Long-Term Effects of a Parent-Based Language Intervention on Language Outcomes and Working Memory for Late-Talking Toddlers

Abstract Objectives The long-lasting efficacy of working memory (WM) training has been a controversial and still ardently debated issue. In this meta-analysis, the authors explored the long-term effects of WM training in healthy older adults on WM subdomains and abilities outside the WM domain assessed in randomized controlled studies. Method A systematic literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, clinicaltrials.gov, and Google Scholar was conducted. Random-effects models were used to quantitatively synthesize the existing data. Results Twenty-two eligible studies were included in the meta-analysis. The mean participant age ranged from 63.77 to 80.1 years. The meta-synthesized long-term effects on updating were 0.45 (95% confidence interval = 0.253–0.648, <6 months: 0.395, 0.171–0.619, ≥6 months: 0.641, 0.223–1.058), on shifting, 0.447 (0.246–0.648, <6 months: 0.448, 0.146–0.75, ≥6 months: 0.446, 0.176–0.716); on inhibition, 0.387 (0.228–0.547, <6 months: 0.248, 0.013–0.484, ≥6 months: 0.504, 0.288–0.712); on maintenance, 0.486 (0.352–0.62, <6 months: 0.52, 0.279–0.761, ≥6 months: 0.471, 0.31–0.63). Discussion The results showed that WM training exerted robust long-term effects on enhancing the WM system and improving processing speed and reasoning in late adulthood. Future studies are needed to use different tasks of the same WM construct to evaluate the WM training benefits, to adopt more ecological tasks or tasks related to daily life, to improve the external validity of WM training, and to identify the optimal implementation strategy for WM training.

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Training Working Memory of Children with and without Dyslexia

Children ◽

10.3390/children6030047 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 47 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Claudia Maehler ◽

Christina Joerns ◽

Kirsten Schuchardt

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Operational Efficiency ◽

Third Graders ◽

Central Executive ◽

Phonological Loop ◽

School Age Children ◽

Control Group ◽

Long Term Effects

For the future school performance of a child in the fields of literacy and numeracy, the operational efficiency of working memory is a central predictor. Children affected by dyslexia exhibit specific deficits in the functions of working memory. A software application for elementary school-age children has been specifically developed for this study, attempting to improve the working memory’s operational efficiency. Based on Baddeley’s model of working memory (1986), the phonological loop, the visuo-spatial sketchpad, and the central executive were trained in 18 sessions over a period of six weeks. The group of test subjects undergoing this training was composed of third-graders, of which 43 were and 27 were not affected by dyslexia. The untrained control group was made up of 41 third-graders with dyslexia and 28 without dyslexia. While the short-term effects of the program could not be proven, the present analyses focus on long-term effects. The results obtained from a pre-test/follow-up design reveal that no long-term increases in performance regarding phonological and central executive working memory could be confirmed. Only the visuo-spatial Corsi block span exhibited a training effect over a period of three months. Additionally, training did not show any long-term effect of performance improvement, not even for a subgroup of children with dyslexia and an especially low working memory performance. Thus, even after this study, the question whether working memory can be trained or not remains partly unanswered but leaves us predominantly pessimistic.

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The long-term effects of prenatal nicotine exposure on verbal working memory: An fMRI study of young adults

Drug and Alcohol Dependence ◽

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.08.006 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 144 ◽

pp. 61-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Carmelinda A. Longo ◽

Peter A. Fried ◽

Ian Cameron ◽

Andra M. Smith

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Young Adults ◽

Verbal Working Memory ◽

Nicotine Exposure ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Prenatal Nicotine Exposure ◽

Fmri Study ◽

Prenatal Nicotine

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Working memory training shows immediate and long-term effects on cognitive performance in children

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.3665.2 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 82 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Fiona Pugin ◽

Andreas J. Metz ◽

Madlaina Stauffer ◽

Martin Wolf ◽

Oskar G. Jenni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Performance Improvement ◽

Training Group ◽

Working Memory Training ◽

Memory Training ◽

Control Group ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Back Task

Working memory is important for mental reasoning and learning processes. Several studies in adults and school-age children have shown performance improvement in cognitive tests after working memory training. Our aim was to examine not only immediate but also long-term effects of intensive working memory training on cognitive performance tests in children. Fourteen healthy male subjects between 10 and 16 years trained a visuospatial n-back task over 3 weeks (30 min daily), while 15 individuals of the same age range served as a passive control group. Significant differences in immediate (after 3 weeks of training) and long-term effects (after 2-6 months) in an auditory n-back task were observed compared to controls (2.5 fold immediate and 4.7 fold long-term increase in the training group compared to the controls). The improvement was more pronounced in subjects who improved their performance during the training. Other cognitive functions (matrices test and Stroop task) did not change when comparing the training group to the control group. We conclude that visuospatial working memory training in children boosts performance in similar memory tasks such as the auditory n-back task. The sustained performance improvement several months after the training supports the effectiveness of the training.

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Working memory training shows immediate and long-term effects on cognitive performance in children

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.3665.3 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 82 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fiona Pugin ◽

Andreas J. Metz ◽

Madlaina Stauffer ◽

Martin Wolf ◽

Oskar G. Jenni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Performance Improvement ◽

Training Group ◽

Working Memory Training ◽

Memory Training ◽

Control Group ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Back Task

Working memory is important for mental reasoning and learning processes. Several studies in adults and school-age children have shown performance improvement in cognitive tests after working memory training. Our aim was to examine not only immediate but also long-term effects of intensive working memory training on cognitive performance tests in children. Fourteen healthy male subjects between 10 and 16 years trained a visuospatial n-back task over 3 weeks (30 min daily), while 15 individuals of the same age range served as a passive control group. Significant differences in immediate (after 3 weeks of training) and long-term effects (after 2-6 months) in an auditory n-back task were observed compared to controls (2.5 fold immediate and 4.7 fold long-term increase in the training group compared to the controls). The improvement was more pronounced in subjects who improved their performance during the training. Other cognitive functions (matrices test and Stroop task) did not change when comparing the training group to the control group. We conclude that visuospatial working memory training in children boosts performance in similar memory tasks such as the auditory n-back task. The sustained performance improvement several months after the training supports the effectiveness of the training.

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Long-term effects of frequent cannabis use on working memory and attention: an fMRI study

Psychopharmacology ◽

10.1007/s00213-005-0298-7 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 185 (3) ◽

pp. 358-368 ◽

Cited By ~ 102

Author(s):

Gerry Jager ◽

Rene S. Kahn ◽

Wim Van Den Brink ◽

Jan M. Van Ree ◽

Nick F. Ramsey

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Memory And Attention ◽

Fmri Study

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Internalizing symptoms and working memory as predictors of mathematical attainment trajectories across the primary–secondary education transition

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.191433 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. 191433 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Danielle Evans ◽

Darya Gaysina ◽

Andy P. Field

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Secondary Education ◽

Internalizing Symptoms ◽

Parental Education ◽

Health Issues ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Weak Evidence ◽

Transition To Secondary Education

The transition from primary to secondary education is a critical period in early adolescence which is related to increased anxiety and stress, increased prevalence of mental health issues, and decreased maths performance, suggesting it is an important period to investigate maths attainment. Previous research has focused on anxiety and working memory as predictors of maths, without investigating any long-term effects around the education transition. This study examined working memory and internalizing symptoms as predictors of children's maths attainment trajectories (age 7–16) across the transition to secondary education using secondary longitudinal analysis of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). This study found statistically significant, but very weak evidence for the effect of internalizing symptoms and working memory on maths attainment. Greater parental education was the strongest predictor, suggesting that children of parents with a degree (compared with those with a CSE) gain the equivalent of almost a year's schooling in maths. However, due to methodological limitations, the effects of working memory and internalizing symptoms on attainment cannot be fully understood with the current study. Additional research is needed to further uncover this relationship, using more time-appropriate measures.

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Working memory training shows immediate and long-term effects on cognitive performance in children and adolescents

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.3665.1 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 82 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Fiona Pugin ◽

Andreas J. Metz ◽

Madlaina Stauffer ◽

Martin Wolf ◽

Oskar G. Jenni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Performance Improvement ◽

Training Group ◽

Working Memory Training ◽

Memory Training ◽

Control Group ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Back Task

Working memory is important for mental reasoning and learning processes. Several studies in adults and school-age children have shown performance improvement in cognitive tests after working memory training. Our aim was to examine not only immediate but also long-term effects of intensive working memory training on cognitive performance tests in children and adolescents. Fourteen healthy male subjects between 10 and 16 years trained a visuospatial n-back task over 3 weeks (30 min daily), while 15 individuals of the same age range served as a passive control group. Significant differences in immediate (after 3 weeks of training) and long-term effects (after 2-6 months) in an auditory n-back task were observed compared to controls (2.5 fold immediate and 4.7 fold long-term increase in the training group compared to the controls). The improvement was more pronounced in subjects who improved their performance during the training. Other cognitive functions (matrices test and Stroop task) did not change when comparing the training group to the control group. We conclude that spatial working memory training in children and adolescents boosts performance in similar memory tasks such as the auditory n-back task. The sustained performance improvement several months after the training supports the effectiveness of the training.

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