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Liu J, Supekar K, El-Said D, de los Angeles C, Zhang Y, Chang H, Menon V. Neuroanatomical, transcriptomic, and molecular correlates of math ability and their prognostic value for predicting learning outcomes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk7220. [PMID: 38820151 PMCID: PMC11141625 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk7220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Foundational mathematical abilities, acquired in early childhood, are essential for success in our technology-driven society. Yet, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying individual differences in children's mathematical abilities and learning outcomes remain largely unexplored. Leveraging one of the largest multicohort datasets from children at a pivotal stage of knowledge acquisition, we first establish a replicable mathematical ability-related imaging phenotype (MAIP). We then show that brain gene expression profiles enriched for candidate math ability-related genes, neuronal signaling, synaptic transmission, and voltage-gated potassium channel activity contributed to the MAIP. Furthermore, the similarity between MAIP gene expression signatures and brain structure, acquired before intervention, predicted learning outcomes in two independent math tutoring cohorts. These findings advance our knowledge of the interplay between neuroanatomical, transcriptomic, and molecular mechanisms underlying mathematical ability and reveal predictive biomarkers of learning. Our findings have implications for the development of personalized education and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Liu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kaustubh Supekar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Dawlat El-Said
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Carlo de los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Hyesang Chang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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Ben Izhak S, Diedrich L, Antal A, Lavidor M. Beyond social engagement: cognitive training leads to greater cognitive improvement in older adults. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2024; 31:556-574. [PMID: 37221447 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2023.2216927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Aging is often accompanied by a decline in cognitive functions, with memory being particularly affected. Recent studies suggest that cognitive training sessions that teach memory strategies relevant to daily life may benefit seniors who live in the community. However, it is possible that the cognitive improvement observed in these programs results from the social encounters embedded in them. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of a social cognitive training group, which met regularly for an extended period, on enhancing cognitive indices compared to a control group that only received social engagement meetings without training. Sixty-six participants with a mean age of 78 took part in 12 sessions of a social engagement group, with or without strategy training. Cognitive performance was assessed before and after training using four memory tasks, two similar to the trained tasks (near-transfer tasks) and two novel (far-transfer tasks). Both groups showed a slight improvement in most of the evaluation tasks, but the cognitive training combined with social engagement group showed a significant improvement in the Word Recall and Verbal Fluency tests compared to the social engagement group without training. Our findings suggest that cognitive training sessions may be a useful tool in promoting cognitive improvement among older adults living in the community, even beyond the improvement obtained from the social engagement that occurs during the training sessions.Trial registration number:NCT05016336. Date of registration: 20 August 2021. Retrospectively registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shachar Ben Izhak
- Department of Psychology, and the Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Lukas Diedrich
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Antal
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michal Lavidor
- Department of Psychology, and the Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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3
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Bombonato C, Del Lucchese B, Ruffini C, Di Lieto MC, Brovedani P, Sgandurra G, Cioni G, Pecini C. Far Transfer Effects of Trainings on Executive Functions in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review and Metanalysis. Neuropsychol Rev 2024; 34:98-133. [PMID: 36633797 PMCID: PMC10920464 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-022-09574-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Executive Functions are a set of interrelated, top-down processes essential for adaptive goal-directed behaviour, frequently impaired across different neurodevelopmental disorders with variable degrees of severity. Many executive-function-training studies in children with neurodevelopmental disorders have focused on near effects, investigating post-treatment improvements on directly trained processes, while enhancements of skills not directly trained, defined as far effects, are less considered, albeit these could be extremely relevant for reducing the negative impact of a disorder's core symptomatology. This systematic review and metanalysis aims to investigate the far effect outcomes after EF training in children with different types of neurodevelopmental disorders. 17 studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review, while 15 studies were selected in the metanalysis. An overall statistically significant effect size was found in the majority of far effect outcome measures considered in the studies. In particular, trainings on executive functions determine significant far effects on daily life functioning (0.46, 95% CI: [0.05-0.87]) and clinical symptoms (0.33, 95% CI: [0.15-0.51]). Despite a high variability of the results, intensity, frequency and the laboratory/life contexts dimension seem to be the most influential variables in determining far effects. This systematic review and metanalysis highlights the need to measure far effects of executive function training in neurodevelopmental disorders, selecting treatments not only on directly targeted processes, but also according to far impacts on the functional weakness of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Bombonato
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
- Tuscan Programme of Neuroscience, University of Florence, Pisa and Siena, Italy
| | - Benedetta Del Lucchese
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
- Tuscan Programme of Neuroscience, University of Florence, Pisa and Siena, Italy
| | - Costanza Ruffini
- Department of Education, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology (FORLIPSI), University of Florence, Languages, Florence, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Di Lieto
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paola Brovedani
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Sgandurra
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Pecini
- Department of Education, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology (FORLIPSI), University of Florence, Languages, Florence, Italy
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Robledo-Castro C, Lerma-Castaño PR, Bonilla-Santos G. Effect of Cognitive Training Programs Based on Computer Systems on Executive Functions in Children With ADHD: A Systematic Review. J Atten Disord 2023; 27:1467-1487. [PMID: 37477014 DOI: 10.1177/10870547231187164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize the existing literature reporting the effects of computerized cognitive trainings on the executive functions of children with ADHD. METHOD A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA statement; the primary sources used were five electronic databases (Scopus, Science Direct, Pubmed, Springer, Taylor & Francis). RESULTS 20 articles met the eligibility criteria, data on the training characteristics and the effects on executive functions were extracted, followed by an analysis of bias and the methodological quality of the studies. The results of the studies were widely heterogeneous, largely associated with the variety of training programs and the measurement instruments used. The most studied executive functions were working memory and inhibitory control. Some of the studies reported that the intervention led to significant effects on working memory and attention (N = 7), and improvements in inhibitory control (N = 5) and planning (N = 4) were also reported. At the same time, others did not report the effects of the intervention on these processes. The assessment of the quality of the evidence showed important risk biases among the reviewed studies. CONCLUSION Some training based on computer systems showed positive effects on the executive functions of working memory, attention, and inhibitory control in children with ADHD. However, other training sessions did not show significant effects. In general, the evidence shows mixed results, a high diversity of measurement instruments, and high risks of bias between the studies. Therefore, the evidence has not been consistent about the general benefits of computerized training on the executive functions of children with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Piedad Rocio Lerma-Castaño
- Universidad Autónoma de Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
- Fundación Universitaria María Cano, Neiva Huila, Colombia
| | - Gisella Bonilla-Santos
- Fundación Universitaria María Cano, Neiva Huila, Colombia
- Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Colombia
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Omont-Lescieux S, Menu I, Salvia E, Poirel N, Oppenheim C, Houdé O, Cachia A, Borst G. Lateralization of the cerebral network of inhibition in children before and after cognitive training. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 63:101293. [PMID: 37683326 PMCID: PMC10498008 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory control (IC) plays a critical role in cognitive and socio-emotional development. IC relies on a lateralized cortico-subcortical brain network including the inferior frontal cortex, anterior parts of insula, anterior cingulate cortex, caudate nucleus and putamen. Brain asymmetries play a critical role for IC efficiency. In parallel to age-related changes, IC can be improved following training. The aim of this study was to (1) assess the lateralization of IC network in children (N = 60, 9-10 y.o.) and (2) examine possible changes in neural asymmetry of this network from anatomical (structural MRI) and functional (resting-state fMRI) levels after 5-week computerized IC vs. active control (AC) training. We observed that IC training, but not AC training, led to a leftward lateralization of the putamen anatomy, similarly to what is observed in adults, supporting that training could accelerate the maturation of this structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sixtine Omont-Lescieux
- Université Paris Cité, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, Imaging biomarkers for brain development and disorders, 75014 Paris, France; GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte Anne, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Iris Menu
- Université Paris Cité, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, Imaging biomarkers for brain development and disorders, 75014 Paris, France; GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte Anne, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Emilie Salvia
- Université Paris Cité, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005, Paris, France; GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte Anne, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Poirel
- Université Paris Cité, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005, Paris, France; GIP Cyceron, Caen, France
| | - Catherine Oppenheim
- Université Paris Cité, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, Imaging biomarkers for brain development and disorders, 75014 Paris, France; GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte Anne, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Olivier Houdé
- Université Paris Cité, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005, Paris, France; GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte Anne, F-75014 Paris, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Arnaud Cachia
- Université Paris Cité, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, Imaging biomarkers for brain development and disorders, 75014 Paris, France; GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte Anne, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Grégoire Borst
- Université Paris Cité, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005, Paris, France; GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte Anne, F-75014 Paris, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France.
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Gire C, Beltran Anzola A, Marret S, Foix L’Hélias L, Roze JC, Granier M, Patural H, Lecomte B, Guillois B, Souksi Medioni I, Bednarek Weirauch N, Claris O, Hascoët JM, Kuhn P, Zahed M, Boucekine M, Ancel PY, Arnaud C, Cambonie G, Dorriere Datin V. Cognitive Training for Visuospatial Processing in Children Aged 5½ to 6 Years Born Very Preterm With Working Memory Dysfunction: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2331988. [PMID: 37676661 PMCID: PMC10485729 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.31988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Compared with term-born peers, children born very preterm generally perform poorly in executive functions, particularly in working memory and inhibition. By taking advantage of neuroplasticity, computerized cognitive training of working memory in those children could improve visuospatial processing by boosting visual inhibition via working memory. Objective To evaluate the long-term effect of cognitive working memory training on visuospatial processing in children aged 5½ to 6 years born very preterm who have working memory impairment. Design, Setting, and Participants This multicenter (18 French university hospitals), open-label randomized clinical trial with 2 parallel groups (EPIREMED) was conducted from November 2016 to April 2018, with the last follow-up during August 2019. Eligible children from the EPIPAGE 2 cohort were aged 5½ to 6 years, were born between 24 and 34 weeks' gestation, and had a global intelligence quotient greater than 70 and a working memory index less than 85. Data were analyzed from February to December 2020. Intervention Children were randomized 1:1 to standard care management and a working memory cognitive training program (Cogmed software) for 8 weeks (25 sessions) (intervention) or to standard management (control). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the visuospatial index score from the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, 4th Edition. Secondary outcomes were working memory, intellectual functioning, executive and attention processes, language skills, behavior, quality of life, and schooling. Neurobehavioral assessments were performed at inclusion and after finishing training at 6 months (intermeditate assessment; secondary outcomes) and at 16 months (final assessment; primary outcome). Results There were 169 children randomized, with a mean (SD) age of 5 years 11 months (2 months); 91 (54%) were female. Of the participants, 84 were in the intervention group (57 of whom [68%] completed at least 15 cognitive training sessions) and 85 were in the control group. The posttraining visuospatial index score was not different between groups at a mean (SD) of 3.0 (1.8) months (difference, -0.6 points; 95% CI, -4.7 to 3.5 points) or 12.9 (2.6) months (difference, 0.1 points; 95% CI, -5.4 to 5.1 points). The working memory index score in the intervention group significantly improved from baseline at the intermediate time point (difference, 4.7 points; 95% CI, 1.2-8.1 points), but this improvement was not maintained at the final assessment. Conclusions and Relevance This randomized clinical trial found no lasting effect of a cognitive training program on visuospatial processing in children aged 5½ to 6 years with working memory disorders who were born very preterm. The findings suggest that this training has limited long-term benefits for improving executive function. Transient benefits seemed to be associated with the developmental state of executive functions. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02757794.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Gire
- Department of Neonatology, North Hospital, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Marseille University Hospital, Marseille, France
- Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Research on Health Services and Quality of Life–Health Service Research and Quality of Life Center, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Any Beltran Anzola
- Department of Neonatology, North Hospital, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Marseille University Hospital, Marseille, France
- Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Research on Health Services and Quality of Life–Health Service Research and Quality of Life Center, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Stéphane Marret
- Department of Neonatal Pediatrics & Intensive Care, University Hospital of Rouen, Rouen, France
| | - Laurence Foix L’Hélias
- Department of Neonatology, Armand Trousseau Hospital, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Roze
- Department of Neonatal & Pediatric Intensive Care, University Hospital of Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Michèle Granier
- Department of Neonatology, Sud Francilien Hospital, Corbeil-Essonnes, France
| | - Hugues Patural
- Department of Neonatal & Pediatric Intensive Care, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Bénédicte Lecomte
- Department of Neonatal & Pediatric Intensive Care, University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Bernard Guillois
- Department of Neonatal & Intensive Care, University Hospital of Caen Normandie, Caen, France
| | | | | | - Olivier Claris
- Department of Neonatology & Neonatal Intensive Care, University Hospital of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Jean-Michel Hascoët
- Department of Neonatology, Regional University Hospital of Nancy, Nancy, France
| | - Pierre Kuhn
- Department of Neonatology, Regional University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Meriem Zahed
- Department of Neonatology, North Hospital, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Marseille University Hospital, Marseille, France
| | - Mohamed Boucekine
- Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Research on Health Services and Quality of Life–Health Service Research and Quality of Life Center, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Pierre-Yves Ancel
- Obstetrical, Perinatal, and Pediatric Epidemiology Team, Center of Research in Epidemiology and Statistics, Paris University, INSERM, Paris, France
- Clinical Research Unit, Center for Clinical Investigation, CHU Cochin Broca Hôtel-Dieu, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Arnaud
- Clinical Epidemiology Unit, University Hospital Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- Center for Epidemiology and Research in Population Health, University of Toulouse, INSERM, Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France
| | - Gilles Cambonie
- Department of Neonatal Pediatrics and Intensive Care, University Hospital of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Valérie Dorriere Datin
- Department of Neonatal & Intensive Care, University Hospital of Caen Normandie, Caen, France
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Pachiti I, Milienos FS, Dimitropoulou P. Child ViReal Support Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study for Effective Support of Parents Raising Children with Attention Deficits. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:691. [PMID: 37622831 PMCID: PMC10451949 DOI: 10.3390/bs13080691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) results in various functioning impairments in children's lives and families. Parents of children with ADHD report high levels of parenting stress, low levels of parental self-efficacy, and use of more authoritarian and/or permissive parenting practices than parents of typically developing children. Intervention programs need to address both children's and parents' needs and multimodal intervention programs could cover this demand. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of "Child ViReal Support Program"-a multi-level evidence-based comprehensive program-on parenting stress, parental self-efficacy, parenting practices, and the core symptoms of children's ADHD. Families with a child diagnosed with ADHD (n = 16) were randomly allocated to two groups (PC and CP; P = parent training, C = child training), and a cross-over design was utilized. Participating parents completed, in four different times during the study, the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire-Short Version, and the parent form of the ADHD Rating Scale-IV. Parents from both groups, after their participation in the parent training, demonstrated reduced parenting stress, enhanced parental self-efficacy, and increased the employ of democratic parenting practices. More than that, they reported decreased levels of inattention and impulsivity/hyperactivity for their children. Evidence-based multi-level intervention programs could produce positive effects on parents and children by incorporating effective methods and tools in accordance with the needs and the demands of the family context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iouliani Pachiti
- Department of Psychology, University of Crete, 74150 Rethymno, Greece;
- Applied Psychology Laboratory, Center for Research and Studies, University of Crete, 74150 Rethymno, Greece
| | - Fotios S. Milienos
- Department of Sociology, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, 17671 Athens, Greece;
| | - Panagiota Dimitropoulou
- Department of Psychology, University of Crete, 74150 Rethymno, Greece;
- Applied Psychology Laboratory, Center for Research and Studies, University of Crete, 74150 Rethymno, Greece
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Pan Y, Hao N, Liu N, Zhao Y, Cheng X, Ku Y, Hu Y. Mnemonic-trained brain tuning to a regular odd-even pattern subserves digit memory in children. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2023; 8:27. [PMID: 37567915 PMCID: PMC10421878 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-023-00177-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
It is said that our species use mnemonics - that "magic of memorization" - to engrave an enormous amount of information in the brain. Yet, it is unclear how mnemonics affect memory and what the neural underpinnings are. In this electroencephalography study, we examined the hypotheses whether mnemonic training improved processing-efficiency and/or altered encoding-pattern to support memory enhancement. By 22-day training of a digit-image mnemonic (a custom memory technique used by world-class mnemonists), a group of children showed increased short-term memory after training, but with limited gain generalization. This training resulted in regular odd-even neural patterns (i.e., enhanced P200 and theta power during the encoding of digits at even- versus odd- positions in a sequence). Critically, the P200 and theta power effects predicted the training-induced memory improvement. These findings provide evidence of how mnemonics alter encoding pattern, as reflected in functional brain organization, to support memory enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafeng Pan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- The State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ning Hao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ning Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- School of Psychology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Yijie Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaojun Cheng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yixuan Ku
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen Unviersity, Guangzhou, China.
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Yi Hu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
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Louw A, Louw C, Podalak J, Zimney K, DeLorenzo J, Maiers N, Puentedura EJ, Mintken P. Pain Neuroscience Education in Elementary and Middle Schools. Pediatr Phys Ther 2023:00001577-990000000-00059. [PMID: 37171390 DOI: 10.1097/pep.0000000000001018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to deliver pain neuroscience education (PNE) to participants in grades 3 to 8 to determine whether participants in these grades had positive shifts in pain knowledge and beliefs. METHODS Three hundred twenty participants, grades 3 to 8, received a 1-time, 30-minute PNE lecture. The Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire and the Health Care Provider's Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale were administered before and after the PNE lecture. RESULTS All grades improved in pain knowledge and beliefs. Higher-grade school participants (sixth to eighth grades) experienced larger shifts in pain knowledge and attitudes and beliefs than lower-grade (third to fifth grades) participants. CONCLUSION PNE results in changes in pain knowledge and beliefs in school participants in grades 3 to 8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriaan Louw
- Evidence in Motion (Dr Louw), Story City, Iowa; Ortho Spine and Pain Clinic (Ms Louw), Story City, Iowa; Phileo Health (Dr Podalak), Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Department of Physical Therapy (Dr Zimney), School of Health Sciences, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota; Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (Dr Mintken), College of Health and Society, Hawai'i Pacific University, Honolulu, Hawaii; DeLorenzo Therapy and Wellness (Ms DeLorenzo), Alexandria, Virginia; Physical Therapy Education (Dr Maiers), Des Moines University, Des Moines, Iowa; Department of Physical Therapy (Puentedura), Baylor University, Waco, Texas
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Ben Izhak S, Lavidor M. Strategy and Core Cognitive Training Effects on Working Memory Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2023.2172413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shachar Ben Izhak
- Department of Psychology, and the Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University
| | - Michal Lavidor
- Department of Psychology, and the Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University
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11
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Vernucci S, Canet-Juric L, Richard's MM. Effects of working memory training on cognitive and academic abilities in typically developing school-age children. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 87:308-326. [PMID: 35107614 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01647-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Process-based working memory (WM) training in typically developing children usually leads to short- and long-term improvements on untrained WM tasks. However, results are mixed regarding far transfer to academic and cognitive abilities. Moreover, there is a lack of studies jointly evaluating the different types of transfer, using an adequate design and considering motivational factors. In addition, evidence is needed about how pre-training performance is related to individual differences in training-induced transfer. Therefore, this study aimed to implement and evaluate the efficacy of a computerized process-based WM training in typically developing school-age children. Near and far transfer effects were evaluated both immediately after training and after 6 months, as well as individual differences in training-induced transfer. The sample was composed of 89 typically developing children aged 9-10 years (M = 9.52, SD = 0.30), who were randomized to a WM training group or an active control group. They were evaluated at pre-training, post-training, and follow-up phases with measures of visuospatial and verbal WM, reading comprehension, math computation, and fluid intelligence. Results showed that the training group significantly improved performance in verbal WM and fluid intelligence compared to the active control group, immediately after training and after 6 months. Trained children with lower initial performance in verbal WM or fluid intelligence showed greater transfer gains. No group differences were found in motivational factors. Findings of this study suggest that process-based WM training may promote transfer to cognitive abilities and lead to compensation effects of individual differences in typically developing school-age children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Vernucci
- Instituto de Psicología Básica, Aplicada y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina.
| | - Lorena Canet-Juric
- Instituto de Psicología Básica, Aplicada y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - María M Richard's
- Instituto de Psicología Básica, Aplicada y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina
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12
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Thomas MSC, Coecke S. Associations between Socioeconomic Status, Cognition, and Brain Structure: Evaluating Potential Causal Pathways Through Mechanistic Models of Development. Cogn Sci 2023; 47:e13217. [PMID: 36607218 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.13217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Differences in socioeconomic status (SES) correlate both with differences in cognitive development and in brain structure. Associations between SES and brain measures such as cortical surface area and cortical thickness mediate differences in cognitive skills such as executive function and language. However, causal accounts that link SES, brain, and behavior are challenging because SES is a multidimensional construct: correlated environmental factors, such as family income and parental education, are only distal markers for proximal causal pathways. Moreover, the causal accounts themselves must span multiple levels of description, employ a developmental perspective, and integrate genetic effects on individual differences. Nevertheless, causal accounts have the potential to inform policy and guide interventions to reduce gaps in developmental outcomes. In this article, we review the range of empirical data to be integrated in causal accounts of developmental effects on the brain and cognition associated with variation in SES. We take the specific example of language development and evaluate the potential of a multiscale computational model of development, based on an artificial neural network, to support the construction of causal accounts. We show how, with bridging assumptions that link properties of network structure to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of brain structure, different sets of empirical data on SES effects can be connected. We use the model to contrast two possible causal pathways for environmental influences that are associated with SES: differences in prenatal brain development and differences in postnatal cognitive stimulation. We then use the model to explore the implications of each pathway for the potential to intervene to reduce gaps in developmental outcomes. The model points to the cumulative effects of social disadvantage on multiple pathways as the source of the poorest response to interventions. Overall, we highlight the importance of implemented models to test competing accounts of environmental influences on individual differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S C Thomas
- Developmental Neurocognition Laboratory, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, 3 Quantinuum, UK.,Centre for Educational Neuroscience, Birkbeck, University of London
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13
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Lee R, Kwak S, Lee D, Chey J. Cognitive control training enhances the integration of intrinsic functional networks in adolescents. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:859358. [PMID: 36504634 PMCID: PMC9729882 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.859358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction We have demonstrated that intensive cognitive training can produce sustained improvements in cognitive performance in adolescents. Few studies, however, have investigated the neural basis of these training effects, leaving the underlying mechanism of cognitive plasticity during this period unexplained. Methods In this study, we trained 51 typically developing adolescents on cognitive control tasks and examined how their intrinsic brain networks changed by applying graph theoretical analysis. We hypothesized that the training would accelerate the process of network integration, which is a key feature of network development throughout adolescence. Results We found that the cognitive control training enhanced the integration of functional networks, particularly the cross-network integration of the cingulo-opercular network. Moreover, the analysis of additional data from older adolescents revealed that the cingulo-opercular network was more integrated with other networks in older adolescents than in young adolescents. Discussion These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that cognitive control training may speed up network development, such that brain networks exhibit more mature patterns after training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raihyung Lee
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea,Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Seyul Kwak
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea,Department of Psychology, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Dasom Lee
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jeanyung Chey
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea,*Correspondence: Jeanyung Chey,
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14
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Menu I, Rezende G, Le Stanc L, Borst G, Cachia A. Inhibitory control training on executive functions of children and adolescents: A latent change score model approach. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2022.101231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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15
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Menu I, Rezende G, Le Stanc L, Borst G, Cachia A. A network analysis of executive functions before and after computerized cognitive training in children and adolescents. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14660. [PMID: 36038599 PMCID: PMC9424216 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17695-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) play a key role in cognitive and socioemotional development. Factor analyses have revealed an age dependent structure of EFs spanning from a single common factor in early childhood to three factors in adults corresponding to inhibitory control (IC), switching and updating. IC performances change not only with age but also with cognitive training. Surprisingly, few studies have investigated training-related changes in EFs structure. We used the regularized partial correlation network model to analyze EFs structure in 137 typically developing children (9-10 years) and adolescents (15-17 years) before and after computerized cognitive training. Network models (NMs) -a graph theory-based approach allowing us to describe the structure of complex systems- can provide a priori free insight into EFs structures. We tested the hypothesis that training-related changes may mimic developmental-related changes. Quantitative and qualitative changes were detected in the EFs network structure with age and also with cognitive training. Of note, the EFs network structure in children after training was more similar to adolescents' networks than before training. This study provided the first evidence of structural changes in EFs that are age and training-dependent and supports the hypothesis that training could accelerate the development of some structural aspects of EFs. Due to the sample size, these findings should be considered preliminary before replication in independent larger samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Menu
- Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Education, UMR CNRS 8240, Universite Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Gabriela Rezende
- Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Education, UMR CNRS 8240, Universite Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Lorna Le Stanc
- Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Education, UMR CNRS 8240, Universite Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Grégoire Borst
- Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Education, UMR CNRS 8240, Universite Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Arnaud Cachia
- Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Education, UMR CNRS 8240, Universite Paris Cité, Paris, France.
- Imaging Biomarkers for Brain Development and Disorders, UMR INSERM 1266, GHU Paris psychiatrie & neurosciences, Universite Paris Cité, 75005, Paris, France.
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16
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Jones JS, Adlam ALR, Benattayallah A, Milton FN. The neural correlates of working memory training in typically developing children. Child Dev 2022; 93:815-830. [PMID: 34897651 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Working memory training improves children's cognitive performance on untrained tasks; however, little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms. This was investigated in 32 typically developing children aged 10-14 years (19 girls and 13 boys) using a randomized controlled design and multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (Devon, UK; 2015-2016). Training improved working memory performance and increased intrinsic functional connectivity between the bilateral intraparietal sulci. Furthermore, improvements in working memory were associated with greater recruitment of the left middle frontal gyrus on a complex span task. Repeated engagement of fronto-parietal regions during training may increase their activity and functional connectivity over time, affording greater working memory performance. The plausibility of generalizable cognitive benefits from a neurobiological perspective and implications for neurodevelopmental theory are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan S Jones
- School of Psychology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.,MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anna-Lynne R Adlam
- School of Psychology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Abdelmalek Benattayallah
- School of Psychology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.,School of Medicine, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Fraser N Milton
- School of Psychology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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17
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Adam N, Blaye A, Gulbinaite R, Chabé-Ferret S, Farrer C. A multidimensional evaluation of the benefits of an ecologically realistic training based on pretend play for preschoolers' cognitive control and self-regulation: From behavior to the underlying theta neuro-oscillatory activity. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 216:105348. [PMID: 35016059 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
To what extent can cognitive control, self-regulation, and the underlying midfrontal theta oscillatory activity of preschool children be modified by an ecologically realistic training based on pretend play? To answer this question, 70 children aged 4-6 years (37 boys) were assigned to a training group or a control group using a pairing randomization procedure. Children were administered 20 play sessions over 10 weeks. Benefits were evaluated with a pre-post design. The intervention helped children to engage more in self-regulation within the training activities. However, the intervention did not promote self-regulation outside of the training context, nor did it influence cognitive control and theta activity. These results provide a better understanding of the limitations of an ecologically realistic approach to cognitive control training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Adam
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Université de Toulouse, 31062 Toulouse, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 75016 Paris, France
| | - Agnès Blaye
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 75016 Paris, France; Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, UMR 7290, Université Aix-Marseille, 13002 Marseille, France
| | - Rasa Gulbinaite
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences, Université de Lyon, 69007 Lyon, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1028, 69365 Lyon, France
| | - Sylvain Chabé-Ferret
- Toulouse School of Economics, INRAE, University of Toulouse Capitole, 31000 Toulouse, France; Institute for Advanced Studies in Toulouse, 31080 Toulouse, France
| | - Chloé Farrer
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Université de Toulouse, 31062 Toulouse, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 75016 Paris, France; Institute for Advanced Studies in Toulouse, 31080 Toulouse, France.
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18
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Jolles J, Jolles DD. On Neuroeducation: Why and How to Improve Neuroscientific Literacy in Educational Professionals. Front Psychol 2021; 12:752151. [PMID: 34925156 PMCID: PMC8678470 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.752151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
New findings from the neurosciences receive much interest for use in the applied field of education. For the past 15 years, neuroeducation and the application of neuroscience knowledge were seen to have promise, but there is presently some lack of progress. The present paper states that this is due to several factors. Neuromyths are still prevalent, and there is a confusion of tongues between the many neurodisciplines and the domains of behavioral and educational sciences. Second, a focus upon cognitive neuroimaging research has yielded findings that are scientifically relevant, but cannot be used for direct application in the classroom. A third factor pertains to the emphasis which has been on didactics and teaching, whereas the promise of neuroeducation for the teacher may lie more on pedagogical inspiration and support. This article states that the most important knowledge and insights have to do with the notion of brain plasticity; the vision that development is driven by an interaction between a person's biology and the social system. This helps individuals to select and process information, and to adapt to the personal environment. The paper describes how brain maturation and neuropsychological development extend through the important period of adolescence and emergent adulthood. Over this long period, there is a major development of the Executive Functions (EFs) that are essential for both cognitive learning, social behavior and emotional processing and, eventually, personal growth. The paper describes the basic neuroscience knowledge and insights - or "neuroscientific literacy" - that the educational professional should have to understand and appreciate the above-described themes. The authors formulate a proposal for four themes of neuroscience content "that every teacher should know." These four themes are based on the Neuroscience Core Concepts formulated by the Society for Neuroscience. The authors emphasize that integrating neuroscientific knowledge and insights in the field of education should not be a one-way street; attempts directed at improving neuroscientific literacy are a transdisciplinary undertaking. Teacher trainers, experts from the neuroscience fields but also behavioral scientists from applied fields (notable applied neuropsychologists) should all contribute to for the educational innovations needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelle Jolles
- Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dietsje D. Jolles
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Institute of Education and Child Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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19
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Tian X, Hao X, Song Y, Liu J. Homogenization of face neural representation during development. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 52:101040. [PMID: 34837875 PMCID: PMC8637318 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.101040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Extensive studies have demonstrated that face processing ability develops gradually during development until adolescence. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. One hypothesis is that children and adults represent faces in qualitatively different fashions with different group templates. An alternative hypothesis emphasizes the development as a quantitative change with a decrease of variation in representations. To test these hypotheses, we used between-participant correlation to measure activation pattern similarity both within and between late-childhood children and adults. We found that activation patterns for faces in the fusiform face area and occipital face area were less similar within the children group than within the adults group, indicating children had a greater variation in representing faces. Interestingly, the activation pattern similarity of children to their own group template was not significantly larger than that to adults' template, suggesting children and adults shared a template in representing faces. Further, the decrease in representation variance was likely a general principle in the ventral visual cortex, as a similar result was observed in a scene-selective region when perceiving scenes. Taken together, our study provides evidence that development of object representation may result from a homogenization process that shifts from greater variance in late-childhood to homogeneity in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Tian
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Xin Hao
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior, Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China; School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yiying Song
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Psychology & Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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20
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Better self-concept, better future choices? Behavioral and neural changes after a naturalistic self-concept training program for adolescents. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 22:341-361. [PMID: 34570336 PMCID: PMC8475836 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00946-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
A large number of adolescents experience difficulty when choosing a suitable higher education program that matches their self-views. Stimulating self-concept development could help adolescents to increase their chances of finding a suitable major. We addressed this issue by examining the effects of a naturalistic self-concept training within a gap year context on behavioral and neural correlates of self-evaluations, as well as the long-term effects for future educational decision-making. In total, 38 adolescents/young adults (ages 16-24 years) participated in a 4-wave longitudinal study, with lab visits before, during, and after the training, including behavioral assessments and fMRI. During fMRI-scanning, they rated themselves on positive and negative traits in academic, (pro)social, and physical domains, and additionally filled out questionnaires related to self-esteem and self-concept clarity. Results showed that the positivity of domain-specific self-evaluations, self-esteem, and self-concept clarity increased during the training. Second, participants with lower medial PFC activity during self-evaluation before training showed larger self-esteem increases over the year. Moreover, mPFC activity increased after training for the evaluation of positive but not negative traits. Furthermore, individual differences in the rate of change (slope) in self-concept clarity and social self-evaluations positively predicted social adjustment to college and academic performance 6 months after training. Together, these findings suggest that self-concept can be modulated in late adolescents, with an important role of the medial PFC in relation to enhanced positive self-evaluations, and self-concept clarity as a predictor of future educational outcomes.
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21
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Watson S, Louw A, Wingood M, Rico D, Podolak J, Maiers N, Cox T. Pain Neuroscience Education for Older Adults. PHYSICAL & OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IN GERIATRICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/02703181.2021.1970692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stacey Watson
- Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
| | - Adriaan Louw
- Evidence in Motion Pain Science, Story City, IA, USA
| | - Mariana Wingood
- Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Debbie Rico
- Physical Therapy, Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | | | - Nicholas Maiers
- Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Des Moines University, Des Moines, IA, USA
| | - Terry Cox
- Physical Therapy, Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, MO, USA
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22
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Sauce B, Wiedenhoeft J, Judd N, Klingberg T. Change by challenge: A common genetic basis behind childhood cognitive development and cognitive training. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2021; 6:16. [PMID: 34078902 PMCID: PMC8172838 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-021-00096-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The interplay of genetic and environmental factors behind cognitive development has preoccupied multiple fields of science and sparked heated debates over the decades. Here we tested the hypothesis that developmental genes rely heavily on cognitive challenges-as opposed to natural maturation. Starting with a polygenic score (cogPGS) that previously explained variation in cognitive performance in adults, we estimated its effect in 344 children and adolescents (mean age of 12 years old, ranging from 6 to 25) who showed changes in working memory (WM) in two distinct samples: (1) a developmental sample showing significant WM gains after 2 years of typical, age-related development, and (2) a training sample showing significant, experimentally-induced WM gains after 25 days of an intense WM training. We found that the same genetic factor, cogPGS, significantly explained the amount of WM gain in both samples. And there was no interaction of cogPGS with sample, suggesting that those genetic factors are neutral to whether the WM gains came from development or training. These results represent evidence that cognitive challenges are a central piece in the gene-environment interplay during cognitive development. We believe our study sheds new light on previous findings of interindividual differences in education (rich-get-richer and compensation effects), brain plasticity in children, and the heritability increase of intelligence across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Sauce
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John Wiedenhoeft
- Core Facility Medical Biometry and Statistical Bioinformatics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nicholas Judd
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Torkel Klingberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
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23
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Duda BM, Sweet LH. Functional brain changes associated with cognitive training in healthy older adults: A preliminary ALE meta-analysis. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 14:1247-1262. [PMID: 30900077 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00080-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that cognitive training (CT) programs may provide healthy older adults (OAs) with cognitive benefits that are accompanied by alterations in neural activity. The current review offers the first quantitative synthesis of the available literature on the neural effects of CT in healthy aging. It was hypothesized that OAs would evidence increased and decreased neural activations across various challenging CTs, and that these effects would be observed as significantly altered clusters within regions of the frontoparietal network (FPN). Online databases and reference lists were searched to identify peer-reviewed publications that reported assessment of neural changes associated with CT programs in healthy OAs. Among the 2097 candidate studies identified, 14 studies with a total of 238 participants met inclusionary criteria. GingerALE software was used to quantify neural effects in a whole-brain analysis. The activation likelihood estimation technique revealed significant increases in activation following CT in the left hemisphere middle frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, and posterior parietal cortex, extending to the superior occipital gyrus. Two clusters of diminished neural activity following CT were identified within the right hemisphere middle frontal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus, extending to the superior temporal gyrus. These results provide preliminary evidence of common neural effects of different CT interventions within regions of the FPN. Findings may inform future investigations of neuroplasticity across the lifespan, including clinical applications of CT, such as assessing treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryant M Duda
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602-3001, USA.
| | - Lawrence H Sweet
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602-3001, USA.,Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Brown University Medical School, Providence, RI, USA
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24
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McCormick EM, Peters S, Crone EA, Telzer EH. Longitudinal network re-organization across learning and development. Neuroimage 2021; 229:117784. [PMID: 33503482 PMCID: PMC7994295 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
While it is well understood that the brain experiences changes across short-term experience/learning and long-term development, it is unclear how these two mechanisms interact to produce developmental outcomes. Here we test an interactive model of learning and development where certain learning-related changes are constrained by developmental changes in the brain against an alternative development-as-practice model where outcomes are determined primarily by the accumulation of experience regardless of age. Participants (8-29 years) participated in a three-wave, accelerated longitudinal study during which they completed a feedback learning task during an fMRI scan. Adopting a novel longitudinal modeling approach, we probed the unique and moderated effects of learning, experience, and development simultaneously on behavioral performance and network modularity during the task. We found nonlinear patterns of development for both behavior and brain, and that greater experience supported increased learning and network modularity relative to naïve subjects. We also found changing brain-behavior relationships across adolescent development, where heightened network modularity predicted improved learning, but only following the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. These results present compelling support for an interactive view of experience and development, where changes in the brain impact behavior in context-specific fashion based on developmental goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan M McCormick
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, 235 E. Cameron Avenue, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States.
| | - Sabine Peters
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, 2333AK Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, 2333ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, 2333AK Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, 2333ZA Leiden, the Netherlands; School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eva H Telzer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, 235 E. Cameron Avenue, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
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25
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Tymofiyeva O, Gaschler R. Training-Induced Neural Plasticity in Youth: A Systematic Review of Structural and Functional MRI Studies. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 14:497245. [PMID: 33536885 PMCID: PMC7848153 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.497245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Experience-dependent neural plasticity is high in the developing brain, presenting a unique window of opportunity for training. To optimize existing training programs and develop new interventions, it is important to understand what processes take place in the developing brain during training. Here, we systematically review MRI-based evidence of training-induced neural plasticity in children and adolescents. A total of 71 articles were included in the review. Significant changes in brain activation, structure, microstructure, and structural and functional connectivity were reported with different types of trainings in the majority (87%) of the studies. Significant correlation of performance improvement with neural changes was reported in 51% of the studies. Yet, only 48% of the studies had a control condition. Overall, the review supports the hypothesized neural changes with training while at the same time charting empirical and methodological desiderata for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Tymofiyeva
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Hagen, Hagen, Germany
| | - Robert Gaschler
- Department of Psychology, University of Hagen, Hagen, Germany
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Jaekel J, Heuser KM, Zapf A, Roll C, Nuñez FB, Bartmann P, Wolke D, Felderhoff-Mueser U, Huening B. Preterm children's long-term academic performance after adaptive computerized training: an efficacy and process analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Pediatr Res 2021; 89:1492-1499. [PMID: 32919388 PMCID: PMC7588952 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-020-01114-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adaptive computerized interventions may help improve preterm children's academic success, but randomized trials are rare. We tested whether a math training (XtraMath®) versus an active control condition (Cogmed®; working memory) improved school performance. Training feasibility was also evaluated. METHODS Preterm born first graders, N = 65 (28-35 + 6 weeks gestation) were recruited into a prospective randomized controlled multicenter trial and received one of two computerized trainings at home for 5 weeks. Teachers rated academic performance in math, reading/writing, and attention compared to classmates before (baseline), directly after (post), and 12 months after the intervention (follow-up). Total academic performance growth was calculated as change from baseline (hierarchically ordered-post test first, follow-up second). RESULTS Bootstrapped linear regressions showed that academic growth to post test was significantly higher in the math intervention group (B = 0.25 [95% confidence interval: 0.04-0.50], p = 0.039), but this difference was not sustained at the 12-month follow-up (B = 0.00 [-0.31 to 0.34], p = 0.996). Parents in the XtraMath group reported higher acceptance compared with the Cogmed group (mean difference: -0.49, [-0.90 to -0.08], p = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings do not show a sustained difference in efficacy between both trainings. Studies of math intervention effectiveness for preterm school-aged children are warranted. IMPACT Adaptive computerized math training may help improve preterm children's short-term school performance. Computerized math training provides a novel avenue towards intervention after preterm birth. Well-powered randomized controlled studies of math intervention effectiveness for preterm school-aged children are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Jaekel
- Child and Family Studies
- Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA. .,Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
| | - Katharina M. Heuser
- grid.410718.b0000 0001 0262 7331Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany ,grid.5570.70000 0004 0490 981XPsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Antonia Zapf
- grid.13648.380000 0001 2180 3484Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Roll
- grid.412581.b0000 0000 9024 6397Vest Children’s Hospital Datteln, University Witten-Herdecke, Datteln, Germany
| | | | - Peter Bartmann
- grid.15090.3d0000 0000 8786 803XChildren’s Hospital, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dieter Wolke
- grid.7372.10000 0000 8809 1613Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Ursula Felderhoff-Mueser
- grid.410718.b0000 0001 0262 7331Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Britta Huening
- grid.410718.b0000 0001 0262 7331Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
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Zeng C, Ross B, Xue Z, Huang X, Wu G, Liu Z, Tao H, Pu W. Abnormal Large-Scale Network Activation Present in Bipolar Mania and Bipolar Depression Under Resting State. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:634299. [PMID: 33841204 PMCID: PMC8032940 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.634299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Previous studies have primarily focused on the neuropathological mechanisms of the emotional circuit present in bipolar mania and bipolar depression. Recent studies applying resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have raise the possibility of examining brain-wide networks abnormality between the two oppositional emotion states, thus this study aimed to characterize the different functional architecture represented in mania and depression by employing group-independent component analysis (gICA). Materials and Methods: Forty-one bipolar depressive patients, 20 bipolar manic patients, and 40 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited and received resting-state fMRI scans. Group-independent component analysis was applied to the brain network functional connectivity analysis. Then, we calculated the correlation between the value of between-group differences and clinical variables. Results: Group-independent component analysis identified 15 components in all subjects, and ANOVA showed that functional connectivity (FC) differed significantly in the default mode network, central executive network, and frontoparietal network across the three groups. Further post-hoc t-tests showed a gradient descent of activity-depression > HC > mania-in all three networks, with the differences between depression and HCs, as well as between depression and mania, surviving after family wise error (FWE) correction. Moreover, central executive network and frontoparietal network activities were positively correlated with Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD) scores and negatively correlated with Young manic rating scale (YMRS) scores. Conclusions: Three brain networks heighten activity in depression, but not mania; and the discrepancy regions mainly located in prefrontal, which may imply that the differences in cognition and emotion between the two states is associated with top-down regulation in task-independent networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Zeng
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Brendan Ross
- Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Zhimin Xue
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaojun Huang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Guowei Wu
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhening Liu
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Haojuan Tao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Weidan Pu
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Dedoncker J, Baeken C, De Raedt R, Vanderhasselt MA. Combined transcranial direct current stimulation and psychological interventions: State of the art and promising perspectives for clinical psychology. Biol Psychol 2020; 158:107991. [PMID: 33232800 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Recent literature shows great heterogeneity in the reported efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a stand-alone psychiatric treatment. Aiming to increase its efficacy, tDCS has been combined with psychological interventions. Our state-of-the-art overview of such combined treatment trials indicates, however, that these usually do not elicit synergistic clinical effects. We therefore explored more basic mechanisms related to the brain state-dependency of tDCS. Importantly, based on our overview, the efficacy of combined interventions may depend on whether individual patients present with endophenotypes that are implicated in the development and maintenance of psychopathology, such as prefrontal-mediated cognitive dysfunction. We discuss how future studies may contribute to the development of personally-tailored dual active treatments by adhering to the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework. RDoC-based mechanistic research may reveal alternative neural circuits that should be functionally targeted by both tDCS and psychological interventions, with promising avenues for clinical psychological science and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefien Dedoncker
- Department of Head and Skin - Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Head and Skin - Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital UZBrussel, Brussels, Belgium; Eindhoven University of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Department of Head and Skin - Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Rossignoli-Palomeque T, Perez-Hernandez E, González-Marqués J. Training effects of attention and EF strategy-based training "Nexxo" in school-age students. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2020; 210:103174. [PMID: 32919092 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2020.103174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the importance of attention and executive functions in children's behavior, programs directed to improve these processes are of interest. Nexxo-training combines the use of the Nexxo touchscreen application (go/no-go and stop signal tasks) with procedural metacognitive strategies. The present paper reports a test of Nexxo's impact on children aged 6-7 and 8-9 years. We conducted a randomized active-controlled trial involving 108 typically-developing children: 1st grade (N = 61, M = 6.46 years, SD = 0.35) and 3rd grade (N = 47, M = 8.5 years, SD = 0.27), randomly assigned to: (1) experimental, (2) active-control, or (3) passive-control groups. A 2-month follow-up was carried out after the intervention. The 3rd grade experimental group displayed a significant reduction in attentional problems at follow-up compared to both control groups. Executive Function problems were also reduced at follow-up in the experimental group. Participants in this group improved in Supervision (self-monitoring) at post-intervention and follow-up compared to passive-controls. Although group effect was not significant at t1, it was significant at post measures in experimental group compared to passive-controls. Nexxo-training revealed a trend-level improvement in attention and executive functions for children in the 3rd grade.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - E Perez-Hernandez
- Department of Development and Educational Psychology, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - J González-Marqués
- Department of Basic Psychology II, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Mewton L, Hodge A, Gates N, Visontay R, Lees B, Teesson M. A randomised double-blind trial of cognitive training for the prevention of psychopathology in at-risk youth. Behav Res Ther 2020; 132:103672. [PMID: 32629291 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of online cognitive training as a means of reducing psychopathology in at-risk youth. METHODS In a double-blind randomised controlled trial, 228 youths (mean age = 18.6, 74.6% female) were randomly allocated to either an intervention group (n = 114; online cognitive training focused on executive functioning) and a control group (n = 114; online cognitive training focused on other cognitive abilities). Participants were assessed online at baseline, post-training, 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome of the study was overall psychopathology as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were executive functioning ability (assessed using the n-back, trail-making and Stroop tasks), day-to-day functioning and risky drinking. RESULTS Mixed model intention-to-treat analyses indicated that psychopathology increased and day-to-day functioning decreased, regardless of intervention group. Those in the intervention group improved more than those in the control group in terms of the n-back task, but this was not statistically significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons. There were no statistically significant effects on risky drinking, or the trail-making and Stroop tasks. CONCLUSION This study failed to provide evidence for the efficacy of cognitive training as a stand-alone intervention for psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Mewton
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Antoinette Hodge
- Child Development Unit, The Children's Hospital, Westmead, Australia
| | - Nicola Gates
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rachel Visontay
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Briana Lees
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Maree Teesson
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Laube C, van den Bos W, Fandakova Y. The relationship between pubertal hormones and brain plasticity: Implications for cognitive training in adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 42:100753. [PMID: 32072931 PMCID: PMC7005587 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence may mark a sensitive period for the development of higher-order cognition through enhanced plasticity of cortical circuits. At the same time, animal research indicates that pubertal hormones may represent one key mechanism for closing sensitive periods in the associative neocortex, thereby resulting in decreased plasticity of cortical circuits in adolescence. In the present review, we set out to solve some of the existing ambiguity and examine how hormonal changes associated with pubertal onset may modulate plasticity in higher-order cognition during adolescence. We build on existing age-comparative cognitive training studies to explore how the potential for change in neural resources and behavioral repertoire differs across age groups. We review animal and human brain imaging studies, which demonstrate a link between brain development, neurochemical mechanisms of plasticity, and pubertal hormones. Overall, the existent literature indicates that pubertal hormones play a pivotal role in regulating the mechanisms of experience-dependent plasticity during adolescence. However, the extent to which hormonal changes associated with pubertal onset increase or decrease brain plasticity may depend on the specific cognitive domain, the sex, and associated brain networks. We discuss implications for future research and suggest that systematical longitudinal assessments of pubertal change together with cognitive training interventions may be a fruitful way toward a better understanding of adolescent plasticity. As the age of pubertal onset is decreasing across developed societies, this may also have important educational and clinical implications, especially with respect to the effects that earlier puberty has on learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinna Laube
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Yana Fandakova
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
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Mibu A, Kan S, Nishigami T, Fujino Y, Shibata M. Performing the hand laterality judgement task does not necessarily require motor imagery. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5155. [PMID: 32198401 PMCID: PMC7083854 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61937-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
When people judge the laterality of rotated hand images, that is they perform the laterality judgement task (LJT), they are thought to use motor imagery. However, recent studies have suggested that its completion does not necessarily require the use of motor imagery. In this study, we investigated whether and how many people preferentially use motor imagery to perform the LJT in 37 healthy adults. We assessed the presence of behavioural features associated with motor imagery at the individual level, namely, the linear angle-response time (RT) relationship and the biomechanical constraints effect in the LJT and in the same-different judgement task (SDJT), in which people are not thought to use motor imagery. We found that at most 50% of participants showed both behavioural features in the palmar view condition of the LJT. Moreover, this proportion did not differ from that in the dorsal view condition of the LJT or that in both view conditions of the SDJT. These results demonstrate that a motor imagery-based strategy is not universally and specifically used to perform the LJT. Therefore, previous results of the LJT, in particular, regarding the biomechanical constraints effect, should be reinterpreted in light of our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Mibu
- Department of Physical Therapy, Konan Women's University, 6-2-23 Morikita-machi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 658-0001, Japan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Kan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Tomohiko Nishigami
- Department of Physical Therapy, Konan Women's University, 6-2-23 Morikita-machi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 658-0001, Japan
- Department of Physical Therapy, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Mihara, Hiroshima, 723-0053, Japan
| | - Yuji Fujino
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masahiko Shibata
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Faculty of Health Science, Naragakuen University, 3-15-1 Nakatomigaoka, Nara, Nara, 631-8524, Japan
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Kroll J, Karolis V, Brittain PJ, Tseng CEJ, Froudist-Walsh S, Murray RM, Nosarti C. Systematic assessment of perinatal and socio-demographic factors associated with IQ from childhood to adult life following very preterm birth. INTELLIGENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2019.101401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Aydmune Y, Introzzi I, Lipina S. Inhibitory Processes Training for School-age Children: Transfer Effects. Dev Neuropsychol 2019; 44:513-542. [PMID: 31635492 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2019.1677667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Inhibition refers to a basic executive component that can be conceptualized as consisted of different inhibitory processes (i.e., perceptual, cognitive and response inhibition). These processes emerge during the first years of life, and since then are involved in different relevant every day activities. Different individual and contextual factors can modulate their developmental trajectories. The possibility of train in separate ways each inhibitory process is a subject of analysis. In such a context, the aims of this work were: (a) to design, implement and evaluate training of perceptual, cognitive and response inhibition processes, in a sample of school-aged children (6 to 8 years old); and (b) to analyze near, far, short- and long-transfer effects. An experimental design with three training groups (one for each inhibitory process) and an active control group was implemented. Near transfer effects were not observed. We found effects on a visuospatial working memory task in the short term, after the training in the response and cognitive inhibition, and effects on a fluid intelligence task in both the short and long term after the training in cognitive inhibition. The results contribute to a conceptualization of multidimensional inhibitory processes and the plausibility of training them during childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesica Aydmune
- Instituto de Psicología Básica Aplicada y Tecnología (IPSIBAT), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Psicología, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Isabel Introzzi
- Instituto de Psicología Básica Aplicada y Tecnología (IPSIBAT), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Psicología, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Sebastián Lipina
- Centro de Educación Médica e Investigación Clínica Norberto Quirno (CEMIC), Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Rossignoli-Palomeque T, Quiros-Godoy M, Perez-Hernandez E, González-Marqués J. Schoolchildren's Compensatory Strategies and Skills in Relation to Attention and Executive Function App Training. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2332. [PMID: 31749727 PMCID: PMC6843073 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given the importance of attention and executive functions (EF) in children's behavior, programs aimed at improving these processes are of special interest. Nexxo-training combines the use of the Nexxo touchscreen application (inhibition and vigilance tasks) with procedural metacognitive strategies (imparted by an instructor) for all the individuals using the app, regardless of their level of ability, plus compensatory strategies based on individual child performance. This study presents an analysis of the compensatory strategies that schoolchildren (aged 6-8 years old) receive when experiencing difficulties with EF tasks, in addition to an analysis of the developmental factors and cognitive skills that may modulate EF task performance. METHODS For this study, we use data from a previous randomized active-controlled study (under review), in which forty-six typically developing children aged between 6 and 8 years old (24 girls/22 boys) were enrolled in the training group. The selected children were in the 1st grade (n = 28, x ¯ = 78.32 ± 4.037 months) and 3rd grade of primary education (n = 18, x ¯ = 102.11 ± 3.445). We collected data on EF training performance, compensatory strategies needed and neuropsychological assessments. RESULTS A total of 80.43% participants required some form of compensatory strategy during training. Regarding required compensatory strategies, those who had lower scores in EF training needed more compensatory strategies, in particular, instructional comprehension (r = -0.561, p < 0.001 for inhibition-tasks; r = -0.342, p < 0.001 for vigilance-tasks). Concerning developmental factors, age significantly predicted better performance in both EF tasks (β = 0.613, p < 0.001 for inhibition; β = 0.706, p < 0.001 for attention). As regards task performance, those with better performance in inhibition tasks also had better performance in vigilance tasks (r = 0.72, p < 0.001). Finally, regarding cognitive skills, participants with higher performance in fluid intelligence (Q1, n = 12) had higher scores (U = 14.5, p < 0.05) than the group with the lowest performance (Q4, n = 11) in vigilance. CONCLUSION As previous literature suggests, inhibition is one of the core processes of EF. Therefore, we should focus training on the core EF processes. Inhibition and vigilance are closely related processes. In terms of the use of compensatory strategies, these are more needed for participants with lower levels of performance in inhibition or vigilance. Regarding strategy analysis, instructional comprehension and self-instruction (goal setting and planning) seem to be the most useful strategies for those with difficulties in inhibitory and vigilance task performance. Regarding development, as expected, age moderates task performance in inhibition and attention. Finally, cognitive skills, such as fluid intelligence and cognitive flexibility, predicted better results in attention. EF training using not only an app, but also compensatory strategies based on user performance, is a new research direction offering more opportunities to generalize EF training in everyday life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Rossignoli-Palomeque
- Department of Basic Psychology II, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychology and Education, Cardenal Cisneros University Center, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Quiros-Godoy
- Department of Social Psychology and Methodology, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Perez-Hernandez
- Department of Development and Educational Psychology, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Delalande L, Moyon M, Tissier C, Dorriere V, Guillois B, Mevell K, Charron S, Salvia E, Poirel N, Vidal J, Lion S, Oppenheim C, Houdé O, Cachia A, Borst G. Complex and subtle structural changes in prefrontal cortex induced by inhibitory control training from childhood to adolescence. Dev Sci 2019; 23:e12898. [PMID: 31469938 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A number of training interventions have been designed to improve executive functions and inhibitory control (IC) across the lifespan. Surprisingly, no study has investigated the structural neuroplasticity induced by IC training from childhood to late adolescence, a developmental period characterized by IC efficiency improvement and protracted maturation of prefrontal cortex (PFC) subregions involved in IC. The aim of the present study was to investigate the behavioral and structural changes induced by a 5-week computerized and adaptive IC training in school-aged children (10-year-olds) and in adolescents (16-year-olds). Sixty-four children and 59 adolescents were randomly assigned to an IC (i.e. Color-Word Stroop and Stop-Signal tasks) or an active control (AC) (knowledge- and vocabulary-based tasks) training group. In the pre- and posttraining sessions, participants performed the Color-Word Stroop and Stop-signal tasks, and an anatomical resonance imaging (MRI) was acquired for each of them. Children's IC efficiency improved from the pre- to the posttraining session in boys but not in girls. In adolescents, IC efficiency did not improve after IC training. Similar to the neuroplastic mechanisms observed during brain maturation, we observed IC training-related changes in cortical thickness and cortical surface area in several PFC subregions (e.g. the pars opercularis, triangularis, and orbitalis of the inferior frontal gyri) that were age- and gender-specific. Because no correction for multiple comparisons was applied, the results of our study provide only preliminary evidence of the complex structural neuroplastic mechanisms at the root of behavioral changes in IC efficiency from pre- to posttraining in school-aged children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marine Moyon
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Cloélia Tissier
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, Paris, France.,Biomarkers of Brain Development and Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, INSERM UMR894, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Katel Mevell
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Charron
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, Paris, France.,Biomarkers of Brain Development and Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, INSERM UMR894, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Julie Vidal
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Lion
- Biomarkers of Brain Development and Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, INSERM UMR894, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Oppenheim
- Biomarkers of Brain Development and Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, INSERM UMR894, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Houdé
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, Paris, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Arnaud Cachia
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, Paris, France.,Biomarkers of Brain Development and Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, INSERM UMR894, Paris, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Grégoire Borst
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, Paris, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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Working Memory Training Is Associated with Changes in Resting State Functional Connectivity in Children Who Were Born Extremely Preterm: a Randomized Controlled Trial. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-019-00150-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Children born extremely preterm (EP; < 28 weeks of gestation) or extremely low birth weight (ELBW; < 1000 g) are at increased risk of working memory deficits compared with their term-born peers and may benefit from working memory training. This study aimed to determine whether Cogmed Working Memory Training®, compared with a placebo training program, was associated with changes in resting-state functional connectivity (rsfc) and whether these changes correlated with working memory performance in EP/ELBW children. Twenty-one 7-year-old EP/ELBW children were enrolled in a double-blinded randomized controlled trial and had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessments (Cogmed, n = 12; placebo (a non-adaptive version of Cogmed), n = 9). Prior to training (baseline) and 2 weeks post-training, all children received a cognitive assessment, inclusive of immediate memory and working memory measures and an MRI. The Cogmed Improvement Index was used as a measure of improvement in trained activities in the Cogmed group. Resting-state functional MRI was used to measure training-related changes in intra- and inter-network rsfc. The networks assessed include the default mode network, the left and right central executive networks, the bilateral executive network, the dorsal attention network, and the salience network. rsfc data were compared between treatment groups and investigated in relation to changes in working memory performance. There was little evidence of differences in intra- or inter-network rsfc strength changes from baseline to post-training between treatment groups. In the Cogmed group, working memory performance was associated with increased rsfc from baseline to post-training within the precuneus network, but not in the placebo group. In the Cogmed group, results that did not survive multiple comparison correction further showed that improvement in trained activities was associated with increased rsfc between the left central and bilateral executive networks, and with decreased rsfc within the right central executive network and between the right central executive and salience networks. Changes in rsfc may facilitate working memory performance following Cogmed training. Further studies are needed to investigate how changes in rsfc are associated with behavioral changes to better support working memory in vulnerable groups.
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Traverso L, Viterbori P, Usai MC. Effectiveness of an Executive Function Training in Italian Preschool Educational Services and Far Transfer Effects to Pre-academic Skills. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2053. [PMID: 31551885 PMCID: PMC6748352 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study we examine the effectiveness and far transfer effects of a training that was found to be effective in promoting Executive Function (EF) in a sample of 5-year-old children (Traverso et al., 2015). By contrast with Traverso et al. (2015), the intervention was administered by regular teachers to verify its ecological validity. Far transfer was assessed by evaluating the training effects on pre-academic skills. 126 children attending the last year of Italian preschool educational services took part in the study (mainly 5-year-old children). Pre- and post-test assessments were conducted using a large EF and pre-academic skill task battery. The results indicate that the experimental group outperformed the control group in an interference suppression composite score. Moreover, significant far transfer effects to pre-academic skills in literacy domain were found. In addition, we found that the improvement in the pre academic skills (in both literacy and math domains) was mediated by the improvement in the interference suppression score. The results suggest the possibility that this intervention, which may be easily implemented in the context of educational services, can promote EF during the preschool period before entry to primary school.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Traverso
- Department of Education Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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Verhelst H, Giraldo D, Vander Linden C, Vingerhoets G, Jeurissen B, Caeyenberghs K. Cognitive Training in Young Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Fixel-Based Analysis. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2019; 33:813-824. [DOI: 10.1177/1545968319868720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Background. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with altered white matter organization and impaired cognitive functioning. Objective. We aimed to investigate changes in white matter and cognitive functioning following computerized cognitive training. Methods. Sixteen adolescents with moderate-to-severe TBI (age 15.6 ± 1.8 years, 1.2-4.6 years postinjury) completed the 8-week BrainGames program and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and cognitive assessment at time point 1 (before training) and time point 2 (after training). Sixteen healthy controls (HC) (age 15.6 ± 1.8 years) completed DWI assessment at time point 1 and cognitive assessment at time point 1 and 2. Fixel-based analyses were used to examine fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and fiber cross-section (FC) on a whole brain level and in tracts of interest. Results. Patients with TBI showed cognitive impairments and extensive areas with decreased FA and increased MD together with an increase in FC in the body of the corpus callosum and left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) at time point 1. Patients improved significantly on the inhibition measure at time point 2, whereas the HC group remained unchanged. No training-induced changes were observed on the group level in diffusion metrics. Exploratory correlations were found between improvements on verbal working memory and reduced MD of the left SLF and between increased performance on an information processing speed task and increased FA of the right precentral gyrus. Conclusions. Results are indicative of positive effects of BrainGames on cognitive functioning and provide preliminary evidence for neuroplasticity associated with cognitive improvements following cognitive intervention in TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diana Giraldo
- University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
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de Water E, Papazaharias DM, Ambrosi C, Mascaro L, Iannilli E, Gasparotti R, Lucchini RG, Austin C, Arora M, Tang CY, Smith DR, Wright RO, Horton MK. Early-life dentine manganese concentrations and intrinsic functional brain connectivity in adolescents: A pilot study. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220790. [PMID: 31412061 PMCID: PMC6693851 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Maturational processes in the developing brain are disrupted by exposure to environmental toxicants, setting the stage for deviant developmental trajectories. Manganese (Mn) is an essential nutrient that is neurotoxic at high levels of exposure, particularly affecting the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex. Both the intensity and timing of exposure matter; deciduous teeth can be used to retrospectively and objectively determine early-life windows of vulnerability. The aim of this pilot study was to examine associations between prenatal, early postnatal and childhood dentine Mn concentrations and intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) of adolescents' brains. 14 adolescents (12-18 years; 6 girls) from northern Italian regions with either current, historic or no Mn contamination, completed a 10-minute resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan in an 1.5T MRI scanner. We estimated prenatal, early postnatal and childhood Mn concentrations in deciduous teeth using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. We performed seed-based correlation analyses, focusing on six subcortical seeds (left and right caudate, putamen, pallidum) and one cortical seed (bilateral middle frontal gyrus) from Harvard-Oxford atlases. We examined linear and quadratic correlations between log-transformed Mn concentrations and seed-based iFC (Bonferroni-corrected p<0.0023), controlling for either socio-economic status, sex or age. Dentine Mn concentrations (Mn:Calcium ratio) were highest during the prenatal period (median = 0.48) and significantly declined during the early postnatal (median = 0.14) and childhood periods (median = 0.006). Postnatal Mn concentrations were associated with: 1) increased iFC between the middle frontal gyrus and medial prefrontal cortex; 2) decreased iFC between the right putamen and pre- and postcentral gyrus. Together, these findings suggest that early postnatal Mn concentrations are associated with increased iFC within cognitive control brain areas, but decreased iFC between motor areas in adolescents. Future studies should replicate these findings in larger samples, and link brain connectivity measures to cognitive and motor outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik de Water
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Roberto G. Lucchini
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Christine Austin
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Manish Arora
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Cheuk Y. Tang
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Donald R. Smith
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Robert O. Wright
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Megan K. Horton
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
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Schiller RM, IJsselstijn H, Madderom MJ, van Rosmalen J, van Heijst AFJ, Smits M, Verhulst F, Tibboel D, White T. Training-induced white matter microstructure changes in survivors of neonatal critical illness: A randomized controlled trial. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 38:100678. [PMID: 31299479 PMCID: PMC6969347 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In a nationwide randomized controlled trial, white matter microstructure was assessed before and immediately after Cogmed Working-Memory Training (CWMT) in school-age neonatal critical illness survivors. Eligible participants were survivors (8-12 years) with an IQ ≥ 80 and a z-score of ≤ -1.5 on (working)memory test at first assessment. Diffusion Tensor Imaging was used to assess white matter microstructure. Associations between any training-induced changes and improved neuropsychological outcome immediately and one year post-CWMT were evaluated as well. The trial was conducted between October 2014-June 2017 at Erasmus MC-Sophia, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Researchers involved were blinded to group allocation. Participants were randomized to CWMT(n = 14) or no-intervention(n = 20). All children completed the CWMT. Global fractional anisotropy(FA) increased significantly post-CWMT compared to no-intervention(estimated-coefficient = .007, p = .015). Increased FA(estimated coefficient = .009, p = .033) and decreased mean diffusivity(estimated-coefficient = -.010, p = .018) were found in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus(SFL) post-CWMT compared no-intervention. Children after CWMT who improved with >1SD on verbal working-memory had significantly higher FA in the left SLF post-CWMT(n = 6; improvement = .408 ± .01) than children without this improvement post-CWMT(n = 6; no-improvement = .384 ± .02), F(1,12) = 6.22, p = .041, ηp2 = .47. No other structure-function relationships were found post-CWMT. Our findings demonstrate that white matter microstructure and associated cognitive outcomes are malleable by CWMT in survivors of neonatal critical illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raisa M Schiller
- Intensive Care and Department of Pediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hanneke IJsselstijn
- Intensive Care and Department of Pediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marlous J Madderom
- Intensive Care and Department of Pediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joost van Rosmalen
- Department of Biostatistics, Erasmus MC, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Arno F J van Heijst
- Department of Neonatology, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Marion Smits
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Frank Verhulst
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dick Tibboel
- Intensive Care and Department of Pediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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Salvia E, Tissier C, Charron S, Herent P, Vidal J, Lion S, Cassotti M, Oppenheim C, Houdé O, Borst G, Cachia A. The local properties of bold signal fluctuations at rest monitor inhibitory control training in adolescents. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 38:100664. [PMID: 31158801 PMCID: PMC6969344 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory control (IC) plays a critical role in cognitive and socio-emotional development. Short-term IC training improves IC abilities in children and adults. Surprisingly, few studies have investigated the IC training effect during adolescence, a developmental period characterized by high neuroplasticity and the protracted development of IC abilities. We investigated behavioural and functional brain changes induced by a 5-week computerized and adaptive IC training in adolescents. We focused on the IC training effects on the local properties of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) signal fluctuations at rest (i.e., Regional Homogeneity [ReHo] and fractional Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations [fALFF]). Sixty adolescents were randomly assigned to either an IC or an active control training group. In the pre- and post-training sessions, cognitive ('Cool') and emotional ('Hot') IC abilities were assessed using the Colour-Word and Emotional Stroop tasks. We found that ReHo and fALFF signals in IC areas (IFG, ACC, Striatum) were associated with IC efficiency at baseline. This association was different for Cool and Hot IC. Analyses also revealed that ReHo and fALFF signals were sensitive markers to detect and monitor changes after IC training, while behavioural data did not, suggesting that brain functional changes at rest precede behavioural changes following training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Salvia
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France.
| | - Cloélia Tissier
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France; Université de Paris, IPNP, INSERM, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Charron
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France; Université de Paris, IPNP, INSERM, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Paul Herent
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Julie Vidal
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Lion
- Université de Paris, IPNP, INSERM, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Cassotti
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | | | - Olivier Houdé
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Grégoire Borst
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Arnaud Cachia
- Université de Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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Minder F, Zuberer A, Brandeis D, Drechsler R. Specific Effects of Individualized Cognitive Training in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): The Role of Pre-Training Cognitive Impairment and Individual Training Performance. Dev Neurorehabil 2019; 22:400-414. [PMID: 31021250 DOI: 10.1080/17518423.2019.1600064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Objective: We investigated the impact of the pre-training neuropsychological (NP) impairment and of the training progress on the NP and behavioural outcome after computerized cognitive training (CogT) in children with ADHD. Method: Thirty-one participants underwent individualized CogT (focussing on one or two cognitive domains: working memory, inhibition, attention) over 12 weeks. NP tests and behaviour ratings served as outcome measures. Results: After CogT, significant improvements emerged according to parents' ratings, but only on very few NP test measures. Children with milder/no pre-training NP impairment showed larger improvements on behavioural ratings than more impaired children. A steeper training performance slope was related to better behavioural outcomes. Conclusion: We find partial support for specific effects of CogT, but the assumption that an individually tailored selection of training tasks would be particularly beneficial for children with ADHD with NP deficits was not confirmed. Trial registration number: NCT02358941.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Minder
- a Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Agnieszka Zuberer
- a Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Daniel Brandeis
- a Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland.,b Neuroscience Center Zurich , University of Zurich and ETH Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland.,c Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health , Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University , Mannheim , Germany.,d Center for Integrative Human Physiology , University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Renate Drechsler
- a Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland
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Lee D, Kwak S, Chey J. Parallel Changes in Cognitive Function and Gray Matter Volume After Multi-Component Training of Cognitive Control (MTCC) in Adolescents. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:246. [PMID: 31379541 PMCID: PMC6646454 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a unique period in which higher cognition develops to adult-level, while plasticity of neuron and behavior is at one of its peak. Notably, cognitive training studies for adolescents has been sparse and neural correlates of the training effects yet to be established. This study investigated the effects of multi-component training of cognitive control (MTCC) in order to examine whether the training enhanced adolescents' cognitive control ability and if the effects were generalizable to other cognitive domains. Cognitive control refers to the ability to adjust a series of thoughts and behaviors in correspondence to an internal goal, and involves inhibition, working memory, shifting, and dual tasking as subcomponents. The participants were middle school students (aged 11-14) and randomly assigned to either a training group or an active control group. The training group performed 30 min of MTCC per day for 6 weeks. To identify the training effects, we examined the cognitive performance, regional gray matter, and their relationship. The training group showed modest improvement in a visuospatial fluid intelligence test (Block Design) after MTCC, which was not significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. In addition, the training effect on the gray matter volume (time × group interaction) was observed in the right inferior cortex (rIFC). While the control group showed a typical reduction in the rIFC volume, the training group showed a relative increase in the homologous region. The relative change in rIFC volume was associated with the change in Stroop performance. These results imply that MTCC may affect brain structure relevant to inhibitory control process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jeanyung Chey
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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Fry CE, Langley K, Shelton KH. Executive functions in homeless young people: Working memory impacts on short-term housing outcomes. Child Neuropsychol 2019; 26:27-53. [DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2019.1628930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kate Langley
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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Thomas MSC, Fedor A, Davis R, Yang J, Alireza H, Charman T, Masterson J, Best W. Computational modeling of interventions for developmental disorders. Psychol Rev 2019; 126:693-726. [PMID: 31169397 PMCID: PMC6776073 DOI: 10.1037/rev0000151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
We evaluate the potential of connectionist models of developmental disorders to offer insights into the efficacy of interventions. Based on a range of computational simulation results, we assess factors that influence the effectiveness of interventions for reading, language, and other cognitive developmental disorders. The analysis provides a level of mechanistic detail that is generally lacking in behavioral approaches to intervention. We review an extended program of modeling work in four sections. In the first, we consider long-term outcomes and the possibility of compensated outcomes and resolution of early delays. In the second section, we address methods to remediate atypical development in a single network. In the third section, we address interventions to encourage compensation via alternative pathways. In the final section, we consider the key issue of individual differences in response to intervention. Together with advances in understanding the neural basis of developmental disorders and neural responses to training, formal computational approaches can spur theoretical progress to narrow the gap between the theory and practice of intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna Fedor
- MTA-ELTE Theoretical Biology and Evolutionary Ecology Research Group
| | | | | | | | - Tony Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience
| | | | - Wendy Best
- Division of Psychology & Language Sciences
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47
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Beloe P, Derakshan N. Adaptive working memory training can reduce anxiety and depression vulnerability in adolescents. Dev Sci 2019; 23:e12831. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Beloe
- Department of Psychological Sciences Birkbeck University of London London UK
| | - Nazanin Derakshan
- Department of Psychological Sciences Birkbeck University of London London UK
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Redick TS, Wiemers EA, Engle RW. The role of proactive interference in working memory training and transfer. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2019; 84:1635-1654. [PMID: 30953133 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-019-01172-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Recent work on working memory training has produced conflicting results regarding the degree and generality of transfer to other cognitive processes. However, few studies have investigated possible mechanisms underlying transfer. The current study was designed to test the role of proactive interference in working memory training and transfer. Eighty-six young adults participated in a pretest-posttest design, with ten training sessions in between. In the two working memory training conditions, subjects performed an operation span task, with one condition requiring recall of letters on every trial (operation-letters), whereas the other condition alternated between letters, digits, and words as the to-be-remembered items across trials (operation-mix). These groups were compared to an active-control group (visual-search). Working memory, verbal fluency, and reading comprehension measures were administered in pretest and posttest sessions. All groups significantly increased their performance over the ten training sessions. There was evidence of strategy-specific benefits on transfer, such that transfer to working memory measures was higher for the operation-letters group on tasks specifically involving letters, and no differential transfer to working memory tests without letters, to verbal fluency, or to reading comprehension. The results indicate that proactive interference does not appear to play a causal role in determining transfer from working memory training, and instead a strategy account based on stimulus content provides a more parsimonious explanation for the pattern of training and transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas S Redick
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, 703 Third Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
| | - Elizabeth A Wiemers
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, 703 Third Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Research on developmental outcomes of preterm birth has traditionally focused on adverse effects. This study investigated the prevalence and correlates of resilience in 146 extremely preterm/extremely low birth weight (EPT/ELBW) children (gestational age <28 weeks and/or birth weight <1000 g) attending kindergarten and 111 term-born normal birth weight (NBW) controls. METHODS Adaptive competence (i.e., "resilience" in the EPT/ELBW group) was defined by scores within grade expectations on achievement tests and the absence of clinically elevated parent ratings of child behavior problems. The "adaptive" children who met these criteria were compared to the "maladaptive" children who did not on child and family characteristics. Additional analyses were conducted to assess the conjoint effects of group (ELBW vs. NBW) and family factors on adaptive competence. RESULTS A substantial minority of the EPT/ELBW group (45%) were competent compared to a majority of NBW controls (73%), odds ratio (95% confidence interval)=0.26 (0.15, 0.45), p<.001. Adaptive competence was associated with higher cognitive skills, more favorable ratings of behavior and learning not used to define adaptive competence, and more advantaged family environments in both groups, as well as with a lower rate of earlier neurodevelopmental impairment in the EPT/ELBW group. Higher socioeconomic status and more favorable proximal home environments were associated with competence independent of group, and group differences in competence persisted across the next two school years. CONCLUSIONS The findings document resilience in kindergarten children with extreme prematurity and highlight the role of environmental factors as potential influences on outcome. (JINS, 2019, 25, 362-374).
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Jaekel J, Baumann N, Bartmann P, Wolke D. General cognitive but not mathematic abilities predict very preterm and healthy term born adults' wealth. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212789. [PMID: 30865719 PMCID: PMC6415831 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Very preterm (<32 weeks gestation; VP) and/or very low birth weight (<1500g; VLBW) children often have cognitive and mathematic difficulties. It is unknown whether VP/VLBW children’s frequent mathematic problems significantly add to the burden of negative life-course consequences over and above effects of more general cognitive deficits. Our aim was to determine whether negative consequences of VP/VLBW versus healthy term birth on adult wealth are mediated by mathematic abilities in childhood, or rather explained by more general cognitive abilities. Methods 193 VP/VLBW and 217 healthy term comparison participants were studied prospectively from birth to adulthood as part of a geographically defined study in Bavaria (South Germany). Mathematic and general cognitive abilities were assessed at 8 years with standardized tests; wealth information was assessed at 26 years with a structured interview and summarized into a comprehensive index score. All scores were z-standardized. Results At 8 years, VP/VLBW (n = 193, 52.3% male) had lower mathematic and general cognitive abilities than healthy term comparison children (n = 217, 47.0% male). At 26 years, VP/VLBW had accumulated significantly lower overall wealth than term born comparison adults (-0.57 (1.08) versus -0.01 (1.00), mean difference 0.56 [0.36–0.77], p < .001). Structural equation modeling confirmed that VP/VLBW birth (β = -.13, p = .022) and childhood IQ (β = .24, p < .001) both directly predicted adult wealth, but math did not (β = .05, p = .413). Analyses were controlled for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth, child sex, and family socioeconomic status. Conclusion This longitudinal study from birth to adulthood shows that VP/VLBW survivors’ general cognitive rather than specific mathematic problems explain their diminished life-course success. These findings are important in order to design effective interventions at school age that reduce the burden of prematurity for those individuals who were born at highest neonatal risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Jaekel
- Department of Child and Family Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Nicole Baumann
- Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | | | - Dieter Wolke
- Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
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