Age-specific differences of dual n-back training
Age-specific differences of dual n-back training
复制标题
DOI：
10.1080/13825585.2015.1031723
复制
发表时间：
2016-01
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
T. Salminen;P. Frensch;Tilo Strobach;T. Schubert
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
T. Salminen;P. Frensch;Tilo Strobach;T. Schubert
与抑郁症相关的执行功能下降可能对自主执行日常任务起决定性作用。工作记忆（WM）与执行功能密切相关，并且WM的训练已经为老年人的认知可塑性提供了证据。训练的效果往往转移到未经训练的任务和功能。这些影响主要表现在WM和注意力等过程中，而研究转移到执行功能的研究很少。我们在WM训练任务中训练了年龄在57-73岁之间的老年人，据报道，该训练任务在年轻人中产生转移是有效的。训练干预包括一个双n-back任务，包括独立处理的听觉和视觉n-back任务。我们调查了转移到执行功能的任务，并比较了老年人和年轻人的影响。我们发现，两个训练组在训练任务中都有所改善。虽然老年人的训练效果小于年轻人的训练效果，但老年人仍然表现出显着的改善，因此在训练后，他们的表现与未接受训练的年轻人相同。老年人也显示转移到一个未经训练的WM更新任务，结果是根据在年轻人的研究结果，在老年人的其他转移效果缺乏。我们的结论是，虽然转移效应是稀缺的，本研究提供了令人鼓舞的证据，以弥补与年龄相关的执行功能下降的WM培训干预的可能性。
Age-related decline in executive functions can be decisive in performing everyday tasks autonomously. Working memory (WM) is closely related to executive functions, and training of WM has yielded evidence toward cognitive plasticity in older adults. The training effects often transfer to untrained tasks and functions. These effects have mostly been shown in processes such as WM and attention, whereas studies investigating transfer to executive functions have been scarce. We trained older adults aged 57–73 years in a WM training task that was reported to be effective in producing transfer in young adults. The training intervention consisted of a dual n-back task including independently processed auditory and visual n-back tasks. We investigated transfer to tasks engaging executive functions, and compared the effects in older adults to those reported in young adults. We found that both training groups improved in the training task. Although the training effect in older adults was smaller than the training effect in young adults, the older adults still showed a notable improvement so that after training they performed on the same level as young adults without training. The older adults also showed transfer to an untrained WM updating task, a result that was in accordance with the findings in young adults; other transfer effects in older adults were lacking. We conclude that although transfer effects were scarce, the present study provides encouraging evidence toward the possibilities to compensate for age-related decline in executive functions by a WM training intervention.