ASTRAS, A PLATFORM FOR THE COGNITIVE TRAINING OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS: PRELIMINARY USABILITY AND GAME EXPERIENCE TESTING

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaele Nappo ◽  
Giulia Crisci ◽  
Francesco Ciaramella ◽  
Valeria Boccia ◽  
Catia Carillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorders

scholarly journals THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE TRAINING ON MOBILITY AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS IN OLDER ADULTS

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 508-508
Author(s):  
T Vrinceanu ◽  
K Pothier ◽  
B Intzandt ◽  
M Lussier ◽  
N Berryman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Training

scholarly journals COMPUTERIZED COGNITIVE TRAINING, WITH OR WITHOUT EXERCISE, TO PROMOTE COGNITIVE FUNCTION: A RANDOMIZED TRIAL

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S55-S56
Author(s):  
Lisanne F ten Brinke ◽  
John R Best ◽  
Joey L Chan ◽  
Cheyenne Ghag ◽  
Kirk I Erickson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Exercise ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Stroop Test ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Computerized Cognitive Training ◽  
Improved Performance ◽  
At Home

Abstract Given the world’s aging population, it is important to identify strategies that promote healthy cognitive aging. Computerized cognitive training (CCT) may be a promising method to combat cognitive decline in older adults. Moreover, physical exercise immediately prior to CCT might provide additional cognitive benefits. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of a CCT intervention, alone or preceded by physical exercise, on memory and executive functions in older adults. 124 community-dwelling older adults aged 65-85 years were randomly assigned to either 8-weeks of: 1) 3x/week group-based CCT plus 3x/week CCT sessions at home; 2) 3x/week group-based CCT combined with a 15-minute brisk walk (Ex-CCT) plus 3x/week Ex-CCT sessions at home; or 3)3x/week group-based sham exercise and education sessions (CON). At baseline and 8-weeks standard neuropsychological tests of verbal memory and learning and executive functions were administered, including the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Stroop test, Flanker test, Trail Making Tests (TMT B-A), and Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) Test. At trial completion, there were no differences in RAVLT performance. Compared with CON, FBT and Ex-FBT participants significantly improved performance on the Stroop test (p = .001 and p = .023, respectively). Additionally, those randomized to Ex-CCT improved performance on the Flanker test (p = .002), TMT B-A (p = .047), and the DCCS Test (p = .023) compared with BAT. These findings suggest that an 8-week CCT program could benefit executive functions, and that implementing exercise immediately prior to CCT could provide broader benefits.

Training Three Facets of Executive Functions

2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 402-413
Author(s):  
Wilhelm Hofmann ◽  
Georg Förster
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functions ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Online Training ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Active Control Group ◽  
Transfer Effects ◽  
Task Training ◽  
Random Slopes

Abstract. Given the importance of executive functions for everyday life, recent years have seen a tremendous interest in whether the basic cognitive abilities involved can be improved by training. The present research investigated whether, compared to an active control group, the three main facets of executive cognitive functions – task switching, updating, and inhibition ( Miyake, Friedman, Emerson, Witzki, & Howerter, 2000 ) – can be trained jointly via intense adaptive online training of 5 weeks. Using a large sample and two training tasks per facet, we obtained clear evidence for increased task performance on all six tasks, suggesting that the three facets can be trained simultaneously, with some tasks showing very large in-task training gains. However, the evidence for correlated in-task training gains and for intermediate transfer effects on related but untrained tasks from pre- to posttest was very weak. Further random slopes analyses suggested that individuals benefit differently from training. These results warrant caution against general and sweeping claims about the far-reaching impact of cognitive training. They rather are in line with a more nuanced view according to which the training of executive functions is specific in at least three important ways.

Neuroscience Perspectives on Cognitive Training

2019 ◽  
pp. 79-104
Author(s):  
Stefanie E. Kuchinsky ◽  
Henk J. Haarmann
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Cognitive Neuroscience ◽  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Neural Systems ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Neuroscience Research ◽  
Multiple Challenges

The aim of this chapter is to spark a discussion regarding how cognitive neuroscience research can aid in the evaluation and development of effective cognitive training protocols. In particular, the authors pose questions relating to whether training-related neural plasticity (i.e., changes in brain function and structure in response to experience) could be used to facilitate the identification and targeting of the neural systems (for working memory and other executive functions) that both support performance on a desired outcome task (e.g., speech recognition) and are alterable via training. The chapter describes approaches that provide unique methodological perspectives for understanding the neural systems that support training-related improvements in cognition. The chapter also highlights the multiple challenges that have emerged from behavioral studies of cognitive training and that neuroscience techniques may help to address, including: establishing the extent to which cognitive training benefits exist for trained tasks and materials, transfer to untrained tasks and materials, persist for extended periods of time, and are effective across a range of individuals. Cognitive neuroscience research has begun not only to tackle these challenges but also to pose new questions, such as: Can training benefits be maximized via regulating or stimulating the neural systems that support behavior? How might our current approaches to cognitive training be significantly altered by novel and developing cognitive neuroscience methodologies?

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