Cited by 460Cognitive Abilities and TestingCognitive Functions and MemoryAging and Gerontology Research

Working-memory training in younger and older adults: training gains, transfer, and maintenance

Open access
Brehmer, Yvonne, Westerberg, Helena, Bäckman, Lars·2012·Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

Abstract

Working memory (WM), a key determinant of many higher-order cognitive functions, declines in old age. Current research attempts to develop process-specific WM training procedures, which may lead to general cognitive improvement. Adaptivity of the training as well as the comparison of training gains to performance changes of an active control group are key factors in evaluating the effectiveness of a specific training program. In the present study, 55 younger adults (20-30 years of age) and 45 older adults (60-70 years of age) received 5 weeks of computerized training on various spatial and verbal WM tasks. Half of the sample received adaptive training (i.e., individually adjusted task difficulty), whereas the other half-worked on the same task material but on a low task difficulty level (active controls). Performance was assessed using criterion, near-transfer, and far-transfer tasks before training, after 5 weeks of intervention, as well as after a 3-month follow-up interval. Results indicate that (a) adaptive training generally led to larger training gains than low-level practice, (b) training and transfer gains were somewhat greater for younger than for older adults in some tasks, but comparable across age groups in other tasks, (c) far-transfer was observed to a test on sustained attention and for a self-rating scale on cognitive functioning in daily life for both young and old, and (d) training gains and transfer effects were maintained across the 3-month follow-up interval across age.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00063

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  • No transfer effects were observed in 3 out of 8 studies, and only nearest transfer effects as measured with digit span forward and/or backward were observed by three other studies.

    “Critically, no transfer effects were observed in 3 out of 8 studies [72–74], and only nearest transfer effects as measured with digit span forward and/or backward were observed by three other studies [19, 75, 76].”

    From Adaptive working memory training does not produce transfer effects in cognition and neuroimaging (2022) · cites this paper as [19]

    The citation to this paper is attached to the claim that it found only near-transfer effects. The Results (Far-transfer tasks) instead report a significant intervention-by-time effect on PASAT, a far-transfer task: the adaptive-training groups improved more than the low-level practice groups. The paper therefore does not support the word “only.” (LLM, conf=0.90)

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  • Practicing WM tasks can also trigger cognitive changes in domains different to WM capacity, such as attention and visual integration, or the development of task- or material-specific expertise.

    “Moreover, practicing WM tasks can also trigger cognitive changes in domains different to WM capacity, such as attention and visual integration [19], or the development of task- or material-specific expertise [20].”

    From Adaptive working memory training does not produce transfer effects in cognition and neuroimaging (2022) · cites this paper as [19]

    The Discussion (page unavailable) reports that working-memory training improved performance on a sustained-attention test, supporting the attention example attributed to this source. Our copy does not report a change in visual integration. The task- or material-specific expertise example is attached to a different citation [20], not this paper. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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  • Both training interventions, no matter how specific they have been designed, can trigger performance improvements which are not due to an increased WM capacity, but most likely due to non-specific cognitive training effects, such as improved attentional processing, or due to the acquisition of strategies such as chunking or visualization.

    “This implies that both training interventions, no matter how specific they have been designed, can trigger performance improvements which are not due to an increased WM capacity, but most likely due to non-specific cognitive training effects, such as improved attentional processing [19], or due to the acquisition of strategies such as chunking or visualization [80].”

    From Adaptive working memory training does not produce transfer effects in cognition and neuroimaging (2022) · cites this paper as [19]

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Raven J. C. (1995). Standard Progressive Matrices Sets A–E. Oxford, UK: Oxford Psychologists Press Ltd

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Authors
Brehmer, Y., Westerberg, H., & Bäckman, L.
Affiliations
Karolinska Institutet (SE)
Corresponding author
Brehmer, Yvonne
Venue
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Published
2012
Volume
6
Pages
63-63
ISSN
1662-5161 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2170531646
Cited by
460
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 42 · 2019: 35 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 44 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 49 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 11
FWCI
55.80
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Stichting af Jochnick Foundation
  • Hjärnfonden
  • Vetenskapsrådet
  • Swedish Brain Power
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
Keywords
working memory training, older adults, age differences, adaptive training, transfer of training, cognitive aging, sustained attention, computer-based training, active control

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