33154714 PMCID: PMC7586318 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.557874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Roy Sar-El
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- *Correspondence: Roy Sar-El,
| | - Haggai Sharon
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nitzan Lubianiker
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Talma Hendler
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Gal Raz
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Steve Tisch School of Film and Television, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Gal Raz,
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10
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Basak C, Qin S, O'Connell MA. Differential effects of cognitive training modules in healthy aging and mild cognitive impairment: A comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Psychol Aging 2020; 35:220-249. [PMID: 32011155 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This meta-analysis was designed to compare the effectiveness of 2 cognitive training modules, single-component training, which targets 1 specific cognitive ability, versus multicomponent training, which trains multiple cognitive abilities, on both trained abilities (near transfer) and untrained abilities (far transfer) in older adults. The meta-analysis also assessed whether individual differences in mental status interacted with the extent of transfer. Eligible randomized controlled trials (215 training studies) examined the immediate effects of cognitive training in either healthy aging (HA) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Results yielded an overall net-gain effect size (g) for the cognitive training of 0.28 (p < .001). These effects were similar across mental status and training modules, and were significant for both near (g = 0.37) and far (g = 0.22) transfer. Although all training modules yielded significant near transfer, only a few yielded significant far transfer. Single-component training of executive functions was most effective on near and far transfer, with processing speed training improving everyday functioning. All modules of multicomponent training (specific and nonspecific) yielded significant near and far transfer, including everyday functioning. Training effects on cognition were moderated by educational attainment and number of cognitive outcomes, but only in HA. These findings suggest that, in older adults, all modules of multicomponent training are more effective in engendering near and far transfer, including everyday functioning, when compared with single-component training modules. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Brooks SJ, Mackenzie-Phelan R, Tully J, Schiöth HB. Review of the Neural Processes of Working Memory Training: Controlling the Impulse to Throw the Baby Out With the Bathwater. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:512761. [PMID: 33132926 PMCID: PMC7511702 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.512761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Smartphone technology has enabled the creation of many working memory training (WMT) Apps, with those peer-reviewed described in a recent review. WMT claims to improve working memory, attention deficits, hyperactivity and fluid intelligence, in line with plasticity brain changes. Critics argue that WMT is unable to achieve "far-transfer"-the attainment of benefits to cognition from one taught context to another dissimilar context-associated with improved quality of life. However, brain changes after a course of WMT in frontoparietal and striatal circuits-that often occur prior to behavioral changes-may be a better indicator of far-transfer efficacy, especially to improve impulse control commonly dysregulated in those with addictive disorders, yet not commonly examined in WMT studies. METHOD In contrast to previous reviews, the aim here is to focus on the findings of brain imaging WMT training studies across various imaging modalities that use various paradigms, published via PubMed, Scopus, Medline, and Google Scholar. RESULTS 35 brain imaging studies utilized fMRI, structural imaging (MRI, DTI), functional connectivity, EEG, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), cerebral perfusion, and neurogenetic analyses with tasks based on visuospatial and auditory working memory, dual and standard n-back. DISCUSSION Evidence suggests that repeated WMT reduces brain activation in frontoparietal and striatal networks reflective of increased neural circuitry efficiency via myelination and functional connectivity changes. Neural effects of WMT may persist months after training has ended, lead to non-trained task transfer, be strengthened by auxiliary methods such as tDCS and be related to COMT polymorphisms. WMT could be utilized as an effective, non-invasive intervention for working memory deficits to treat impulse and affective control problems in people with addictive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Brooks
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Section of Functional Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Neuroscience Research Laboratory (NeuRL), Department of Psychology, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Rhiannon Mackenzie-Phelan
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie Tully
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Helgi B Schiöth
- Section of Functional Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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12
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Teixeira-Santos AC, Moreira CS, Magalhães R, Magalhães C, Pereira DR, Leite J, Carvalho S, Sampaio A. Reviewing working memory training gains in healthy older adults: A meta-analytic review of transfer for cognitive outcomes. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:163-177. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 05/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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13
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Abstract
Cognitive training and brain stimulation studies have suggested that human cognition, primarily working memory and attention control processes, can be enhanced. Some authors claim that gains (i.e., post-test minus pretest scores) from such interventions are unevenly distributed among people. The magnification account (expressed by the evangelical “who has will more be given”) predicts that the largest gains will be shown by the most cognitively efficient people, who will also be most effective in exploiting interventions. In contrast, the compensation account (“who has will less be given”) predicts that such people already perform at ceiling, so interventions will yield the largest gains in the least cognitively efficient people. Evidence for this latter account comes from reported negative correlations between the pretest and the training/stimulation gain. In this paper, with the use of mathematical derivations and simulation methods, we show that such correlations are pure statistical artifacts caused by the widely known methodological error called “regression to the mean”. Unfortunately, more advanced methods, such as alternative measures, linear models, and control groups do not guarantee correct assessment of the compensation effect either. The only correct method is to use direct modeling of correlations between latent true measures and gain. As to date no training/stimulation study has correctly used this method to provide evidence in favor of the compensation account, we must conclude that most (if not all) of the evidence should be considered inconclusive.
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14
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Bopp KL, Verhaeghen P. Aging and n-Back Performance: A Meta-Analysis. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2018; 75:229-240. [DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gby024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kara L Bopp
- Wofford College, Spartanburg, South Carolina
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15
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Chan JSY, Wang Y, Yan JH, Chen H. Developmental implications of children's brain networks and learning. Rev Neurosci 2018; 27:713-727. [PMID: 27362958 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2016-0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The human brain works as a synergistic system where information exchanges between functional neuronal networks. Rudimentary networks are observed in the brain during infancy. In recent years, the question of how functional networks develop and mature in children has been a hotly discussed topic. In this review, we examined the developmental characteristics of functional networks and the impacts of skill training on children's brains. We first focused on the general rules of brain network development and on the typical and atypical development of children's brain networks. After that, we highlighted the essentials of neural plasticity and the effects of learning on brain network development. We also discussed two important theoretical and practical concerns in brain network training. Finally, we concluded by presenting the significance of network training in typically and atypically developed brains.
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Cognitive Interventions for Cognitively Healthy, Mildly Impaired, and Mixed Samples of Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized-Controlled Trials. Neuropsychol Rev 2017; 27:403-439. [PMID: 28726168 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-017-9350-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive interventions may improve cognition, delay age-related cognitive declines, and improve quality of life for older adults. The current meta-analysis was conducted to update and expand previous work on the efficacy of cognitive interventions for older adults and to examine the impact of key demographic and methodological variables. EBSCOhost and Embase online databases and reference lists were searched to identify relevant randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) of cognitive interventions for cognitively healthy or mildly impaired (MCI) older adults (60+ years). Interventions trained a single cognitive domain (e.g., memory) or were multi-domain training, and outcomes were assessed immediately post-intervention using standard neuropsychological tests. In total, 279 effects from 97 studies were pooled based on a random-effects model and expressed as Hedges' g (unbiased). Overall, results indicated that cognitive interventions produce a small, but significant, improvement in the cognitive functioning of older adults, relative to active and passive control groups (g = 0.298, p < .001, 95% CI = 0.248-0.347). These results were confirmed using multi-level analyses adjusting for nesting of effect sizes within studies (g = 0.362, p < .001, 95% CI = 0.275, 0.449). Age, education, and cognitive status (healthy vs. MCI) were not significant moderators. Working memory interventions proved most effective (g = 0.479), though memory, processing speed, and multi-domain interventions also significantly improved cognition. Effects were larger for directly trained outcomes but were also significant for non-trained outcomes (i.e., "transfer effects"). Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed. This project was pre-registered with PROSPERO (#42016038386).
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