Older adults with lower working memory capacity benefit from transcranial direct current stimulation when combined with working memory training: A preliminary study
Aging is a very diverse process: successful agers retain most cognitive functioning, while others experience mild to severe cognitive decline. This decline may eventually negatively impact one’s everyday activities. Therefore, scientists must develop approaches to counteract or, at least, slow down...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2022.1009262/full |
| _version_ | 1811226144588955648 |
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| author | Sara Assecondi Sara Assecondi Sara Assecondi Rong Hu Rong Hu Jacob Kroeker Gail Eskes Kim Shapiro Kim Shapiro |
| author_facet | Sara Assecondi Sara Assecondi Sara Assecondi Rong Hu Rong Hu Jacob Kroeker Gail Eskes Kim Shapiro Kim Shapiro |
| author_sort | Sara Assecondi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aging is a very diverse process: successful agers retain most cognitive functioning, while others experience mild to severe cognitive decline. This decline may eventually negatively impact one’s everyday activities. Therefore, scientists must develop approaches to counteract or, at least, slow down the negative change in cognitive performance of aging individuals. Combining cognitive training and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising approach that capitalizes on the plasticity of brain networks. However, the efficacy of combined methods depends on individual characteristics, such as the cognitive and emotional state of the individual entering the training program. In this report, we explored the effectiveness of working memory training, combined with tDCS to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), to manipulate working memory performance in older individuals. We hypothesized that individuals with lower working memory capacity would benefit the most from the combined regimen. Thirty older adults took part in a 5-day combined regimen. Before and after the training, we evaluated participants’ working memory performance with five working memory tasks. We found that individual characteristics influenced the outcome of combined cognitive training and tDCS regimens, with the intervention selectively benefiting old-old adults with lower working memory capacity. Future work should consider developing individualized treatments by considering individual differences in cognitive profiles. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T09:20:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-61c7a971e8bd46269e8bde822ebf86ac |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1663-4365 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T09:20:23Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-61c7a971e8bd46269e8bde822ebf86ac2022-12-22T03:38:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience1663-43652022-10-011410.3389/fnagi.2022.10092621009262Older adults with lower working memory capacity benefit from transcranial direct current stimulation when combined with working memory training: A preliminary studySara Assecondi0Sara Assecondi1Sara Assecondi2Rong Hu3Rong Hu4Jacob Kroeker5Gail Eskes6Kim Shapiro7Kim Shapiro8Center for Mind/Brain Sciences—CIMeC, University of Trento, Rovereto, ItalyVisual Experience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomCenter for Human Brain Health (CHBH), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomVisual Experience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomDepartment of Neurology, School of Medicine, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartments of Psychiatry and Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, CanadaDepartments of Psychiatry and Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, CanadaVisual Experience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomCenter for Human Brain Health (CHBH), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomAging is a very diverse process: successful agers retain most cognitive functioning, while others experience mild to severe cognitive decline. This decline may eventually negatively impact one’s everyday activities. Therefore, scientists must develop approaches to counteract or, at least, slow down the negative change in cognitive performance of aging individuals. Combining cognitive training and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising approach that capitalizes on the plasticity of brain networks. However, the efficacy of combined methods depends on individual characteristics, such as the cognitive and emotional state of the individual entering the training program. In this report, we explored the effectiveness of working memory training, combined with tDCS to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), to manipulate working memory performance in older individuals. We hypothesized that individuals with lower working memory capacity would benefit the most from the combined regimen. Thirty older adults took part in a 5-day combined regimen. Before and after the training, we evaluated participants’ working memory performance with five working memory tasks. We found that individual characteristics influenced the outcome of combined cognitive training and tDCS regimens, with the intervention selectively benefiting old-old adults with lower working memory capacity. Future work should consider developing individualized treatments by considering individual differences in cognitive profiles.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2022.1009262/fullnon-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS)tDCS—transcranial direct current stimulationworking memory training (WMT)plasticityolder adultsindividual differences |
| spellingShingle | Sara Assecondi Sara Assecondi Sara Assecondi Rong Hu Rong Hu Jacob Kroeker Gail Eskes Kim Shapiro Kim Shapiro Older adults with lower working memory capacity benefit from transcranial direct current stimulation when combined with working memory training: A preliminary study Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) tDCS—transcranial direct current stimulation working memory training (WMT) plasticity older adults individual differences |
| title | Older adults with lower working memory capacity benefit from transcranial direct current stimulation when combined with working memory training: A preliminary study |
| title_full | Older adults with lower working memory capacity benefit from transcranial direct current stimulation when combined with working memory training: A preliminary study |
| title_fullStr | Older adults with lower working memory capacity benefit from transcranial direct current stimulation when combined with working memory training: A preliminary study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Older adults with lower working memory capacity benefit from transcranial direct current stimulation when combined with working memory training: A preliminary study |
| title_short | Older adults with lower working memory capacity benefit from transcranial direct current stimulation when combined with working memory training: A preliminary study |
| title_sort | older adults with lower working memory capacity benefit from transcranial direct current stimulation when combined with working memory training a preliminary study |
| topic | non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) tDCS—transcranial direct current stimulation working memory training (WMT) plasticity older adults individual differences |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2022.1009262/full |
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