scholarly journals Neural Plastic Effects of Cognitive Training on Aging Brain

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie T. Y. Leung ◽  
Helena M. K. Tam ◽  
Leung W. Chu ◽  
Timothy C. Y. Kwok ◽  
Felix Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
Significant Difference

Increasing research has evidenced that our brain retains a capacity to change in response to experience until late adulthood. This implies that cognitive training can possibly ameliorate age-associated cognitive decline by inducing training-specific neural plastic changes at both neural and behavioral levels. This longitudinal study examined the behavioral effects of a systematic thirteen-week cognitive training program on attention and working memory of older adults who were at risk of cognitive decline. These older adults were randomly assigned to the Cognitive Training Group (n=109) and the Active Control Group (n=100). Findings clearly indicated that training induced improvement in auditory and visual-spatial attention and working memory. The training effect was specific to the experience provided because no significant difference in verbal and visual-spatial memory between the two groups was observed. This pattern of findings is consistent with the prediction and the principle of experience-dependent neuroplasticity. Findings of our study provided further support to the notion that the neural plastic potential continues until older age. The baseline cognitive status did not correlate with pre- versus posttraining changes to any cognitive variables studied, suggesting that the initial cognitive status may not limit the neuroplastic potential of the brain at an old age.

scholarly journals Effects of multi-domain cognitive training on working memory retrieval in older adults: behavioral and ERP evidence from a Chinese community study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangfei Hong ◽  
You Chen ◽  
Jijun Wang ◽  
Yuan Shen ◽  
Qingwei Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Baseline Session

AbstractWorking memory (WM) is a fundamental cognitive function that typically declines with age. Previous studies have shown that targeted WM training has the potential to improve WM performance in older adults. In the present study, we investigated whether a multi-domain cognitive training program that was not designed to specifically target WM could improve the behavioral performance and affect the neural activity during WM retrieval in healthy older adults. We assigned healthy older participants (70–78 years old) from a local community into a training group who completed a 3-month multi-domain cognitive training and a control group who only attended health education lectures during the same period. Behavioral and electroencephalography (EEG) data were recorded from participants while performing an untrained delayed match or non-match to category task and a control task at a pre-training baseline session and a post-training follow-up session. Behaviorally, we found that participants in the training group showed a trend toward greater WM performance gains than participants in the control group. Event-related potential (ERP) results suggest that the task-related modulation of P3 during WM retrieval was significantly enhanced at the follow-up session compared with the baseline session, and importantly, this enhancement of P3 modulation was only significant in the training group. Furthermore, no training-related effects were observed for the P2 or N2 component during WM retrieval. These results suggest that the multi-domain cognitive training program that was not designed to specifically target WM is a promising approach to improve WM performance in older adults, and that training-related gains in performance are likely mediated by an enhanced modulation of P3 which might reflect the process of WM updating.

scholarly journals Acupressure and Cognitive Training Can Improve Cognitive Functions of Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingxian Sun ◽  
Hui Zeng ◽  
Lu Pan ◽  
Xiaosong Wang ◽  
Mengjiao Liu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Pharmacological Intervention ◽  
Control Group

Background: Given the limited effectiveness of pharmacological treatments in mitigating cognitive decline in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), there is a pressing need for developing effective non-pharmacological intervention programs to counteract MCI-related cognitive decline. Acupressure and cognitive training are safe and cost-effective; however, evidence of the effect of acupressure or the combined effect of acupressure and cognitive training on cognitive functions of older adults with MCI is limited.Objective: To evaluate both the individual and combined effects of acupressure and cognitive training on cognitive functions of older adults with MCI.Methods: One hundred and eighty older adults with MCI were recruited and randomly assigned to combined acupressure and cognitive training group (n = 45), acupressure group (n = 45), cognitive training group (n = 45), or control group (n = 45). Participants in the experimental groups received self-administered and group-based training sessions, while those in the control group received routine community education. The intervention lasted for 6 months. The cognitive functions of all the participants were assessed at multiple stages, including pre-intervention, at the end of the third and sixth months.Results: One hundred and fifty-one participants completed the study, and all participants analyzed in intervention groups completed at least 85% of all practice sessions recommended. Repeated measures analysis of variance of the scores of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at different time points among the four groups revealed that the group effect, time effect, and interaction effect were all significant (p < 0.01). Pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni correction showed that the scores of MMSE and MoCA in acupressure group, cognitive training group, and combined group were significantly raised compared with control group (p < 0.01). Compared with acupressure or cognitive training groups, the scores of MMSE and MoCA in combined group were significantly higher (p < 0.05). The scores of MMSE and MoCA in acupressure group had no significant differences with those in cognitive training group (p > 0.05).Conclusion: Acupressure and cognitive training both could improve the cognitive functions of older adults with MCI, and when used together, the effects were enhanced.Clinical Trial Registration: This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (No.ChiCTR2100049955).

scholarly journals The effects of combined cognitive training on prospective memory in older adults with mild cognitive impairment

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yifan Chen ◽  
Wei Zhou ◽  
Zijing Hong ◽  
Rongrong Hu ◽  
Zhibin Guo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Prospective Memory ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Strategy Training ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Executive Function Training ◽  
Encoding Strategy

AbstractThis study aimed to assess the effects of combined cognitive training on prospective memory ability of older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A total of 113 participants were divided into a control group and three intervention groups. Over three months, the control group received only community education without any training, whereas for the first six weeks, an executive function training group received executive function training, a memory strategy training group received semantic encoding strategy training, and the combined cognitive training group received executive function training twice a week for the first six weeks, and semantic encoding strategy training twice a week for the next six weeks. The combined cognitive training group showed improvement on the objective neuropsychological testing (Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale). The memory strategy training group showed improvement on the self-evaluation scales (PRMQ-PM). Combined cognitive training improved the prospective memory and cognitive function of older adults with MCI.

scholarly journals The Effect of a Multicomponent Dual-Task Exercise on Cortical Thickness in Older Adults with Cognitive Decline: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1312
Author(s):  
Seongryu Bae ◽  
Kenji Harada ◽  
Sangyoon Lee ◽  
Kazuhiro Harada ◽  
Keitaro Makino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Exercise Intervention ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Exercise Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled

The aim of this study was to examine cortical thickness changes associated with a multicomponent exercise intervention combining physical exercise and cognitive training in older adults with cognitive decline. This study involved a secondary analysis of neuroimaging data from a randomized controlled trial with 280 older adults having cognitive decline who were randomly assigned to either a multicomponent exercise group (n = 140) that attended weekly 90-minute exercise and cognitive training sessions or a health education control group (n = 140). The cortical thickness and cognitive performance were assessed at the baseline and at trial completion (10 months). The cortical thickness in the frontal and temporal regions was determined using FreeSurfer software. Cognitive performance was evaluated using the Gerontology-Functional Assessment Tool (NCGG-FAT). The cortical thickness significantly increased in the middle temporal (p < 0.001) and temporal pole (p < 0.001) in the multicomponent exercise group compared with the control group. Cortical thickness changes were significantly associated with change in trail making test (TMT)-A, TMT-B, and story memory after a 10-month multicomponent exercise intervention. This study suggests that multicomponent exercise programs combining physical exercise and cognitive training have important implications for brain health, especially in providing protection from age-related cortical thinning.

scholarly journals Immersion Experiences in a Tablet-Based Markerless Augmented Reality Working Memory Game: Randomized Controlled Trial and User Experience Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Zhang ◽  
Nigel Robb
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Continuous Performance Task ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Immersion Experience ◽  
Randomized Controlled Experiment

BACKGROUND In recent years, augmented reality (AR), especially markerless augmented reality (MAR), has been used more prevalently to create training games in an attempt to improve humans' cognitive functions. This has been driven by studies claiming that MAR provides users with more immersive experiences that are situated in the real world. Currently, no studies have scientifically investigated the immersion experience of users in a MAR cognitive training game. Moreover, there is an observed lack of instruments on measuring immersion in MAR cognitive training games. OBJECTIVE This study, using two existing immersion questionnaires, investigates students’ immersion experiences in a novel MAR n-back game. METHODS The n-back task is a continuous performance task that taps working memory (WM) capacity. We compared two versions of n-back training. One was presented in a traditional 2D format, while the second version used MAR. There were 2 experiments conducted in this study that coordinated with 2 types of immersion questionnaires: the modified Immersive Experiences Questionnaire (IEQ) and the Augmented Reality Immersion (ARI) questionnaire. Two groups of students from two universities in China joined the study, with 60 participants for the first experiment (a randomized controlled experiment) and 51 participants for the second. RESULTS Both groups of students experienced immersion in the MAR n-back game. However, the MAR n-back training group did not experience stronger immersion than the traditional (2D) n-back control group in the first experiment. The results of the second experiment showed that males felt deeply involved with the AR environment, which resulted in obtaining higher levels of immersion than females in the MAR n-back game. CONCLUSIONS Both groups of students experienced immersion in the MAR n-back game. Moreover, both the modified IEQ and ARI have the potential to be used as instruments to measure immersion in MAR game settings. CLINICALTRIAL UMIN Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000045314; https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000051725

The Impact of Working Memory Training on Cognitive Abilities in Older Adults: The Role of Cognitive Reserve

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-61
Author(s):  
Sara Mičič ◽  
Marina Horvat ◽  
Karin Bakracevic
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine whether Working Memory (WM) training improves the cognitive functioning of older adults and to determine the role of cognitive reserve in WM training. Method: Twenty-one older adults, aged between 65 and 91 years were included in the study. Ten of them were in the experimental group and 11 in the passive control group. The experimental group underwent 15 training sessions of n-back training over a period of five weeks, whereas the control group remained passive. All participants (from the experimental and control group) were tested before the training, one week after the training, and three months after the training with Rey– Osterrieth/Taylor Complex Figure test (ROCF), Digit span, and TMT (part A and part B). Results and Conclusion: Results of our study suggest that although the experimental group slightly improved their performance on the trained task, the progress was not statistically significant. There was also no statistically significant transfer of training effects onto tasks of visual-spatial and verbal memory, as well as those related to executive functioning. However, the study did identify a statistically significant correlation between cognitive reserve and certain tests performed at the final testing: tasks measuring executive functioning and spatial ability. Results also revealed that the group that showed improvement in the training task was significantly better in the ROCF test in comparison with the group that had not improved their performance on the N-back task. Thus, visual-spatial abilities (visual perception, construction, and memory) were more connected with success in WM training, than other measured cognitive abilities (e.g. verbal and numerical memory).

scholarly journals Four weeks of mindfulness training vs. adaptive cognitive training in multiple sclerosis: Effects on processing speed and working memory

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heena Manglani ◽  
Shaadee Samimy ◽  
Brittney Schirda ◽  
Jacqueline A. Nicholas ◽  
Ruchika Shaurya Prakash
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Control Group ◽  
State Mindfulness ◽  
Practice Time ◽  
The Impact

Objective: The aim of this pre-registered, secondary analysis of a pilot randomized controlled trial was to compare the impact of two four-week interventions with a waitlist control condition on processing speed and working memory in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Method: Sixty-one PwMS were randomized to mindfulness-based training (MBT), adaptive cognitive training (aCT), or a waitlist (WL) control group and completed the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests (BRB-N) at pre- and post-training. Performance on the BRB-N at pre-training determined cognitive status (impairment/preservation), which was assessed as a moderator of training effects. Practice time, average change in game difficulty, and rate of change in state mindfulness were assessed as correlates of cognitive gains.Results: Relative to the aCT and WL groups, participants in the MBT group demonstrated significant improvement in processing speed. A marginally significant interaction for working memory performance suggested that benefits of active intervention compared to WL may be moderated by cognitive status at baseline. Practice time in either active group and change in game difficulty in the aCT group were not significantly correlated with cognitive gains. In the MBT group, rate of change in state mindfulness during training was significantly associated with working memory improvement. Conclusions: Overall, this pilot study shows that brief mindfulness meditation training may improve processing speed in PwMS. Preliminary evidence suggests that baseline cognitive function and changes in state mindfulness may be associated with working memory gains. The results of this pilot trial invite further study of factors that may influence outcomes of cognitive rehabilitation in MS.

scholarly journals Immersion Experiences in a Tablet-Based Markerless Augmented Reality Working Memory Game: Randomized Controlled Trial and User Experience Study

10.2196/27036 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e27036
Author(s):  
Bo Zhang ◽  
Nigel Robb
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Continuous Performance Task ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Immersion Experience ◽  
Randomized Controlled Experiment

Background In recent years, augmented reality (AR), especially markerless augmented reality (MAR), has been used more prevalently to create training games in an attempt to improve humans' cognitive functions. This has been driven by studies claiming that MAR provides users with more immersive experiences that are situated in the real world. Currently, no studies have scientifically investigated the immersion experience of users in a MAR cognitive training game. Moreover, there is an observed lack of instruments on measuring immersion in MAR cognitive training games. Objective This study, using two existing immersion questionnaires, investigates students’ immersion experiences in a novel MAR n-back game. Methods The n-back task is a continuous performance task that taps working memory (WM) capacity. We compared two versions of n-back training. One was presented in a traditional 2D format, while the second version used MAR. There were 2 experiments conducted in this study that coordinated with 2 types of immersion questionnaires: the modified Immersive Experiences Questionnaire (IEQ) and the Augmented Reality Immersion (ARI) questionnaire. Two groups of students from two universities in China joined the study, with 60 participants for the first experiment (a randomized controlled experiment) and 51 participants for the second. Results Both groups of students experienced immersion in the MAR n-back game. However, the MAR n-back training group did not experience stronger immersion than the traditional (2D) n-back control group in the first experiment. The results of the second experiment showed that males felt deeply involved with the AR environment, which resulted in obtaining higher levels of immersion than females in the MAR n-back game. Conclusions Both groups of students experienced immersion in the MAR n-back game. Moreover, both the modified IEQ and ARI have the potential to be used as instruments to measure immersion in MAR game settings. Trial Registration UMIN Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000045314; https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000051725

scholarly journals Effects of functional tasks exercise on cognitive functions of older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled pilot trial

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawla L. F. Law ◽  
Vincent C. T. Mok ◽  
Matthew M. K. Yau
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Functional Status ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Exercise Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Waitlist Control Group

Abstract Background Dementia has been presenting an imminent public health challenge worldwide. Studies have shown a combination of cognitive and physical trainings may have synergistic value for improving cognitive functions. Daily functional tasks are innately cognitive demanding and involve components found in common exercise. Individuals with mild cognitive impairment may demonstrate difficulties with complex activities of daily living. Functional tasks could possibly be used as a means of combined cognitive and exercise training for improving cognitive functions. This pilot aims to validate the effects of functional tasks exercise on cognitive functions and functional status in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Methods A four-arm, rater-blinded randomized controlled trial. Participants (N = 59) were randomized to either a functional task exercise group, a cognitive training group, an exercise training group, or a waitlist control group for 8 weeks. All outcome measures were undertaken at baseline and post-intervention using Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination, Trail Making Test A and B, Chinese Version Verbal Learning Test, Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, and Zarit Burden Interview. Results Results of the Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA showed higher improvement in the functional task exercise group with significant between-group differences in memory (p = 0.009) compared to the exercise group and cognitive training group, functional status (p = 0.005) compared to the cognitive training group and waitlist control group, and caregiver burden (p = 0.037) compared to the exercise group and cognitive training group. Conclusion This pilot study showed that functional tasks exercise using simulated functional tasks as a means of combined cognitive and exercise program is feasible and beneficial in improving the memory and functional status of older adults with mild cognitive impairment as well as reducing the care-related burdens of their caregivers. The present findings warrant further well-designed longitudinal studies to examine the sustainability of effects and draw more definitive conclusions. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN 12616001635459. Registered on 25 November 2016.

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