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Screenshots of the inhibition minigames. (A) Washday, (B) Labeling, (C) Fruit salad, (D) Dishwashing, (E) Chasing mice.
Source publication
Finding effective training interventions for declining cognitive abilities in healthy aging is of great relevance, especially in view of the demographic development. Since it is assumed that transfer from the trained to untrained domains is more likely to occur when training conditions and transfer measures share a common underlying process, multi-...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... the washday minigame, participants help Petra sort laundry (see Figure 3A). The clothes are blown out of the drier on top of the screen and fall down toward two baskets. ...
Context 2
... the labeling minigame, participants help Werner label bottles (see Figure 3B). Bottles are presented in a continuous stream, transported on a conveyer belt from the left to the right side of the screen. ...
Context 3
... the fruit salad minigame, participants help Nathalie prepare a fruit salad in the kitchen (see Figure 3C). Fruits appear one by one on a cutting board in the middle of the screen. ...
Context 4
... the dishwashing minigame, participants help Sandra stack plates and pots in the kitchen (see Figure 3D). Plates and pots move from the top to the bottom of the screen while participants have to pile them up on three different piles. ...
Similar publications
Video game training with older adults potentially enhances aspects of cognition that decline with aging and could therefore offer a promising training approach. Although, previous published studies suggest that training can produce transfer, many of them have certain shortcomings. This randomized controlled trial (RCT; Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT027...
Citations
... To date, many research groups have endeavored to identify specific lifestyle factors that may help counteract neurocognitive decline and promote public health. Among such factors, bilingualism (Bialystok et al. 2016;Bialystok et al. 2014;Zhang et al. 2020), aerobic exercise (Colcombe et al. 2006;Erickson et al. 2011), musical training (Rogenmoser et al. 2018;Sutcliffe et al. 2020;White-Schwoch et al. 2013), cognitively engaging activities (Anguera et al. 2013;Binder et al. 2015;Jaeggi et al. 2011), dancing (Porat et al. 2016;Rehfeld et al. 2018) as well as foreign language learning Li et al. 2014) have been proposed as promising daily-life interventions, but some of them have also been questioned (Lehtonen et al. 2018;Paap & Greenberg 2013;Paap et al. 2015). Despite the large body of literature on this specific topic, in this review we will consider a relatively new niche in this field and focus solely on potential neuroanatomical and cognitive benefits across the lifespan associated with simultaneous interpreting practice. ...
Aging is associated with a high prevalence of neural and cognitive changes, which may impair life quality while placing a significant burden on the healthcare system and the economy. Nevertheless, diverse daily activities as well as deliberate practice in several domains have been proposed to benefit brain plasticity and cognition as well as to have the potential to counteract age-related decline through neuroprotective and/or compensatory mechanisms. In this review article, we will provide a summary of the gray matter alterations that have commonly been documented in simultaneous interpreters over the past twenty years. Furthermore, we will review the main literature that examined associations between simultaneous interpreting training and cognitive functions for assessing possible practice-related cognitive benefits in older age. We will also outline future directions for research in this area and highlight interventions aimed at mitigating the effects of aging on neurocognition.
... Overall, this study corroborates our preliminary findings on the same clinical trial indicating the absence of benefits on cognitive abilities not intensively addressed by the program 4 . This is in contrast with studies reporting gains from a multi-domain cognitive training on global cognitive performance [66][67][68][69][70] . ...
... This could explain why the training failed in improving complex abilities, such as executive functions and mathematical abilities. Up to now, different studies reporting improvement effects following multi-domain CCT enrolled healthy individuals [66][67][68][69][70] . The present results may suggest that, in case of brain alterations, benefits may occur only after an intensive and prolonged training of specific cognitive abilities, questioning the potentialities of a multidomain training. ...
Both acquired injuries and congenital malformations often cause lifelong disabilities in children, with a significant impact on cognitive abilities. Remote computerized cognitive training (CCT) may be delivered in ecological settings to favour rehabilitation continuity. This randomized clinical trial (RCT) evaluated the efficacy of an 8-week multi-domain, home-based CCT in a sample of patients aged 11–16 years with non-progressive acquired brain injury (ABI), brain tumor (BT) and congenital brain malformation (CBM). Following a stepped-wedge research design, patients were randomized into two groups: Training-first group, which started the CCT immediately after baseline assessment and Waiting-first group, which started the CCT after a period of time comparable to that required by the training (8 weeks). Post-training and long-term (6 months) changes were assessed. Both groups improved on visual–spatial working memory after the CCT, with benefits maintained after 6 months, while no other changes in cognitive or psychological measures were found. These findings suggest that a multi-domain CCT can generate benefits in visual–spatial working memory, in accordance with data from extant literature reporting that computer games heavily engage visuo-spatial abilities. We speculate that is tapping on the same cognitive ability with a prolonged training that may generate the greatest change after a CCT.
... Video game-based CCTs, specifically those within the narrative genre, provide training activities embedded in a meaningful context that makes them more plausible and ecologically valid, improving the transfer and generalisation of gains (Binder et al. 2015;Grönholm-Nyman et al. 2017). Wang et al. (2016) reported meta-analytic evidence in favour of greater benefits of action video games in young adults while for healthy older adults they found moderate to small gains in general cognitive functioning, visuospatial ability, processing speed, attention, executive function, and slight benefits in memory. ...
... Studies on the efficacy of narrative video games focused on older adults with cognitive impairment are scarce (Binder et al. 2015). Our study provides preliminary results on preferences, acceptance and usability of a narrative video game specifically designed for cognitive training of older adults with subjective and objective cognitive impairment. ...
... In addition, gains in memory and executive functions should be evaluated more specifically and comprehensively by using instruments that are more sensitive to change, and include follow-up measures. The impact of training with this narrative video game on activities of daily living and other cognitive measures should also be evaluated in future studies to test whether training activities embedded in a meaningful context have a real impact on improving transfer and generalisation of gains (Binder et al. 2015;Grönholm-Nyman et al. 2017). Interestingly, the significant post-intervention improvement in expectations indicated that the video game characteristics provide additional benefits regarding engagement, adherence, and efficacy. ...
... In addition, we also expected that repetition abilities might be enhanced after real stimulation, as these have been shown to rely on Wernicke's area (32). Besides, it is also possible that these improvements may extend to comprehension abilities, due to the involvement of superior temporal structures in comprehension processes (33), that may also be stimulated during treatment. Finally, we did not expect to find any improvement related to atDCS regarding conversational speech, in line with previous reports. ...
Primary objective:
During the last decade, studies using anodal transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (atDCS) have yielded promising results in patients with aphasia. The main aim of the present pilot study was to assess the effects of combined atDCS over the left posterior perisylvian region and behavioral naming training on the behavioral outcomes of language comprehension and production of patients with post-stroke aphasia.
Research design:
A 2 × 2 quasi-experimental design was conducted, optimal to compare changes after treatment in experimental versus control group.
Methods and procedures:
Ten patients with post-stroke aphasia were enrolled in this study: half received atDCS on the left posterior perisylvian region while they underwent a 2-week behavioral naming training. The other half received sham stimulation. The outcomes were measured using the abbreviated form of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination and analyzed using ANOVAs.
Main outcomes and results:
Both groups improved their performance in Oral comprehension, Narrative writing and Language Competence Index, but only those that received anodal tDCS presented better results in the Naming category after the treatment.
Conclusions:
AtDCS on the left posterior perisylvian area seems to be a promising tool for boosting the outcomes of behavioral naming therapy in patients with post-stroke aphasia.
... Given the complexity of game design, it makes sense that methods like gamification (i.e., applying game elements such as points and leaderboards to a non-gaming task) that are often not difficult to apply became popular some years ago [40]. While many serious game creators do not take such an approach, limitations and considerations unique to serious games still make that they are often smaller in scope than many commercial games, and that designs consisting of a core mechanic (possibly with a selection of supplemental mechanics and/or feedback mechanisms) are common (see [7,9,16,38,55] for some examples from recent years). At times, this simplicity is even preferable [39], as serious games need to be easily accessible to a broad (often non-gaming) audience, limiting their desired complexity. ...
Validation of serious games tends to focus on evaluating their design as a whole. While this helps to assess whether a particular combination of game mechanics is successful, it provides little insight into how individual mechanics contribute or detract from a serious game's purpose or a player's game experience. This study analyses the effect of game mechanics commonly used in casual games for engagement, measured as a combination of player behaviour and reported game experience. Secondly, it examines the role of a serious game's purpose on those same measures. An experimental study was conducted with 204 participants playing several versions of a serious game to explore these points. The results show that adding additional game mechanics to a core gameplay loop did not lead to participants playing more or longer, nor did it improve their game experience. Players who were aware of the game's purpose, however, perceived the game as more beneficial, scored their game experience higher, and progressed further. The results show that game mechanics on their own do not necessarily improve engagement, while the effect of perceived value deserves further study.
... Furthermore, single-domain trainings focus on one specific cognitive function, whereas multi-domain interventions target two or more cognitive domains. Due to the stimulation of multiple cognitive processes, multi-domain CT is more closely related to reallife demands than single-domain training (Binder et al., 2015). Complementary, the multi-domain approach is frequently applied in commercially available "brain games, " such as Nintendo's Dr Kawashima's Brain Training, which are widelyused in the older population (Simons et al., 2016). ...
Background: Cognitive Training (CT) may contribute to the maintenance and even enhancement of cognitive functions in healthy older adults. However, the question who benefits most from multi-domain CTs is still highly under-investigated.
Objective: The goal is to investigate prognostic factors and models for changes in cognitive test performance in healthy older adults after a multi-domain CT.
Methods: The data bases MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection, CENTRAL, and PsycInfo were searched up to July 2019. Studies investigating prognostic factors and/or models on cognitive outcomes (global cognition, memory, attention, executive functions, language, visuo-spatial abilities) after conducting a multi-domain CT in healthy older adults were included. Risk of Bias was assessed using the QUIPS and the PROBAST tool.
Results: 23 prognostic factor and model studies were included. Results indicate a high heterogeneity regarding the conducted multi-domain CTs, the investigated prognostic factors, the investigated outcomes, and the used statistical approaches. Age and neuropsychological performance at study entry were the most investigated predictors, yet they show inconsistent results.
Conclusion: Data on prognostic factors and models of changes after multi-domain CT are still too rare and inconsistent to draw clear conclusions due to statistical shortcomings and low reporting quality. Approaches for future research are outlined.
Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, ID: CRD42020147531
... [9][10][11][12] These games have been used not only for education, [13][14][15] but also for enhancing human skills such as working memory, executive function, and cognition. [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] While there are numerous numbers of studies reporting on improvement of working memory and executive functions after an intervention [16][17][18][19][20][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] (see reviews 35,36 ), the effect of training with a serious game on spatial cognition has received relatively less attention. Nevertheless, studies suggest that spatial cognition is commonly enhanced by repeated exercises of some serious games. ...
... [9][10][11][12] These games have been used not only for education, [13][14][15] but also for enhancing human skills such as working memory, executive function, and cognition. [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] While there are numerous numbers of studies reporting on improvement of working memory and executive functions after an intervention [16][17][18][19][20][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] (see reviews 35,36 ), the effect of training with a serious game on spatial cognition has received relatively less attention. Nevertheless, studies suggest that spatial cognition is commonly enhanced by repeated exercises of some serious games. ...
We evaluated the outcomes of an intervention using a serious game designed to be played on iPads for improving spatial reorientation by training users to integrate geometry of the environment, instead of relying solely on featural cues. Using data logged online through a clinical study of using this game, the effect of training among 16 older adults (69.3 ± 6.4 years, 4 males), who played the game repeatedly (self-administered) over a period of 8 weeks, was investigated. The game contains a hexagonal room with 3 objects, textured walls, and grids on the floor, which are removed one by one as the participant played the game. In each level, the room also rotates such that the viewpoint of the user is different from that of the previous level. Participants cannot play a higher level unless they make no mistake during the trials of the lower test level. In addition to data of older adults available from that clinical trial, we recruited 16 young adults (27.3 ± 5.6 years, 4 males) to play the game for 5 sessions and compared their results with those of the older adults. We evaluated the error type made in each test level and the scores for each session among older adults. Further, we compared the frequency of each error type between young and older adults during the test levels that a landmark adjacent to the target was removed over the first 5 sessions. The results of older adults’ performance suggest they learned to make fewer mistakes over the sessions. Also, both young and older adults learned to integrate the geometrical cues rather than relying on the landmark cue adjacent to the target to find the target. Overall, the results indicate the designed hexagonal room game can enhance spatial cognition among all age groups of adults.
... In parallel with the app, a serious game has been developed to foster users' motivation (45). The serious game tackles specific subdomains such as strength, balance, and flexibility training for the physical domain or spatial navigation, inhibition and visuo-motor functioning for the cognitive domain (46). This is done thanks to an in-game virtual character (called Nestor) leading the user through a series of mini-games and guided exercises. ...
In the context of the fourth revolution in healthcare technologies, leveraging monitoring and personalization across different domains becomes a key factor for providing useful services to maintain and promote well-being. This is even more crucial for older people, with aging being a complex multi-dimensional and multi-factorial process which can lead to frailty. The NESTORE project was recently funded by the EU Commission with the aim of supporting healthy older people to sustain their well-being and capacity to live independently. It is based on a multi-dimensional model of the healthy aging process that covers physical activity, nutrition, cognition, and social activity. NESTORE is based on the paradigm of the human-in-the-loop cyber-physical system that, exploiting the availability of Internet of Things technologies combined with analytics in the cloud, provides a virtual coaching system to support healthy aging. This work describes the design of the NESTORE methodology and its IoT architecture. We first model the end-user under several domains, then we present the NESTORE system that, analyzing relevant key-markers, provides coaching activities and personalized feedback to the user. Finally, we describe the validation strategy to assess the effectiveness of NESTORE as a coaching platform for healthy aging.
... The few available multi-domain training interventions including cognitively complex group activities (e.g., ), problem solving (Stine-Morrow et al. 2008, or video games (see Green et al. this volume, Strobach and Schubert this volume) have also shown small to moderate transfer effects to some cognitive functions, including executive functioning , episodic memory, or processing speed. However, in order to design effective training interventions in the future, the understanding of the underlying processes, the cognitive functions targeted, and a high degree of ecological validity are necessary (see also Binder et al. 2015 ). ...
... Similarly, a large part of the computer-based cognitive training interventions contain standard cognitive tasks. Another way to go from lab to life is to adopt video games or serious games containing tasks that more appropriately match everyday life challenges (Binder et al. 2015 ) or to directly engage in novel and cognitively demanding activities such as quilting or digital photography Stine-Morrow et al. 2008 ). ...
Working memory (WM) is a limited capacity system which is responsible for simultaneously maintaining and processing information. Reliable individual differences in this capacity place limiting constraints for performing other cognitive activities. Thus, WM training might even benefit a wide range of cognitive functions. This prospect makes WM training very prominent and also controversial. In the present chapter, we briefly illustrated common training regimes and reviewed the empirical evidence for training effects on the trained WM tasks, near transfer to non-trained WM tasks, and far transfer to different cognitive functions. Consistent evidence across different age groups from all over the lifespan and across several meta-analyses speaks in favor of significant average training effects and significant near transfer to non-trained WM tasks. However, evidence for far transfer to, for example, fluid intelligence, executive functions, and academic achievement, is mixed. We reviewed current topics of discussion in the field and concluded that a greater focus on variables possibly moderating transfer effects (e.g., individual differences and situational characteristics during training) is necessary to better understand conflicting findings. More research on far transfer effects is needed because even small effects could actually make a difference relevant to everyday life.
... The few available multi-domain training interventions including cognitively complex group activities (e.g., ), problem solving (Stine-Morrow et al. 2008, or video games (see Green et al. this volume, Strobach and Schubert this volume) have also shown small to moderate transfer effects to some cognitive functions, including executive functioning , episodic memory, or processing speed. However, in order to design effective training interventions in the future, the understanding of the underlying processes, the cognitive functions targeted, and a high degree of ecological validity are necessary (see also Binder et al. 2015 ). ...
... Similarly, a large part of the computer-based cognitive training interventions contain standard cognitive tasks. Another way to go from lab to life is to adopt video games or serious games containing tasks that more appropriately match everyday life challenges (Binder et al. 2015 ) or to directly engage in novel and cognitively demanding activities such as quilting or digital photography Stine-Morrow et al. 2008 ). ...
The area of cognitive training is a dynamically and fast growing research area that is also increasingly incorporated into scientific education. At the same time, it is characterized by an ongoing debate, particularly regarding the generalizability of training-induced performance gains. The present chapter provides an introduction into this research field and illustrates the framework of the second edition of “Cognitive training: An overview of features and applications”. This book includes five sections and 27 chapters providing comprehensive overviews of state-of-the art research in cognitive training. They focus on basic concepts and methodologies in cognitive training research, cognitive plasticity in different age groups and domains as well as on training in applied domains. The book addresses students and researchers on all academic levels as well as in applied contexts by outlining empirical findings and methodological approaches of cognitive training research in different populations, age groups, and cognitive domains.
