scholarly journals Taking control! Structural and behavioural plasticity in response to game-based inhibition training in older adults

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Kühn ◽  
Maxi Becker
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Passive Control ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Behavioural Plasticity ◽  
Treatment Research ◽  
Inhibition Training

While previous attempts to train self-control in humans have frequently failed, we set out to train response inhibition using computer-game elements. We trained older adults with newly developed game-based inhibition training on a tablet for two months and compared them to an active and passive control group. Behavioural effects reflected in shorter stop signal response times were observed only in the inhibition-training group. This was accompanied by structural growth in cortical thickness of right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) triangularis, a brain region that has been associated with response inhibition. The structural plasticity effect was positively associated with time spent on the training-task and predicted the final percentage of successful inhibition trials in the stop task. The data provide evidence for successful trainability of inhibition when game-based training is employed. The results extend our knowledge on game-based cognitive training effects in older age and may foster treatment research in psychiatric diseases related to impulse control.

scholarly journals Longitudinal impact and effects of booster sessions in a cognitive training program for healthy elderly

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Matias Felix ◽  
Marcela Mansur Alves ◽  
Mariana Teles ◽  
Laura Jamison ◽  
Hudson Golino
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Passive Control ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Longitudinal Impact ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Booster Sessions ◽  
Experimental Group

This paper reports the results from a three-years follow-up study to access the long-term efficacy of a cognitive training for healthy older adults and investigates the effects of booster sessions on the cognitive performance of the participants using an innovative analytical approach from information theory. Design: semi-randomized quasi-experimental controlled design. Participants: 50 healthy older adults, (M = 73.3, SD = 7.77) were assigned into an experimental (N = 25; Mean age = 73.9; SD = 8.62) and a passive control group (N = 25; mean age = 72.9; SD = 6.97). Instruments: six subtests of WAIS and two episodic memory tasks. Procedures: the participants were assessed in four occasions: after the end of the original intervention, pre-booster sessions (three years after the original intervention), immediately after the booster sessions and three months after the booster sessions. Results: the repeated measures ANOVA showed that two gains reported in the original intervention were identified in the follow-up: Coding (F(1, 44) = 11.79, MSE = 0.77, p = .001, ηˆG2 = .084) and Picture Completion (F(1, 47) = 10.01, MSE = 0.73, p = .003, ηˆG2 = .060). After the booster sessions, all variables presented a significant interaction between group and time favorable to the experimental group (moderate to high effect sizes). To compare the level of cohesion of the cognitive variables between the groups, an entropy-based metric was used. The experimental group presented a lower level of cohesion in three of the four measurement occasions, suggesting a differential impact of the intervention with immediate and short-term effects, but without long-term effects.

scholarly journals The Influence of Response Inhibition Training on Food Consumption and Implicit Attitudes toward Food among Female Restrained Eaters

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3609
Author(s):  
Noam Weinbach ◽  
Eldad Keha ◽  
Hila Leib ◽  
Eyal Kalanthroff
Keyword(s):  
Food Consumption ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Implicit Attitudes ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Restrained Eaters ◽  
Response Training ◽  
Food Response ◽  
Food Images ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Inhibition Training

Restrained eaters display difficulties engaging in self-control in the presence of food. Undergoing cognitive training to form associations between palatable food and response inhibition was found to improve self-control and influence eating behaviors. The present study assessed the impact of two such response inhibition trainings on food consumption, food-related anxiety, and implicit attitudes toward food among female restrained eaters (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire-restrained eating subscale ≥ 2.5). In Experiment 1, 64 restrained eaters completed either one of two training procedures in which they were asked to classify food vs. non-food images: a food-response training, in which stop cues were always associated with non-food images, or a balanced food-response/inhibition training, in which participants inhibited motor actions to food and non-food stimuli equally. The results revealed reduced snack consumption following the food-response/inhibition training compared to the food-response training. The food-response training was associated with increased levels of food-related anxiety. In Experiment 2, the same training procedures were administered to 47 restrained eaters, and implicit attitudes toward palatable foods were assessed. The results revealed an increase in positive implicit attitudes toward palatable foods in the food-response/inhibition group but not in the food-response training group. The results suggest that balancing response inhibition and execution across food and non-food stimuli may reduce overeating while retaining positive attitudes toward food among female restrained eaters.

scholarly journals No Evidence That Cognitive and Physical Activities Are Related to Changes in EEG Markers of Cognition in Older Adults at Risk of Dementia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daria Laptinskaya ◽  
Olivia Caroline Küster ◽  
Patrick Fissler ◽  
Franka Thurm ◽  
Christine A. F. Von Arnim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Passive Control ◽  
Auditory Memory ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Active Lifestyle ◽  
Global Coherence ◽  
Memory Decay ◽  
Related Measure

An active lifestyle as well as cognitive and physical training (PT) may benefit cognition by increasing cognitive reserve, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of this reserve capacity are not well understood. To investigate these mechanisms of cognitive reserve, we focused on electrophysiological correlates of cognitive performance, namely on an event-related measure of auditory memory and on a measure of global coherence. Both measures have shown to be sensitive markers for cognition and might therefore be suitable to investigate potential training- and lifestyle-related changes. Here, we report on the results of an electrophysiological sub-study that correspond to previously published behavioral findings. Altogether, 65 older adults with subjective or objective cognitive impairment and aged 60–88 years were assigned to a 10-week cognitive (n = 19) or a 10-week PT (n = 21) or to a passive control group (n = 25). In addition, self-reported lifestyle was assessed at baseline. We did not find an effect of both training groups on electroencephalography (EEG) measures of auditory memory decay or global coherence (ps ≥ 0.29) and a more active lifestyle was not associated with improved global coherence (p = 0.38). Results suggest that a 10-week unimodal cognitive or PT and an active lifestyle in older adults at risk for dementia are not strongly related to improvements in electrophysiological correlates of cognition.

scholarly journals Prefrontal cortical connectivity mediates locus coeruleus noradrenergic regulation of inhibitory control in older adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Tomassini ◽  
Frank Hubert Hezemans ◽  
Rong Ye ◽  
Kamen Tsvetanov ◽  
Noham Wolpe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Locus Coeruleus ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Magnetization Transfer ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Healthy Adults ◽  
Stop Signal Task ◽  
Adaptive Behaviour ◽  
Noradrenergic System

Response inhibition is a core executive function enabling adaptive behaviour in dynamic environments. Human and animal models indicate that inhibitory control and control networks are modulated by noradrenaline, arising from the locus coeruleus. The integrity (i.e., cellular density) of the locus coeruleus noradrenergic system can be estimated from magnetization transfer sensitive magnetic resonance imaging, in view of neuromelanin present in noradrenergic neurons of older adults. Noradrenergic psychopharmacological studies indicate noradrenergic modulation of prefrontal and frontostriatal stopping-circuits in association with behavioural change. Here we test the noradrenergic hypothesis of inhibitory control, in healthy adults. We predicted that locus coeruleus integrity is associated with age-adjusted variance in response inhibition, mediated by changes in connectivity between frontal inhibitory control regions. In a preregistered analysis, we used magnetization transfer MRI images from N=63 healthy adults aged above 50 years who performed a stop-signal task, with atlas-based measurement of locus coeruleus contrast. We confirm that better response inhibition is correlated with locus coeruleus integrity and stronger connectivity between pre-supplementary motor area and right inferior frontal gyrus, but not volumes of the cortical regions. We confirmed a significant role of prefrontal connectivity in mediating the effect of individual differences in the locus coeruleus on behaviour, whereby this effect was moderated by age, over and above adjustment for the mean effects of age. Our results support the hypothesis that in normal populations, as in clinical settings, the locus coeruleus noradrenergic system regulates inhibitory control.

Using Virtual Reality for Reminiscence to Improve Apathy in Residential Aged Care: Results from a Multi-site Non-Randomised Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Saredakis ◽  
Hannah AD Keage ◽  
Megan Corlis ◽  
Erica S Ghezzi ◽  
Helen Loffler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Passive Control ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Reminiscence Therapy ◽  
Secondary Outcomes ◽  
Therapy Intervention

BACKGROUND Apathy is a frequent and under-recognized symptom of neurological disorders. Reduced goal directed behaviour caused by apathy is associated with poor outcomes for older adults in residential aged care. Recommended nonpharmacological treatments include person-centred therapy using information and communication technology. Virtual reality (VR) is a fully immersive technology providing access to wide range of freely available content. The use of VR as a tool for therapy has demonstrated promise in areas including treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder and anxiety. Research using VR for symptoms of older adults in residential aged care facilities is limited. OBJECTIVE This study examined changes in apathy after three sessions of a reminiscence therapy intervention including VR. METHODS In this multi-site trial, 43 participants were allocated to one of three groups: reminiscence therapy intervention using VR, reminiscence therapy using a laptop computer and physical items (active control), and a usual care (passive control) group. The primary outcome was apathy, secondary outcomes included cognition and depression. Side effects from using head-mounted displays were also measured in the VR group. RESULTS Mixed model analyses revealed no significant time by group interaction in outcomes between the VR and laptop groups, estimate=-2.24, SE=1.89, t(40)=-1.18, P=.24. Pooled apathy scores in the two intervention groups compared to the passive control group also revealed no significant time by group interaction, estimate=-0.26, SE=1.66, t(40)=-0.16, P .88. There were also no significant results in the secondary outcomes. Most participants in the VR group did state they would prefer to watch content in VR than on a flat screen, Chi-square (2)=11.2, P=.004, and with careful selection of content, it was found that side effects were negligible to minimal according to Simulator Sickness Questionnaire cutoff scores. CONCLUSIONS Although there were no significant results in outcome measures, this study found that participants engaged with the research and enjoyed the process of reminiscing using both forms of technology. It was found that VR can be implemented in an aged care setting with the correct protocols in place. Providing residents in aged care with a choice of technology may assist with increasing participation in activities. We cannot dismiss the importance of immediate effects while the therapy was in progress, this is an avenue for further research that will be reported from this study. CLINICALTRIAL Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12619001510134; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=378564 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046030

scholarly journals Taking control! Structural and behavioural plasticity in response to game-based inhibition training in older adults

NeuroImage ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 156 ◽  
pp. 199-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Kühn ◽  
Robert C. Lorenz ◽  
Markus Weichenberger ◽  
Maxi Becker ◽  
Marten Haesner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Behavioural Plasticity ◽  
Inhibition Training

Implementing Context-Based Learning in Science Instruction: A Study on Science Literacy Improvement within Topics of Earthquake and Flood

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Farhiya Ulfah
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Science Literacy ◽  
Junior High ◽  
Science Instruction ◽  
T Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Treatment Research ◽  
And Control

The goal of this research is gaining description on science literacy improvement of junior high school students regarding the topics of earthquake and flood as an effect of Contextual Based Learning (CBL) implementation during science instruction. Quasi-experiment serves as the method of this study with non-equivalent control group pre-test post-test design. Jigsaw cooperative learning method functions as the control treatment. Research subjects involve 52 students of grade VII in a state junior high school in Bandung Regency, West Java. Those research subjects are divided into two classes namely experiment class and control class. The instrument used to collect relevant data is science literacy test covering aspects of science content, science competence, and attitude towards science. Two independent sample t-test is applied to analyze the comparison of science literacy improvement reached between experiment and control class. The result of statistical calculation for two independent sample t-test N-gain using version 23 SPSS software shows a significant value of 0.00 < α. 0.05 for all aspects. The findings indicate that CBL implementation during science instruction within topics of earthquake and flood is proven to be valid to improve students’ science literacy compared to jigsaw cooperative model.

Randomized-controlled trial of response inhibition training for individuals with PTSD and impaired response inhibition

2021 ◽  
pp. 103885
Author(s):  
Aileen Echiverri-Cohen ◽  
Lucas Spierer ◽  
Marcelina Perez ◽  
Melissa Kulon ◽  
Montana Daunbi Ellis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Inhibition Training

scholarly journals Effects of tDCS during inhibitory control training on performance and PTSD, aggression and anxiety symptoms: a randomized-controlled trial in a military sample

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Fenne M. Smits ◽  
Elbert Geuze ◽  
Dennis J. L. G. Schutter ◽  
Jack van Honk ◽  
Thomas E. Gladwin
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Clinical Sample ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Anodal Tdcs ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Impulsive Aggression ◽  
The Right ◽  
Inhibition Training

Abstract Background Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and impulsive aggression are linked to transdiagnostic neurocognitive deficits. This includes impaired inhibitory control over inappropriate responses. Prior studies showed that inhibitory control can be improved by modulating the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in combination with inhibitory control training. However, its clinical potential remains unclear. We therefore aimed to replicate a tDCS-enhanced inhibitory control training in a clinical sample and test whether this reduces stress-related mental health symptoms. Methods In a preregistered double-blind randomized-controlled trial, 100 active-duty military personnel and post-active veterans with PTSD, anxiety, or impulsive aggression symptoms underwent a 5-session intervention where a stop-signal response inhibition training was combined with anodal tDCS over the right IFG for 20 min at 1.25 mA. Inhibitory control was evaluated with the emotional go/no-go task and implicit association test. Stress-related symptoms were assessed by self-report at baseline, post-intervention, and after 3-months and 1-year follow-ups. Results Active relative to sham tDCS neither influenced performance during inhibitory control training nor on assessment tasks, and did also not significantly influence self-reported symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, impulsive aggression, or depression at post-assessment or follow-up. Conclusions Our results do not support the idea that anodal tDCS over the right IFG at 1.25 mA enhances response inhibition training in a clinical sample, or that this tDCS-training combination can reduce stress-related symptoms. Applying different tDCS parameters or combining tDCS with more challenging tasks might provide better conditions to modulate cognitive functioning and stress-related symptoms.

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