Effects of working memory training on functional connectivity and cerebral blood flow during rest

Cortex ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 49 (8) ◽  
pp. 2106-2125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hikaru Takeuchi ◽  
Yasuyuki Taki ◽  
Rui Nouchi ◽  
Hiroshi Hashizume ◽  
Atsushi Sekiguchi ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan S Jones ◽  
Anna-Lynne R Adlam ◽  
Abdelmalek Benattayallah ◽  
Fraser N Milton

Working memory training improves cognitive performance on untrained tasks; however, little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms, particularly in childhood where neuroplasticity may be greatest. The neural correlates of working memory training were investigated in 32 typically developing children aged 10-14 years (19 girls and 13 boys; Devon, UK) using a randomised controlled design and multi-modal MRI. Training improved working memory performance and increased intrinsic functional connectivity within the dorsal attention network. Furthermore, improvements in working memory were associated with greater recruitment of the left middle frontal gyrus during a complex span task. The repeated engagement of fronto-parietal regions during training may increase their activity and functional connectivity over time, affording greater attentional control on working memory tasks.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Giehl ◽  
Anja Ophey ◽  
Jochen Hammes ◽  
Sarah Rehberg ◽  
Thorsten Lichtenstein ◽  
...  

Abstract Impairment of working memory and executive functions is already frequently observed in early stages of Parkinson’s disease. Improvements in working memory performance in this cohort could potentially be achieved via working memory training. However, the specific neural mechanisms underlying different working memory processes such as maintenance as opposed to manipulation are largely under-investigated in Parkinson’s disease. Moreover, the plasticity of these correlates as a function of working memory training is currently unknown in this population. Thus, the working memory subprocesses of maintenance and manipulation were assessed in 41 cognitively healthy patients with Parkinson’s disease using a newly developed working memory paradigm and functional MRI. Nineteen patients were randomized to a 5-week home-based digital working memory training intervention while the remaining patients entered a control, wait list condition. Working memory task-related activation patterns and context-dependent functional connectivity, as well as the change of these neural correlates as a function of training, were assessed. While both working memory processes activated an extended frontoparietal–cerebellar network, only the manipulation of items within working memory also recruited the anterior striatum. The intervention effect on the neural correlates was small, but decreased activation in areas relevant for working memory could be observed, with activation changes correlating with behavioural change. Moreover, training seemed to result in decreased functional connectivity when pure maintenance was required, and in a reorganization of functional connectivity when items had to be manipulated. In accordance with the neural efficacy hypothesis, training resulted in overall reduced activation and reorganized functional connectivity, with a differential effect on the different working memory processes under investigation. Now, larger trials including follow-up examinations are needed to further explore the long-term effects of such interventions on a neural level and to estimate the clinical relevance to potentially delay cognitive decline in cognitively healthy patients with Parkinson’s disease.


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiina Salminen ◽  
Simone Kuhn ◽  
Torsten Schubert

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hikaru Takeuchi ◽  
Yasuyuki Taki ◽  
Ryuta Kawashima

Author(s):  
Steven J Hardy ◽  
Sarah E Bills ◽  
Emily R Meier ◽  
Jeffrey C Schatz ◽  
Katie J Keridan ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective Youth with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at risk for neurocognitive deficits including problems with working memory (WM), but few interventions to improve functioning exist. This study sought to determine the feasibility and efficacy of home-based, digital WM training on short-term memory and WM, behavioral outcomes, and academic fluency using a parallel group randomized controlled trial design. Methods 47 children (7–16 years) with SCD and short-term memory or WM difficulties were randomized to Cogmed Working Memory Training at home on a tablet device (N = 24) or to a standard care Waitlist group (N = 23) that used Cogmed after the waiting period. Primary outcomes assessed in clinic included performance on verbal and nonverbal short-term memory and WM tasks. Secondary outcomes included parent-rated executive functioning and tests of math and reading fluency. Results In the evaluable sample, the Cogmed group (N = 21) showed greater improvement in visual WM compared with the Waitlist group (N = 22; p = .03, d = 0.70 [CI95 = 0.08, 1.31]). When examining a combined sample of participants, those who completed ≥10 training sessions exhibited significant improvements in verbal short-term memory, visual WM, and math fluency. Adherence to Cogmed was lower than expected (M = 9.07 sessions, SD = 7.77), with 19 participants (41%) completing at least 10 sessions. Conclusions: Visual WM, an ability commonly affected by SCD, is modifiable with cognitive training. Benefits extended to verbal short-term memory and math fluency when patients completed a sufficient training dose. Additional research is needed to identify ideal candidates for training and determine whether training gains are sustainable and generalize to real-world outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 89 ◽  
pp. 106077
Author(s):  
Maryam Nikravesh ◽  
Mahshid Aghajanzadeh ◽  
Saman Maroufizadeh ◽  
Arezoo Saffarian ◽  
Zahra Jafari

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