Effects of Cognitive Training Interventions Revista Argentina De Ciencias Del Comportamiento, Vol
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Revista Argentina de Ciencias del Comportamiento E-ISSN: 1852-4206 [email protected] Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Argentina Karbach, Julia Plasticity of executive functions in childhood and adolescence: Effects of cognitive training interventions Revista Argentina de Ciencias del Comportamiento, vol. 7, núm. 1, enero-abril, 2015, pp. 64-70 Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Córdoba, Argentina Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=333439929008 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Revista Argentina de Ciencias del Comportamiento ISSN 185H206 Marzo 2015, Vol. 7, W 1, Plasticity of executive functions in childhood and adolescence: 64-70 Effects of cognitive training interventions revi stas.unc.edu.a rjindex. php/racc Karbach, Julia * a.b Review Article Abstract Resumen Executive functions include a set of higher-Ievel cognitive Plasticidad de las funciones eje<;utivas en 1", infanei" y la IIdolescencia: control abilities, such as cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and Efectos de interv~mciones de entrenamiento cognitive. Las funciones working memory. They suppott aetion control and the f\exibl€ ejecutivas induyen a un conjunto de capacidade~ de control cognitivo de adaptation to changing environments. Given that these control alto nivel, tales como la flexibilidad cognitiva, la inhibición y la memoria de funltions rely un the prefrontdl lortex, they develop rapidly trabajo, que p€rmiten el control de las acciones y la adaptación flexible a across childhood and adol€scence. Impoltantly, executive entornos c<)mbiante,. Tenierxlo en cuenta que estos procesamiento se control i~ a strong predictor for various life outcornes, such as asocian al funcionamiento de la corteza prefrontal, su desarrollo también se academic achievement, SOCÍOeconomic status, and physical da de maner~ r~pid~ ~ lo I~rgo de la infanciJ y I~ adole5cenci~. Es import~nte health. Therefore, numerous training interventions have been destacar que el control ejecutivo es un predietor significativo de diversos designed to improve executive functioning in children and aspectos de la vida cotidiana tales como el rendimiento académico, el adolescents, both in oormally developirlg iooividuals aoo estatus socioeconómico y la ~alud física. En tal sentido, se han diseñado childrcn suffcring from l"'KCurocognitivc and dcvclopmental numerosas intervenciones para mejorar el funciOMmiento ej€cutivo en disorder';. Despite sorne encouraging findings revealing that nioos y adolescentes, tanto en condicione~ de desarrollo normal como en las executive control training benefitted untrained task aoo de trd~tomo~ del de~drrollo y neur(Xognitivo~. Algullo~ hdlldZgos re<.iente~ abilities, such as fluid intelligence and academic performance, alentadores revelan que el entrenamiento de las capacidades de control recellt findirl(J~ regarding the trdmferduility of trdining-induled ejecutivo produce un b€neficio en el de~empeño en tareas y habilidade~ no performance improvements to untrained tasks are entrenadas, como en el caso de la inteligenda fluida y el rendimiento heteroqeneous. This shon review aims at providing a selective académico. No obstante, los resultados recientes en relación con la overview of developmental findings and discussing the effects transferencia de las mejoras del desempeño entrenado a las tareas sin of different types of executive control training in children and entrenamiento. son heterogéneos. Esta breve revisión tiene como obj€tivo adolescents a~ well as the potential of cognitive training principal proporcionar un resumen de los principales resultados de estudios interventions for the application in clinical and educational del desarrollo del control cognitivo, y discutir los efectos de diferentes tipos contexts. de entrenamiento de tales capacidad€s en nif'los y adolescentes, asi como el potencial de las intervenciones de entrenamiento cognitivo para su aplicación en contextos clínicos y educativos KeyWords: Pal,br.Jlclove;: Qecutll'€ funClKJn\ (O!IllItll'€ tr~.IIIlq, (hildhood ild~le!.c~rKe, cO!lnltlve pkJstKlty Funcione, ejecutivas; ffitren.mi€nto cognitivo: ilf(W)(i,\ ild~k>\(erKi.l; pl~stic¡jad (()9niti~. R<=ceiYeil llIl DmrrJb€r, 23th, 2014; Re~iew recl'il'ed {)fl De<:emlJer, 27th, 2014; Appwved on Jilnuary, 1th, 2015. ,. Executive functions Executive function (EF) refers to a number of correlated: Working memory (WM), inhjbition, and higher-order cognitive functions allowing individuals cognitive f1exibility (Miyake et al., 2000). to flexjbly regulate their thoughts and actions in the Infant research has shown that elementary forms service of adaptive, goal-directed behavior. It includes of EF emerge within the first year of Iife (Diamond, three separable main domains that are moderately 2006; Carpenter, Nagell, Tomasello, Butterworth, & , Department of Psychology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Germany "Center for Research on Individual Development and Adaptive Education of Children ~t Ri~k (IDeA), Frankfurt am Main, Germany 'Send correspondence to: Karbach, J. E-mail: [email protected] Cite this artide as: Karbach, J. (201 SJ. Plasticity of executive functions in childhood and adolescence: Effeets ofcognitive training interventions. Revista Argentina de Ciencias del Comportamiento, 7 (1 J, 64-70. 64 65 Karbach, J. / RAee, 2015, Vol. 7, N°1, 64-70 'V''"'UI 'C, 1998), but the dimensional factor structure of preschool years and typically continues to improve EF changes qualitatively across development from a into middle childhood (Best & 2010; et unitary structure (Le., a single-factor structure) in 2012; & 2009). However, some preschoolers to multiple subcomponents in school- studies using computerized tasks reported continued age children and adolescents (H & van improvement until adolescence or even young Moien, & adulthood (Huizi et Together these 2003; findings demonstrate that EF develops Developmental trajectories of EF are linked to mulitidimensionally and multidirectionally, with maturational changes of prefrontal brain regions, different developmental trajectories for the distinct parietal regions and basal ganglia (Bu & \l\Irí"I,t dimensions ofEF & 2014). & Importantly, emerging EF is associated with many Pa(::lmani~brlan, & 2010). Behavioral relevant life-outcomes: It is an excellent predictor for improvements in EF are associated with synaptic academic achievement in children (over and above pruning and increased myelination as well as IQ), socioeconomic status, as well as physical and experience-dependent synaptic strengthening mental health in later life (for a review, see Titz & (Bjorklund, Dawson & 2010; 1, Ka 2014). In preschoolers, for instance, low EF is & 2001). Moreover, age- associated with poorer mathematical and literacy related differences in structural maturation within the performance (Blair & prefrontal cortex (Gogtay et aL, 2004) are paralleled & 2008) as well as with difficulties by changes in functional maturation and may regarding reading comprehension and mathematical therefore account for distinct developmental skills in elementary school children (Borel & trajectories among EF (Bunge & 2006). 2010; van & van For instance, basic updating processes can be 2004). The refo re, many recent intervention studies observed in 9 to 12 month-old infants, but the ability have examined the effectiveness of cognitive training to manipulate items in WM develops later and over a regimes designed to improve EF in childhood and longer time range 2013). WM performance adolescence (Jolles & 2012; & at more complex tasks has been shown to improve 2014; & 2013; Titz & 2014). linearly from pre-school age to adolescence Moreover, behavioral and neural plasticity is Am & 2004), particularly high in childhood and the brain areas with age differences varying as a function of serving EF (Le., the prefrontal lobes) are especially complexity (Lucíana, ni & 2005). sensitive to environmental influences in children Cognitive flexibility shows the most protracted et 2011). It is therefore not surprising that development and continues to improve into numerous trai ni ng interventions targeted ch i1d ren adolescence & 2009; 2013; and adolescents, both normally developing & H 2011; 2004). Evidence from individua 15 and patients suffering from task-switching studies showed that two components neurodevelopmental or psychiatric disorders that are of flexibility - the ability to switch from one rule to characterized by significant cognitive deficits (e.g., another rule (Le., switching per se) and the ability to ADHD or autism). maintain and select two (or more) rules - follow 2. Training-induced plasticity of executive different developmental time courses ((rone, Bunge, functions van & Research investigating the benefits of cognitive training interventions showed that cognitive plasticity &van (Le., training-induced changes in brain function and & 2008; & behavior) is considerable across the lifespan 2012). For instance, Huizinga & van der Molen (2007) & 2012; reported that children's set switching abilities reached 2013; Strc)ba(=h adult levels by the age of 11, whereas set 2014; Karbach & \/C"'h;:¡,Cl(Ü,¡:,n maintenance continued to improve by the age of 15. 2014). Numerous studies showed significant Inhibitory control develops rapidly during the performance improvements on the trained