Testing the limits of cognitive plasticity in older adults: Application to attentional control

Bherer, Louis; Kramer, Arthur F.; Peterson, Matthew S.; Colcombe, Stanley J.; Erickson, Kirk I.; Becic, Ensar

doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2006.01.005

Cited by 143 publications

(123 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Furthermore, individual differences in baseline aerobic fitness and motivation for cognitive challenge were related to the magnitude of cognitive gains in response inhibition and memory. We first confirmed that our version of the DT training protocol replicated the training gains and near-transfer effects reported in previous studies (Bherer et al 2005(Bherer et al , 2006(Bherer et al , 2008Lussier et al 2016). Notably, there was a non-significant trend in the DT training data such that the sequential group appeared to outperform the simultaneous group throughout the training sessions (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

“…For example, working memory training has led to significant transfer gains in EFs in both young and older adults (Baniqued et al 2015;Brehmer et al 2012;Morrison and Chein 2011;Rhodes and Katz 2017). Similarly, dual-task (DT) training has led to cross-modality near-transfer, (Bherer et al 2005(Bherer et al , 2006(Bherer et al , 2008Desjardins-Crépeau et al 2016;Erickson et al 2007aErickson et al , 2007bLussier et al 2015Lussier et al , 2016, upregulation and increased efficiency in prefrontal regions in younger and older adults (Erickson et al 2007a, b), and improved balance and mobility (Li et al 2010). Such DT training is thought to improve processes such as task coordination and working memory (Bherer et al 2005).…”

Section: Single-modality Trainingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparing the Transfer Effects of Simultaneously and Sequentially Combined Aerobic Exercise and Cognitive Training in Older Adults

et al. 2017

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It is known that both cognitive training and aerobic exercise training can independently improve cognitive performance in older adults. Combined multimodality (cognitive and aerobic) training has shown promise in producing significantly more training gains in older adults than pure physical exercise and control; however, results are mixed. To address these mixed results and elucidate the efficacy of different schedules of multimodal training, we compared simultaneous and sequential formats. To this end, 42 older adults (M = 68.05 years) participated in 12 sessions of same-day multimodal training and were randomly assigned to either the simultaneous (concurrent cognitive dual-task and aerobic exercise) or sequential training group (cognitive dual-task followed by aerobic exercise). Both groups showed significant improvement on measures of processing speed and verbal memory following training, with the sequential group showing a significant training advantage on working memory. Motivation to engage in cognitive effort moderated the training gains in verbal memory, and baseline aerobic fitness moderated the magnitude of training gains in response inhibition negatively. The current findings demonstrate the selective effects of training format on cognitive outcomes, in line with the principle of neural overlap, which suggests that improvements should occur to the extent that the trained and untrained tasks share underlying neural pathways. The results also underscore the importance of considering individual difference factors in cognitive training studies.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Section: Single-modality Trainingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing the Transfer Effects of Simultaneously and Sequentially Combined Aerobic Exercise and Cognitive Training in Older Adults

et al. 2017

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“…In general, the effects of training are relatively specific to the processes being trained, but there are two potentially important exceptions. One is training designed to target mechanisms, such as executive functioning and working memory (e.g., Basak et al, 2008;Bherer et al, 2005Bherer et al, , 2006Dahlin et al, 2008;Karbach & Kray, in press;, that are arguably generalizable to multiple-task environments. The second exception is metacognitively oriented interventions, which train processing approaches that supplement mnemonic strategies by developing procedural routines for using them.…”

Section: Cognitive-training Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development

Hertzog

Kramer

Wilson

et al. 2008

Psychol Sci Public Interest

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SUMMARY-In this monograph, we ask whether various kinds of intellectual, physical, and social activities produce cognitive enrichment effects-that is, whether they improve cognitive performance at different points of the adult life span, with a particular emphasis on old age.We begin with a theoretical framework that emphasizes the potential of behavior to influence levels of cognitive functioning. According to this framework, the undeniable presence of age-related decline in cognition does not invalidate the view that behavior can enhance cognitive functioning. Instead, the course of normal aging shapes a zone of possible functioning, which reflects person-specific endowments and age-related constraints. Individuals influence whether they function in the higher or lower ranges of this zone by engaging in or refraining from beneficial intellectual, physical, and social activities. From this point of view, the potential for positive change, or plasticity, is maintained in adult cognition. It is an argument that is supported by newer research in neuroscience showing neural plasticity in various aspects of central nervous system functioning, neurochemistry, and architecture. This view of human potential contrasts with static conceptions of cognition in old age, according to which decline in abilities is fixed and individuals cannot slow its course. Furthermore, any understanding of cognition as it occurs in everyday life must make a distinction between basic cognitive mechanisms and skills (such as working-memory capacity) and the functional use of cognition to achieve goals in specific situations. In practice, knowledge and expertise are critical for effective functioning, and the available evidence suggests that older adults effectively employ specific knowledge and expertise and can gain new knowledge when it is required.We conclude that, on balance, the available evidence favors the hypothesis that maintaining an intellectually engaged and physically active lifestyle promotes successful cognitive aging. First, cognitive-training studies have demonstrated that older adults can improve cognitive functioning when provided with intensive training in strategies that promote thinking and remembering. The early training literature suggested little transfer of function from specifically trained skills to new cognitive tasks; learning was highly specific to the cognitive processes targeted by training. Recently, however, a new generation of studies suggests that providing structured experience in situations demanding executive coordination of skillssuch as complex video games, task-switching paradigms, and divided attention tasks-train strategic control over cognition that does show transfer to different task environments. These studies suggest that there is considerable reserve potential in older adults' cognition that can be enhanced through training.Second, a considerable number of studies indicate that maintaining a lifestyle that is intellectually stimulating predicts better maintenance of cognitive skills and is a...

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“…Process-based trainings in older adults have concentrated mainly on executive processes such as updating (for reviews see MelbyLervåg & Hulme, 2012;Morrison & Chein, 2011;Shipstead et al, 2012), multitasking (Bherer et al, 2006(Bherer et al, , 2008, focus-switching (Dorbath, Hasselhorn, & Titz, 2011) …”

Section: The Contributions Of Cognitive Trainings 12mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Contributions of Cognitive Trainings to the Stability of Cognitive, Everyday, and Brain Functioning across Adulthood

Eschen

2012

GeroPsych

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This review covers the contributions of cognitive trainings to stability in cognitive, everyday, and brain functioning across adulthood. For these functional domains, relevant types of empirical evidence were defined for training-induced enhancement in absolute, differential, and dimensional stability in the light of developmental decline. The state of research regarding these types of evidence is presented. Little data were generally available on the effects of cognitive trainings on the stability of everyday and brain functioning and across all covered domains for their contributions to differential stability. There was sound empirical support for training-induced en-hancements of absolute and dimensional cognitive stability across adulthood. The theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

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Testing the limits of cognitive plasticity in older adults: Application to attentional control

Cited by 143 publications

References 26 publications

Comparing the Transfer Effects of Simultaneously and Sequentially Combined Aerobic Exercise and Cognitive Training in Older Adults

Comparing the Transfer Effects of Simultaneously and Sequentially Combined Aerobic Exercise and Cognitive Training in Older Adults

Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development

The Contributions of Cognitive Trainings to the Stability of Cognitive, Everyday, and Brain Functioning across Adulthood

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