Understanding Individual Differences in Working Memory Training and Transfer in Older Adults at Risk of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias

项目总结 拟议工作的总体目标是了解影响和调节学习迁移的因素。 在培训多样化的老年人口中的工作记忆(WM)系统的背景下，这包括 可能有阿尔茨海默病和相关痴呆症风险的个人(AD/ADRD)。有一种积累 然而，有证据表明WM培训对老年人有效，但到目前为止，知识极其有限 关于在WM系统中调节和调节可塑性的潜在机制，以及 培训的组成部分会引起迁移。具体地说，我们将调查是否存在抑制性控制 (IC)有痴呆风险的老年人的表型，这可能解释了在 关于西医培训结果的文献。具体目标是测试一种抑制控制(IC)模型，该模型预测 使用n-back任务的游戏化训练如何影响学习和学习的个体差异 将其与一般认知能力(GCA)模型(目标1)进行比较。我们将进一步测试 使用复杂跨度训练的模型的泛化能力(目标2)，并进一步调查是否适用于 多感官促进(MF)，声音支持任务目标的视觉处理可以促进学习 和转移(目标3)。这一建议具有变革性，因为它试图理解个体的认知 老年人的强项和需求可能对培训干预有不同的要求。这些研究是 鉴于这一领域充满争议的现状，特别重要和及时， 对培训的相关属性和导致培训的个人差异因素缺乏了解 培训成果卓有成效。了解这些因素对于解决当前的争议和 向培训和转移的理论模式迈进。日常生活中的表现与工作记忆密切相关 因此，WM的改进几乎可以惠及我们生活的方方面面。这推动了现在的多个- 价值10亿美元的商业市场，提供了早期一代的培训方法，其中许多是 针对有AD/ADRD风险的老年人口。这项拟议的研究可以揭示 调节和调节这些类型的认知干预的因素，并解决一些 程序可能会改善现实世界的认知，其他程序也可能不会。口碑赤字广泛存在于 一系列心理健康状况、疾病和脑损伤的案例，以及认知老化和训练 促进更好地运作WM系统的方法可以促进这些群体的健康和福祉。 此外，这项研究可以阐明可能不起作用的方法，并帮助人们避免使用无效的 程序。建议的培训软件将在跨平台游戏引擎上创建，使我们能够 把实验室交给参与者。从这个意义上说，研究成果具有创新性和广泛的影响，可以 直接从建议的研究中实现。在提议的工作中创建的计划将被公开 可用于研究传播可支持不同人群的个性化干预措施。

PROJECT SUMMARY The overall objective of the proposed work is to understand factors mediating and moderating transfer of learning in the context of training Working Memory (WM) systems in a diverse older adult population that is inclusive of individuals that may be at risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD). There is accumulating evidence that WM training can be effective in older adults, however, to date, knowledge is extremely limited regarding the underlying mechanisms that mediate and moderate plasticity in WM systems, and what components of training give rise to transfer. Specifically, we will investigate whether there is an inhibitory control (IC) phenotype in older adults at risk of dementia that may explain some of the disparate results observed in the literature in terms of WM training outcome. Specific aims are to test an Inhibitory Control (IC) model that predicts individual differences in how gamification of training using an n-back task differentially affects learning and transfer and contrast this with a General Cognitive Ability (GCA) model (Aim 1). We will further test the generalizability of the models using a complex span training (Aim 2), and furthermore, investigate applicability to Multisensory Facilitation (MF) where sounds supporting visual processing of task targets can promote learning and transfer (Aim 3). This proposal is transformative in that it seeks to understand how individual cognitive strengths and needs in older adults may have different requirements for training interventions. These studies are particularly important and timely given the current state of the field, which is fraught with controversy, and the lack of understanding of the relevant attributes of training and individual differences factors that give rise to successful training outcomes. Understanding the factors is critical to resolve the current controversies and to move towards a theoretical model of training and transfer. Performance in everyday life intimately relies on WM processes, thus, improvements in WM can benefit almost all aspects of our lives. This has driven a now multi- billion-dollar commercial market that has provided early generation training approaches, many of which are targeted at older adult populations who are at risk of AD/ADRD. The proposed research can shed light on the factors that mediate and moderate these types of cognitive interventions and address the extent to which some procedures may, and others may not, lead to improvements in real world cognition. WM deficits exist in a wide range of mental health conditions, cases of disease and brain damage, and in cognitive aging, and training approaches that promote better functioning WM systems can promote health and well-being in these groups. Further this research can elucidate approaches that may not work and help people avoid use of ineffective procedures. The proposed training software will be created on cross-platform game engines to enable us to bring the lab to the participants. In this sense, the research output has innovative and broad impacts that can be directly realized from the proposed research. Programs created in the proposed work will be made publicly available for research dissemination of personalized interventions that can support diverse populations.