2021 |
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Nicholas Judd, Torkel Klingberg, Douglas Sjöwall Working memory capacity, variability, and response to intervention at age 6 and its association to inattention and mathematics age 9 Journal Article Cognitive Development, 58 (12), pp. 101013, 2021. @article{Judd2021, title = {Working memory capacity, variability, and response to intervention at age 6 and its association to inattention and mathematics age 9}, author = {Nicholas Judd, Torkel Klingberg, Douglas Sjöwall}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885201421000083}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2021.101013}, year = {2021}, date = {2021-04-01}, journal = {Cognitive Development}, volume = {58}, number = {12}, pages = {101013}, abstract = {Classically, neuropsychological evaluation only estimates an individual’s performance at one time point. For example, working memory (WM) capacity is commonly determined in a single test session. However, recent research in WM plasticity and variability has suggested performance over several sessions/days might aid in evaluating children. Here, we explored four temporal properties of WM: WM measured once, as a mean over three days (multiple-session-baseline performance), variability over 8 weeks, and performance improvement over an 8-week WM training program. To examine independence we controlled for a single-session, multiple task WM assessment while predicting inattention and mathematics three years later (n = 178, mean age 80 months at training, 49 % boys). Our results showed improved prediction for mathematics from WM training improvement and variability, yet this was not the case for inattention. While the additional variance added was not substantial, our results indicate clinically relevant information present in these alternative WM measures.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Classically, neuropsychological evaluation only estimates an individual’s performance at one time point. For example, working memory (WM) capacity is commonly determined in a single test session. However, recent research in WM plasticity and variability has suggested performance over several sessions/days might aid in evaluating children. Here, we explored four temporal properties of WM: WM measured once, as a mean over three days (multiple-session-baseline performance), variability over 8 weeks, and performance improvement over an 8-week WM training program. To examine independence we controlled for a single-session, multiple task WM assessment while predicting inattention and mathematics three years later (n = 178, mean age 80 months at training, 49 % boys). Our results showed improved prediction for mathematics from WM training improvement and variability, yet this was not the case for inattention. While the additional variance added was not substantial, our results indicate clinically relevant information present in these alternative WM measures. | |
2012 |
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Stina Söderqvist, Sissela Bergman Nutley, Myriam Peyrard-Janvid, Hans Matsson, Keith Humphreys, Juha Kere, Torkel Klingberg Dopamine, working memory, and training induced plasticity: Implications for developmental research Journal Article Developmental Psychology, 48 (3), pp. 836–843, 2012, ISSN: 00121649. @article{Soderqvist2012, title = {Dopamine, working memory, and training induced plasticity: Implications for developmental research}, author = {Stina Söderqvist and Sissela Bergman Nutley and Myriam Peyrard-Janvid and Hans Matsson and Keith Humphreys and Juha Kere and Torkel Klingberg}, doi = {10.1037/a0026179}, issn = {00121649}, year = {2012}, date = {2012-01-01}, journal = {Developmental Psychology}, volume = {48}, number = {3}, pages = {836--843}, abstract = {Cognitive deficits and particularly deficits in working memory (WM) capacity are common features in neuropsychiatric disorders. Understanding the underlying mechanisms through which WM capacity can be improved is therefore of great importance. Several lines of research indicate that dopamine plays an important role not only in WM function but also for improving WM capacity. For example, pharmacological interventions acting on the dopaminergic system, such as methylphenidate, improve WM performance. In addition, behavioral interventions for improving WM performance in the form of intensive computerized training have recently been associated with changes in dopamine receptor density. These two different means of improving WM performance--pharmacological and behavioral--are thus associated with similar biological mechanisms in the brain involving dopaminergic systems. This article reviews some of the evidence for the role of dopamine in WM functioning, in particular concerning the link to WM development and cognitive plasticity. Novel data are presented showing that variation in the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) influences improvements in WM and fluid intelligence in preschool-age children following cognitive training. Our results emphasize the importance of the role of dopamine in determining cognitive plasticity.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Cognitive deficits and particularly deficits in working memory (WM) capacity are common features in neuropsychiatric disorders. Understanding the underlying mechanisms through which WM capacity can be improved is therefore of great importance. Several lines of research indicate that dopamine plays an important role not only in WM function but also for improving WM capacity. For example, pharmacological interventions acting on the dopaminergic system, such as methylphenidate, improve WM performance. In addition, behavioral interventions for improving WM performance in the form of intensive computerized training have recently been associated with changes in dopamine receptor density. These two different means of improving WM performance--pharmacological and behavioral--are thus associated with similar biological mechanisms in the brain involving dopaminergic systems. This article reviews some of the evidence for the role of dopamine in WM functioning, in particular concerning the link to WM development and cognitive plasticity. Novel data are presented showing that variation in the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) influences improvements in WM and fluid intelligence in preschool-age children following cognitive training. Our results emphasize the importance of the role of dopamine in determining cognitive plasticity. | |
2007 |
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Helena Westerberg, Torkel Klingberg Changes in cortical activity after training of working memory - a single-subject analysis Journal Article Physiology and Behavior, 92 (1-2), pp. 186–192, 2007, ISSN: 00319384. @article{Westerberg2007, title = {Changes in cortical activity after training of working memory - a single-subject analysis}, author = {Helena Westerberg and Torkel Klingberg}, doi = {10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.05.041}, issn = {00319384}, year = {2007}, date = {2007-01-01}, journal = {Physiology and Behavior}, volume = {92}, number = {1-2}, pages = {186--192}, abstract = {Working memory (WM) capacity is an important factor for a wide range of cognitive skills. This capacity has generally been assumed to be fixed. However, recent studies have suggested that WM can be improved by intensive, computerized training [Klingberg T, Fernell E, Olesen P, Johnson M, Gustafsson P, Dahlström K, et al. Computerized training of working memory in children with ADHD - a randomized, controlled trial. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psych 2005;44:177--86]. A recent study by Olesen, Westerberg and Klingberg [Olesen P, Westerberg H, Klingberg T. Increased prefrontal and parietal brain activity after training of working memory. Nat Neurosci 2004;7:75--9] showed that group analysis of brain activity data show increases in prefrontal and parietal cortices after WM training. In the present study we performed single-subject analysis of the changes in brain activity after five weeks of training. Three young, healthy adults participated in the study. On two separate days before practice and during one day after practice, brain activity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during performance of a WM and a baseline task. Practice on the WM tasks gradually improved performance and this effect lasted several months. The effect of practice also generalized to improve performance on a non-trained WM task and a reasoning task. After training, WM-related brain activity was significantly increased in the middle and inferior frontal gyrus. The changes in activity were not due to activations of any additional area that was not activated before training. Instead, the changes could best be described by small increases in the extent of the area of activated cortex. The effect of training of WM is thus in several respects similar to the changes in the functional map observed in primate studies of skill learning, although the physiological effect in WM training is located in the prefrontal association cortex. textcopyright 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Working memory (WM) capacity is an important factor for a wide range of cognitive skills. This capacity has generally been assumed to be fixed. However, recent studies have suggested that WM can be improved by intensive, computerized training [Klingberg T, Fernell E, Olesen P, Johnson M, Gustafsson P, Dahlström K, et al. Computerized training of working memory in children with ADHD - a randomized, controlled trial. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psych 2005;44:177--86]. A recent study by Olesen, Westerberg and Klingberg [Olesen P, Westerberg H, Klingberg T. Increased prefrontal and parietal brain activity after training of working memory. Nat Neurosci 2004;7:75--9] showed that group analysis of brain activity data show increases in prefrontal and parietal cortices after WM training. In the present study we performed single-subject analysis of the changes in brain activity after five weeks of training. Three young, healthy adults participated in the study. On two separate days before practice and during one day after practice, brain activity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during performance of a WM and a baseline task. Practice on the WM tasks gradually improved performance and this effect lasted several months. The effect of practice also generalized to improve performance on a non-trained WM task and a reasoning task. After training, WM-related brain activity was significantly increased in the middle and inferior frontal gyrus. The changes in activity were not due to activations of any additional area that was not activated before training. Instead, the changes could best be described by small increases in the extent of the area of activated cortex. The effect of training of WM is thus in several respects similar to the changes in the functional map observed in primate studies of skill learning, although the physiological effect in WM training is located in the prefrontal association cortex. textcopyright 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
2021 |
|
Working memory capacity, variability, and response to intervention at age 6 and its association to inattention and mathematics age 9 Journal Article Cognitive Development, 58 (12), pp. 101013, 2021. | |
2012 |
|
Dopamine, working memory, and training induced plasticity: Implications for developmental research Journal Article Developmental Psychology, 48 (3), pp. 836–843, 2012, ISSN: 00121649. | |
2007 |
|
Changes in cortical activity after training of working memory - a single-subject analysis Journal Article Physiology and Behavior, 92 (1-2), pp. 186–192, 2007, ISSN: 00319384. |