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Varieties of learning and developmental theories of memory
Published in Romain Meeusen, Sabine Schaefer, Phillip Tomporowski, Richard Bailey, Physical Activity and Educational Achievement, 2017
Phillip Tomporowski, Daniel M. Pendleton, Bryan A. McCullick
Theories of children’s cognitive development also focus on ‘top-down’ processes such as strategy utilization and metamemory. Children’s memory performance is known to be influenced by the emergence of several strategic variables. These include the ability to rehearse information in working memory (Belmont & Butterfield, 1977; Flavell, Beach, & Chinsky, 1966; Hagen & Stanovich, 1977), to group and regroup information to be retained (Dempster, 1981) and to chunk information to be remembered on the basis of recoded information (Chi, 1977). Given the importance of these strategic processes on memory, numerous attempts have been made to enhance them via cognitive training programmes. A recent review of the success of computer-based working-memory training programmes on children between 5 and 12 years of age suggests that training did improve children’s working-memory performance, but the effects were temporary and did not appear to affect children’s performance on global indices of academic performance (Randall & Tyldesley, 2016).
Novel Forms of Cognitive Rehabilitation
Published in Barbara A. Wilson, Jill Winegardner, Caroline M. van Heugten, Tamara Ownsworth, Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 2017
From these seven studies it can be concluded that (working) memory training is a promising rehabilitation method in improving cognitive functioning related to the tasks which are trained. However, the generalisation of training effects to daily life functioning has yet to be consistently demonstrated. Our own group drew similar conclusions after performing a systematic review into the effectiveness of cognitive interventions in healthy older adults and people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (Reijnders, van Heugten and van Boxtel, 2013). The results show evidence that cognitive training can be effective in improving various aspects of cognitive functioning on standardised tests assessing memory performance, executive functioning, processing speed, attention, fluid intelligence and subjective cognitive performance. However, the issue of whether the effects of cognitive interventions generalise to improvement in everyday life activities is still unresolved and needs to be addressed more explicitly in future research. Bogdanova et al. (2015) recently published a review on CBCR of attention and executive functioning in patients with ABI in which the above seven papers on memory training were included. The authors reviewed 28 papers in total and showed that significant improvements were found in 23 of the studies. The authors are positive with regard to the effects of CBCR but also state that there are multiple methodological issues to deal with and that there is a need for standardised protocols and guidelines.
Neuroscience Online
Published in L. Syd M Johnson, Karen S. Rommelfanger, The Routledge Handbook of Neuroethics, 2017
Ryan H. Purcell, Karen S. Rommelfanger
A meta-analysis of twenty-three related studies found strong evidence that adaptive working memory training improved working memory and its close correlates in the short term but saw little indication that this improvement impacted cognitive ability more generally (Melby-Lervag and Hulme, 2013). In addition, Rabipour and Raz (2012) thoroughly reviewed brain-training programs and the scientific literature associated with them and situated these programs within the larger arena of brain training alongside long-standing practices such as meditation, physical exercise, and musical training (Rabipour and Raz, 2012). They found that the evidence of a general positive effect may actually be stronger for the latter, more conventional hobbies and pursuits in comparison to computerized brain training. This could be due to a longer history of studying these more conventional practices but may also be indicative of a genuine difference in ecological validity. Computerized brain-training programs rely, in large part, on the theory that adaptive working memory training is a magic bullet to achieve generalized transfer of cognitive benefits beyond the specific training tasks. By contrast, in musical training or athletics—where training on a particular task (such as practicing a piece on the piano or jumping over hurdles on a track) may in fact be central to the goal (Santoni de Sio et al., 2014)—for typical, healthy individuals, there is little to gain (above recreation) from improving on specific brain-training tasks if transfer to other domains is not achieved. Nonetheless, commercial brain-training marketing seems to suggest that this effect is well established (Chancellor and Chatterjee, 2011; Rabipour and Raz, 2012).
Neuropsychological outcome of cognitive training in mild to moderate dementia: A randomized controlled trial
Published in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 2021
Eeva-Liisa Kallio, Marja Hietanen, Hannu Kautiainen, Kaisu H. Pitkälä
Some results in functional brain imaging studies have shown positive effects of CT in AD, which suggest training-related brain plasticity. (Barban et al., 2017; Huntley et al., 2017; Spironelli et al., 2013) For example, working memory training has been reported to result in several cognitive benefits, as well as changes in relevant functional magnetic resonance imaging responses in early AD. (Huntley et al., 2017) While the results are encouraging, this study has methodological limitations, such as non-blinded assessors. (Huntley et al., 2017) Similarly, a recent Cochrane review brings up the still low methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on CT in dementia. (Bahar-Fuchs et al., 2019) Furthermore, based on current evidence on the disease progression in AD, it is unclear how training-induced plastic changes might affect the brain pathology, which begins 10–20 years before the onset of overt cognitive symptoms. (Beason-Held et al., 2013) However, enhancement of behavioural mechanisms, such as executive function, might benefit the persons with dementia in daily life.
tDCS effects on task-related activation and working memory performance in traumatic brain injury: A within group randomized controlled trial
Published in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 2021
Jacqueline A. Rushby, Frances M. De Blasio, Jodie A. Logan, Travis Wearne, Emma Kornfeld, Emily Jane Wilson, Colleen Loo, Donel Martin, Skye McDonald
Despite these rather sobering reviews, some may argue that the beneficial effects of tDCS on cognition are only really seen in combination with cognitive training. In some studies both young healthy and older adults have been shown to have enhanced effects of working memory training when they received tDCS concurrently (Jones, Stephens, et al., 2015; Jones, Peterson, Blacker, & Berryhill, 2017; Martin et al., 2013: Stephens & Berryhill, 2016) although again, no changes have also been found (Nilsson, Lebedev, Rydstrom, & Lovden, 2017). Results are likely to be contingent on complex interactions between the timing of the stimulation and the cognitive training (Martin, Liu, Alonzo, Green, & Loo, 2014), the tasks used and the stimulation approach (montage, parameters). Similarly, both positive and non-significant effects have been reported for people with TBI (Lesniak et al., 2013; Sacco et al., 2016). Once again, these mixed findings speak mainly to the unreliability of the evidence. Meta-analytic reviews of tDCS in combination with cognitive training for older adults including those with mild cognitive decline or dementia have concluded there is no clear additional benefit of tDCS in these clinical groups (Cruz Gonzalez et al., 2018; Nilsson et al., 2017). There is insufficient research in people with TBI for meta-analyses, but overall, the pattern of results does not look promising.
Older Adults Who Meditate Regularly Perform Better on Neuropsychological Functioning and Visual Working Memory Tests: A Three-month Waitlist Control Design Study with a Cohort of Seniors in Assisted Living Facilities
Published in Experimental Aging Research, 2020
Interventions to improve neuropsychological functioning and working memory/visual working memory have highlighted that practice or training of working memory tasks (e.g., story/picture recall, picture/face recognition and recall, music, physical exercise, attention training), is linked to better performance (e.g., Rolle, Anguera, Skinner, Voytek, & Gazzaley, 2017). Usually for older adults, working memory training can lead to transfer of gains to other areas of improved cognitive functioning (neuropsychological functioning more generally, which also includes delayed memory) and maintenance of executive functions linked to higher-order mental tasks (Borella, Carretti, & De Beni, 2008). Compared to gold-standard control (i.e., memory enhancement training), yoga was found to be effective in preventing cognitive decline and improving performance on resting-state functional connectivity test (used to map correlations between brain networks and memory performance changes over time) among older adult participants with mild cognitive impairment (Eyre et al., 2016).