scholarly journals Spontaneous Eye Blinks Predict Executive Functioning in Seniors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessika I. V. Buitenweg ◽  
Jaap M. J. Murre ◽  
K. Richard Ridderinkhof
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Functional Decline ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Blink Rate ◽  
Memory Updating ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Working Memory Updating

AbstractAs the world’s population is aging rapidly, cognitive training is an extensively used approach to attempt improvement of age-related cognitive functioning. With increasing numbers of older adults required to remain in the workforce, it is important to be able to reliably predict future functional decline, as well as the individual advantages of cognitive training. Given the correlation between age-related decline and striatal dopaminergic function, we investigated whether eye blink rate (EBR), a non-invasive, indirect indicator of dopaminergic activity, could predict executive functioning (response inhibition, switching and working memory updating) as well as trainability of executive functioning in older adults. EBR was collected before and after a cognitive flexibility training, cognitive training without flexibility, or a mock training. EBR predicted working memory updating performance on two measures of updating, as well as trainability of working memory updating, whereas performance and trainability in inhibition and switching tasks could not be predicted by EBR. Our findings tentatively indicate that EBR permits prediction of working memory performance in older adults. To fully interpret the relationship with executive functioning, we suggest future research should assess both EBR and dopamine receptor availability among seniors.

Working-memory updating training in younger and older adults: Training and transfer effects

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tilo Strobach ◽  
Tiina Salminen ◽  
Petra Redel ◽  
Kathrin Finke ◽  
Torsten Schubert
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Transfer Effects ◽  
Memory Updating ◽  
Working Memory Updating

A-3 Cingulo-Opercular and Frontoparietal Control Network Connectivity and Executive Functioning in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1024-1024
Author(s):  
Hanna K Hausman ◽  
Cheshire Hardcastle ◽  
Alejandro Albizu ◽  
Jessica N Kraft ◽  
Nicole D Evangelista ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Network Connectivity ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Set Shifting ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Memory Inhibition

Abstract Objective Executive functioning is a cognitive domain that typically declines with normal aging. Age-related disrupted connectivity in cingulo-opercular (CON) and frontoparietal control (FPCN) resting-state networks is associated with worse performance across various executive functioning tasks. This study examines the relationships between CON and FPCN connectivity and executive functioning performance in older adults across three subdomains: working memory, inhibition, and set-shifting. Methods 274 healthy older adults (age M = 71.7, SD = 5.1; 87% Caucasian) from a clinical trial at the University of Florida and University of Arizona completed tasks of working memory (Digit Span Backwards [DSB]; Letter Number Sequencing [LNS]), inhibition (Stroop), and set-shifting (Trail Making Test Part B [TMT-B]). Participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. CONN Toolbox (18b) was used for extracting average within-network connectivity of CON and FPCN. Multiple linear regressions were conducted with average network connectivity predicting performance, controlling for age, sex, education, and scanner. Results Greater average CON connectivity was associated with better performance on DSB (β = 0.26, p < 0.001), LNS (β = 0.23, p < 0.001), Stroop (β = 0.24, p < 0.001), and TMT-B (β = −0.26, p < 0.001). Greater average FPCN connectivity was associated with better performance on DSB (β = 0.22, p < 0.001) and LNS (β = 0.18, p = 0.002). Conclusions CON connectivity was significantly associated with working memory, inhibition, and set-shifting. FPCN connectivity was significantly associated with working memory. Future research should conduct regional connectivity analyses within these networks to identify intervention targets to improve executive functioning in older adults.

Age-related differences in working memory updating components

2016 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
pp. 39-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocío Linares ◽  
M. Teresa Bajo ◽  
Santiago Pelegrina
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Memory Updating ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Working Memory Updating

Measuring the subjective cost of listening effort using a discounting task

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Drew Jordan McLaughlin ◽  
Todd Samuel Braver ◽  
Jonathan E. Peelle
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Monetary Reward ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Listening Effort ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Economic Decision Making

Purpose: Objective measures of listening effort have been gaining prominence, as they provide metrics to quantify the difficulty of understanding speech under a variety of circumstances. A key challenge has been to develop paradigms that enable the complementary measurement of subjective listening effort in a quantitatively precise manner. In the present study, we introduce a novel decision-making paradigm to examine age-related and individual differences in subjective effort during listening.Method: Older and younger adults were presented with spoken sentences mixed with speech-shaped noise at multiple signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). On each trial subjects were offered the choice between completing an easier listening trial (presented at +20 dB SNR) for a smaller monetary reward, or a harder listening trial (presented at either +4, 0, -4, -8, or -12 dB SNR) for a greater monetary reward. By varying the amount of the reward offered for the easier option, the subjective value of performing effortful listening trials at each SNR could be assessed. Results: Older adults discounted the value of effortful listening to a greater degree than young adults, opting to accept less money in order to avoid more difficult SNRs. Additionally, older adults with poorer hearing and smaller working memory capacities were more likely to choose easier trials; however, in younger adults, no relationship with hearing or working memory was found. Self-reported measures of economic status did not affect these relationships. Conclusion: These findings suggest that subjective listening effort depends on factors including, but not necessarily limited to, hearing and working memory. Additionally, this study demonstrates that economic decision-making paradigms can be a useful approach for assessing subjective listening effort, and may prove beneficial in future research.

scholarly journals Differential effects of angry faces on working memory updating in younger and older adults.

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 667-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Berger ◽  
Anne Richards ◽  
Eddy J. Davelaar
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Memory Updating ◽  
Differential Effects ◽  
Working Memory Updating

Can working memory capacity be expanded by boosting working memory updating efficiency in older adults?

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 1134-1151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Du ◽  
Yang Ji ◽  
Tianyong Chen ◽  
Yi Tang ◽  
Buxin Han
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Updating ◽  
Working Memory Updating

scholarly journals Evaluating a frontostriatal working-memory updating-training paradigm in Parkinson’s disease: the iPARK trial, a double-blinded randomized controlled trial

BMC Neurology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Eriksson Domellöf ◽  
Lois Walton ◽  
Carl-Johan Boraxbekk ◽  
David Bäckström ◽  
Maria Josefsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Memory Updating ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Working Memory Updating ◽  
Double Blinded ◽  
Striatal System

Abstract Background Cognitive decline and dementia are common in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Cognitive deficits have been linked to the depletion of dopamine in the nigrostriatal pathway, but pharmacological treatments for PD have little evidence of improving or delaying cognitive decline. Therefore, exploring non-pharmacological treatment options is important. There have been some promising results of cognitive training interventions in PD, especially for improvements in working memory and executive functions. Yet, existing studies are often underpowered, lacking appropriate control condition, long term follow-up, a thorough description of the intervention and characteristics of the participants. Working memory updating training has previously shown to increase striatal activation in healthy young and old participants as well as dopaminergic neurotransmission in healthy young participants. In the light of dopamine dysfunction in PD, with negative effects on both motor and cognitive functions it is of interest to study if an impaired striatal system can be responsive to a non-invasive, non-pharmacological intervention. Methods and design The iPARK trial is a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial with a parallel-group design that aims to recruit 80 patients with PD (during the period 02/2017–02/2023). Included patients need to have PD, Hoehn and Yahr staging I-III, be between 45 to 75 years of age and not have a diagnosis of dementia. All patients will undergo 30 sessions (6–8 weeks) of web-based cognitive training performed from home. The target intervention is a process-based training program targeting working memory updating. The placebo program is a low dose short-term memory program. A battery of neuropsychological tests and questionnaires will be performed before training, directly after training, and 16 weeks after training. Discussion We expect that the iPARK trial will provide novel and clinically useful information on whether updating training is an effective cognitive training paradigm in PD. Further, it will hopefully contribute to a better understanding of cognitive function in PD and provide answers regarding cognitive plasticity as well as determining critical factors for a responsive striatal system. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov registry number: NCT03680170, registry name: “Cognitive Training in Parkinson’s Disease: the iPARK study”, retrospectively registered on the 21st of September 2018. The inclusion of the first participant was the 1st of February 2017.

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