Publications

@article{Sauce2021,
title = {Change by challenge: A common genetic basis behind childhood cognitive development and cognitive training},
author = {Bruno Sauce, John Wiedenhoeft, Nicholas Judd, Torkel Klingberg},
doi = {10.1038/s41539-021-00096-6},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-06-02},
journal = {Nature Science of Learning},
abstract = {The interplay of genetic and environmental factors behind cognitive development has preoccupied multiple fields of science and sparked heated debates over the decades. Here we tested the hypothesis that developmental genes rely heavily on cognitive challenges—as opposed to natural maturation. Starting with a polygenic score (cogPGS) that previously explained variation in cognitive performance in adults, we estimated its effect in 344 children and adolescents (mean age of 12 years old, ranging from 6 to 25) who showed changes in working memory (WM) in two distinct samples: (1) a developmental sample showing significant WM gains after 2 years of typical, age-related development, and (2) a training sample showing significant, experimentally-induced WM gains after 25 days of an intense WM training. We found that the same genetic factor, cogPGS, significantly explained the amount of WM gain in both samples. And there was no interaction of cogPGS with sample, suggesting that those genetic factors are neutral to whether the WM gains came from development or training. These results represent evidence that cognitive challenges are a central piece in the gene-environment interplay during cognitive development. We believe our study sheds new light on previous findings of interindividual differences in education (rich-get-richer and compensation effects), brain plasticity in children, and the heritability increase of intelligence across the lifespan.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Judd2020b,
title = {Training spatial cognition enhances mathematical learning in a randomized study of 17,000 children},
author = {Nicholas Judd, Torkel Klingberg},
doi = {10.1038/s41562-021-01118-4},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-05-01},
journal = {Nature Human Behaviour},
abstract = {Spatial and mathematical abilities are strongly associated. Here, we analysed data from 17,648 children, aged 6–8 years, who performed 7 weeks of mathematical training together with randomly assigned spatial cognitive training with tasks demanding more spatial manipulation (mental rotation or tangram), maintenance of spatial information (a visuospatial working memory task) or spatial, non-verbal reasoning. We found that the type of cognitive training children performed had a significant impact on mathematical learning, with training of visuospatial working memory and reasoning being the most effective. This large, community-based study shows that spatial cognitive training can result in transfer to academic abilities, and that reasoning ability and maintenance of spatial information is relevant for mathematics learning in young children.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Sjowall2017,
title = {No long-term effect of physical activity intervention on working memory or arithmetic in preadolescents},
author = {Douglas Sjöwall and Mattias Hertz and Torkel Klingberg},
doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01342},
issn = {16641078},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-01-01},
journal = {Frontiers in Psychology},
volume = {8},
number = {AUG},
pages = {1--10},
abstract = {We investigate if increased physical activity leads to enhanced working memory capacity and arithmetic performance, in a 2-year school-based intervention in preadolescent children (age 6-13). The active school (n = 228) increased physical activity (aimed at increasing cardiovascular fitness) from 2 to 5 days a week while the control school (n = 242) remained at 2 days. Twice a year, participants performed tests of arithmetic as well as verbal and spatial working memory. They also rated stress with a questionnaire at the start and at the end of the intervention. There was no beneficial development of working memory or arithmetic for the active school as compared to the control school. Furthermore, subgroup analyses revealed no favorable intervention effect for high/low baseline fitness, cognition or grit. Unexpectedly, a significant increase in self-rated stress was detected for the active school and this effect was driven by girls rather than boys and by the younger rather than older children. These results indicate that longtime high intensity physical activity does not lead to a beneficial development of working memory or arithmetic in preadolescent children.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{McNab2009,
title = {Changes in cortical dopamine D1 receptor binding associated with cognitive training},
author = {Fiona McNab and Andrea Varrone and Lars Farde and Aurelija Jucaite and Paulina Bystritsky and Hans Forssberg and Torkel Klingberg and Fiona McNab and Andrea Varrone and Lars Farde and Aurelija Jucaite and Paulina Bystritsky and Hans Forssberg and Torkel Klingberg},
url = {http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi/10.1126/science.1166102%5Cnpapers3://publication/doi/10.1126/science.1166102 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19197069 http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi/10.1126/science.1166102},
doi = {10.1126/science.1166102},
issn = {00368075},
year = {2009},
date = {2009-02-01},
journal = {Science},
volume = {323},
number = {5915},
pages = {800--802},
abstract = {Working memory is a key function for human cognition, dependent on adequate dopamine neurotransmission. Here we show that the training of working memory, which improves working memory capacity, is associated with changes in the density of cortical dopamine D1 receptors. Fourteen hours of training over 5 weeks was associated with changes in both prefrontal and parietal D1 binding potential. This plasticity of the dopamine D1 receptor system demonstrates a reciprocal interplay between mental activity and brain biochemistry in vivo.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}