Multi-domain training enhances attentional control.

Abstract

Multi-domain training potentially increases the likelihood of overlap in processing components with transfer tasks and everyday life, and hence is a promising training approach for older adults. To empirically test this, 84 healthy older adults aged 64 to 75 years were randomly assigned to one of three single-domain training conditions (inhibition, visuomotor function, spatial navigation) or to the simultaneous training of all three cognitive functions (multi-domain training condition). All participants trained on an iPad at home for 50 training sessions. Before and after the training, and at a 6-month follow-up measurement, cognitive functioning and training transfer were assessed with a neuropsychological test battery including tests targeting the trained functions (near transfer) and transfer to executive functions (far transfer: attentional control, working memory, speed). Participants in all four training groups showed a linear increase in training performance over the 50 training sessions. Using a latent difference score model, the multi-domain training group, compared with the single-domain training groups, showed more improvement on the far transfer attentional control composite. Individuals with initially lower baseline performance showed higher training-related improvements, indicating that training compensated for lower initial cognitive performance. At the 6-month follow-up, performance on the cognitive test battery remained stable. This is one of the first studies to investigate systematically multi-domain training including comparable single-domain training conditions. Our findings suggest that multi-domain training enhances attentional control involved in handling several different tasks at the same time, an aspect in everyday life that is particularly challenging for older people.

Expertise-related functional brain network efficiency in healthy older adults

“…The first group of participants had undergone multi-domain training and the second group of participants had undergone visuomotor function training approximately a year before (the time interval between posttest and EEG session did not differ between groups [ t (27) = −.76, p  > .40]; both groups: M  = 11.7 months, SD  = 0.72, range 11–14 months). Both groups had been randomly assigned to the training groups and practiced the iPad-based Hotel Plastisse training at home during 50 training sessions over 10 weeks [43, 44] (except for one visuomotor participant who had only completed 42 training sessions). Each training session lasted about 45 min and consisted of 5 different training tasks.…”

“…Participants in the original training study [44] were contacted by phone and asked whether they were willing to participate in an additional EEG study. The additional control participants were recruited based on the following criteria: age 61–75 years, fluent in German, self-reported right-handedness, neurologically and psychiatrically healthy, no severe manual motor deficiencies.…”

A Randomized Controlled ERP Study on the Effects of Multi-Domain Cognitive Training and Task Difficulty on Task Switching Performance in Older Adults

“…Moreover, Lampit et al (2014a) reported transfer gains from a multi-domain training aimed at reasoning, memory, attention and visuo-spatial abilities to a bookkeeping task closely mirroring a real-world work scenario. In direct comparisons to single-domain interventions, multi-domain cognitive training has additionally been associated with more pronounced benefits in far transfer tasks measuring executive attentional control (Binder et al, 2016) and increased longevity of training-related performance benefits (Cheng et al, 2012). …”

Cognitive training: A Field in Search of a Phenomenon

“…For some cognitive-training programmes, there are not enough studies to perform a proper meta-analysis. Examples include the abovementioned ACTIVE trial, commercial brain-training games (e.g., Neuroracer, Lumosity, and BrainHQ) and multi-domain training programmes (Duyck and Op de Beeck 2019;Buitenweg et al 2017;Binder et al 2016). To date, none of these regimens have shown compelling evidence, or any evidence at all, of training-induced far transfer to either cognitive tests or real-life skills (for a review, see Sala &Simons et al, 2016).…”