Transfer of Cognitive Training across Magnitude Dimensions Achieved with Concurrent Brain Stimulation of the Parietal Lobe
Transfer of Cognitive Training across Magnitude Dimensions Achieved with Concurrent Brain Stimulation of the Parietal Lobe
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DOI：
10.1523/jneurosci.1692-13.2013
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发表时间：
2013-09-11
影响因子：
5.3
通讯作者：
Walsh, Vincent
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Cappelletti, Marinella;Gessaroli, Erica;Walsh, Vincent
众所周知，认知训练后的表现改善在与大脑刺激相结合时会进一步增强。在这里，我们要问的是，培训引起的变化是否可以长期保持，更重要的是，它们是否可以扩展到其他相关但未经培训的技能。我们在一个简单而完善的范式上训练了总共40名人类参与者，评估辨别数字的能力-或者一组中的项目数量-这被认为依赖于与顶叶相关的“近似数字感”（ANS）。我们以经颅随机噪声刺激（tRNS）的形式将训练与顶叶刺激相结合，这是一种调节神经活动的非侵入性技术。与没有刺激的认知训练、没有认知训练的刺激和与控制部位（运动区）的刺激相结合的认知训练相比，这产生了ANS精确度的显著更好和更持久的改善（训练后长达16周）。重要的是，只有顶叶tRNS +训练诱导的ANS改善转移到其他顶叶基于数量判断的熟练程度，即，时间和空间的歧视，但不是数量无关的任务测量注意力，执行功能，视觉模式识别。这些结果表明，耦合密集的认知训练与tRNS关键的大脑区域不仅导致最大和更持久的改善数字识别，但重要的是，在这种增强是可转移的训练和未经训练的能力时，仔细选择共享共同的认知和神经元组件。
Improvement in performance following cognitive training is known to be further enhanced when coupled with brain stimulation. Here we ask whether training-induced changes can be maintained long term and, crucially, whether they can extend to other related but untrained skills. We trained overall 40 human participants on a simple and well established paradigm assessing the ability to discriminate numerosity- or the number of items in a set-which is thought to rely on an "approximate number sense" (ANS) associated with parietal lobes. We coupled training with parietal stimulation in the form of transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), a noninvasive technique that modulates neural activity. This yielded significantly better and longer lasting improvement (up to 16 weeks post-training) of the precision of the ANS compared with cognitive training in absence of stimulation, stimulation in absence of cognitive training, and cognitive training coupled to stimulation to a control site (motor areas). Critically, only ANS improvement induced by parietal tRNS + Training transferred to proficiency in other parietal lobe-based quantity judgment, i.e., time and space discrimination, but not to quantity-unrelated tasks measuring attention, executive functions, and visual pattern recognition. These results indicate that coupling intensive cognitive training with tRNS to critical brain regions resulted not only in the greatest and longer lasting improvement of numerosity discrimination, but importantly in this enhancement being transferable when trained and untrained abilities are carefully chosen to share common cognitive and neuronal components.