Abstract
Cognitive training has been shown to result in improved behavioral performance in normal aging and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), yet little is known about the neural correlates of cognitive plasticity, or about individual differences in responsiveness to cognitive training. In this study, 21 healthy older adults and 14 patients with MCI received five weeks of adaptive computerized working-memory (WM) training. Before and after training, functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to assess the hemodynamic response in left and right prefrontal cortex during performance of a verbal n-back task with varying levels of WM load. After training, healthy older adults demonstrated decreased prefrontal activation at high WM load, which may indicate increased processing efficiency. Although MCI patients showed improved behavioral performance at low WM load after training, no evidence was found for training-related changes in prefrontal activation. Whole-group analyses showed that a relatively strong hemodynamic response at low WM load was related to worse behavioral performance, while a relatively strong hemodynamic response at high WM load was related to higher training gain. Therefore, a ‘youth-like’ prefrontal activation pattern at older age may be associated with better behavioral outcome and cognitive plasticity.
Highlights
Cognitive training has been suggested as a powerful tool to prevent or reduce cognitive decline in normal aging (Lustig et al 2009; Brehmer et al 2014) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI; Li et al 2011; Gates et al 2011; Reijnders et al 2013)
MCI refers to a clinical condition which is characterized by cognitive decline that exceeds that of normal aging, in the absence of impaired daily functioning (Petersen et al 2001)
Performance declined with increasing WM load in both groups (healthy older adults: F(3,57) = 69.93, p < .001, ηp2 = .786; MCI patients: F(3,30) = 32.30, p < .001, ηp2 = .764)
Summary
Cognitive training has been suggested as a powerful tool to prevent or reduce cognitive decline in normal aging (Lustig et al 2009; Brehmer et al 2014) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI; Li et al 2011; Gates et al 2011; Reijnders et al 2013). MCI refers to a clinical condition which is characterized by cognitive decline that exceeds that of normal aging, in the absence of impaired daily functioning (Petersen et al 2001). MCI patients are at high risk of developing dementia, but no effective pharmacological treatment exists. Studies have shown training-related improvements in behavioral performance in various cognitive domains, but it remains unclear which intervention program is most effective in MCI (for reviews, see Li et al 2011; Gates et al 2011; Reijnders et al 2013). Neuroimaging studies investigating cognitive training-induced changes in brain function are necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms of these behavioral improvements and the extent of adaptive brain responses in normal aging and MCI patients
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
