Cognitive Training Component (Brainfitness program)

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In aging, negative cortical plasticity has four mutually reinforcing components that create a downward spiral of degrading brain function

Noisy processing•Deterioration of sensory organs•Poor signal quality received in cortex•Brain must adjust by lengthening space and time integration constants •Costs: temporally and spatially noisy processing of stimuli and slowing of information processing speed

Reduced schedules of brain activity•Reduced engagement in cognitively demanding activities (retirement, not learning new things)•Lack of continuous refinement of receptive fields/cortical organization•Less stimulation for attention/reward Brain disuse

Negative learning•Adaptation to degraded processing•Changes in behavior accelerate cognitive decline•E.g.: difficulties in understanding the rapid speech of a child on the phone turn up volume or avoid such conversations

Weakened neuromodulatory control•Changes in metabolism of neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine) •Changes in connectivity of relevant brain areas•Weakened control of the brain over its own plasticity

Mahncke, Bronstone, & Merzenich (2006), Progress in Brain Research

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Requirements for behavioral training to drive large-scale plasticity

Refine stimulus processing•Increase fidelity•Use complex, dynamic inputs•Decrease spatial/temporal integration constants•Support generalization and in-context function

Intense schedules of activity•Thousands of trials•Frequent engagement•Adaptively increase task demands

Strengthen critical life skills•Force engagement in difficult tasks•Shape new behaviors•Positively reinforce enhanced function

Enhance neuromodulation•Activation, arousal, reward, novelty•Increase demands on attentional control

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Enhancing neuroplasticity through adaptive, computer-based cognitive training programs practicing sensory discrimination abilities

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Story Teller

High or Low Tell us Apart Match It

Sound Replay Listen and Do

The Brain Fitness Program – a plasticity-based adaptive cognitive training program for the auditory domain

Copyright PositScience

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Plasticity-based adaptive cognitive training for the auditory domain improves memory in healthy elderly persons

Improvement in trained tasks:

Persons with improvements

93% 77% 91% 80% 91%

Average improvement

41% 10% 18% 13% 18%

Speed of Processing

Spatial syllable match memory

Forward word recognition span

Working memory

Narrative Memory

Generalization: Improvement in global auditory memory in the experimental group, but not in the active and non-active control groups

Stability: Effect stable also at 3 months follow-up

Mahncke, Connor, Appelman, Ahsanuddin, Hardy, Wood, Joyce, Boniske, Atkins, & Merzenich (2006), PNAS

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Smith , Housen, Yaffe, Ruff, Kennison, Mahncke, & Zelinski (2009), Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

The IMPACT study: Improvement in Memory with Plasticity-based Adaptive Cognitive Training

Experimental treatment (ET):

Brain Fitness Program

N = 223

Active control (AC):

Viewed DVD-based educational programs on history, art, and literature

Answered written quizzes after each training session

N = 213

higher is better higher is better

lower is better lower is better

Cognitive Self-Report Questionnaire

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Story Teller

Frequency Discrimination High or Low Syllable Discrimination

Correct Order Match It

The German prototype version of the Brain Fitness Program

Copyright Kolassa/Leirer, Universität Konstanz, PositScience

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Jewel Diver

Bird Safari

Sweep Seeker

Master Gardener

Insight – a plasticity-based adaptive cognitive training program for the visual domain

Road Tour

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