scholarly journals Working memory training increases neural efficiency in Parkinson’s disease: a randomized controlled trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Giehl ◽  
Anja Ophey ◽  
Jochen Hammes ◽  
Sarah Rehberg ◽  
Thorsten Lichtenstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Working Memory Training ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Memory Processes

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.

scholarly journals Nocturnal sleep enhances working memory training in Parkinson's disease but not Lewy body dementia

Brain ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 135 (9) ◽  
pp. 2789-2797 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. K. Scullin ◽  
L. M. Trotti ◽  
A. G. Wilson ◽  
S. A. Greer ◽  
D. L. Bliwise
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Lewy Body ◽  
Lewy Body Dementia ◽  
Working Memory Training ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Nocturnal Sleep

scholarly journals Effects of Home-Based Working Memory Training on Visuo-Spatial Working Memory in Parkinson’s Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 117957351989946 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Giehl ◽  
Anja Ophey ◽  
Paul Reker ◽  
Sarah Rehberg ◽  
Jochen Hammes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Home Based

Background: Cognitive impairment is a very frequent and severe nonmotor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Early intervention in this at-risk group for cognitive decline may be crucial for long-term preservation of cognitive functions. Computerized working memory training (WMT) has been proven beneficial in non-PD patient populations, but such evidence is still needed for patients with PD. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of WMT on visuo-spatial working memory (WM) in cognitively unimpaired patients with PD. Methods: A single-blind randomized controlled trial encompassing 76 patients with PD but no cognitive impairment according to level II diagnostic criteria was conducted. Thirty-seven patients engaged in home-based adaptive WMT 5 times per week for a period of 5 weeks, whereas the remaining patients were in the waiting list arm of the study (control group [CG]). Working memory performance was evaluated using a computerized task before and after intervention and at 14-week follow-up, allowing to quantify the precision of WM on a continuous scale, ie, to test not only if an item was remembered but also how well the location of this item was retained. Results: Coincidently, the WMT group showed slightly worse WM performance compared with the CG at baseline, which was ameliorated after WMT. This training-induced effect remained stable until follow-up. Conclusion: Patients showing relatively low WM performance, despite not formally diagnosable as Parkinson’s disease with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI), seem to benefit from home-based WMT. Thus, WMT could potentially be implemented in future trials as a time- and cost-efficient route to counteract subtle cognitive changes in early disease stages. Trial registration: German Clinical Trial Register (drks.de, DRKS00009379)

scholarly journals The Neural Correlates of Working Memory Training in Typically Developing Children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan S Jones ◽  
Anna-Lynne R Adlam ◽  
Abdelmalek Benattayallah ◽  
Fraser N Milton
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Working Memory Training ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Complex Span ◽  
Randomised Controlled

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.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Working Memory Training in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J Hardy ◽  
Sarah E Bills ◽  
Emily R Meier ◽  
Jeffrey C Schatz ◽  
Katie J Keridan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Working Memory Training ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Cell Disease ◽  
Math Fluency ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Randomized Controlled

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.

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 ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Blood Flow ◽  
Cerebral Blood Flow ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Working Memory Training ◽  
Memory Training

scholarly journals The Neural Correlates of Spatial and Object Working Memory in Elderly and Parkinson’s Disease Subjects

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia P. Caminiti ◽  
Chiara Siri ◽  
Lucia Guidi ◽  
Angelo Antonini ◽  
Daniela Perani
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Task Execution ◽  
Compensatory Mechanisms ◽  
Frontoparietal Network ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Comparable Performance

This fMRI study deals with the neural correlates of spatial and objects working memory (SWM and OWM) in elderly subjects (ESs) and idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD). Normal aging and IPD can be associated with a WM decline. In IPD population, some studies reported similar SWM and OWM deficits; others reported a greater SWM than OWM impairment. In the present fMRI research, we investigated whether compensated IPD patients and elderly subjects with comparable performance during the execution of SWM and OWM tasks would present differences in WM-related brain activations. We found that the two groups recruited a prevalent left frontoparietal network when performing the SWM task and a bilateral network during OWM task execution. More specifically, the ESs showed bilateral frontal and subcortical activations in SWM, at difference with the IPD patients who showed a strict left lateralized network, consistent with frontostriatal degeneration in IPD. The overall brain activation in the IPD group was more extended as number of voxels with respect to ESs, suggesting underlying compensatory mechanisms. In conclusion, notwithstanding comparable WM performance, the two groups showed consistencies and differences in the WM activated networks. The latter underline the compensatory processes of normal typical and pathological aging.

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