title: Working memory training shows immediate and long-term effects on cognitive performance in children.
abstract: Working memory is important for mental reasoning and learning processes. Several studies in adults and school-age children have shown performance improvement in cognitive tests after working memory training. Our aim was to examine not only immediate but also long-term effects of intensive working memory training on cognitive performance tests in children. Fourteen healthy male subjects between 10 and 16 years trained a visuospatial n-back task over 3 weeks (30 min daily), while 15 individuals of the same age range served as a passive control group. Significant differences in immediate (after 3 weeks of training) and long-term effects (after 2-6 months) in an auditory n-back task were observed compared to controls (2.5 fold immediate and 4.7 fold long-term increase in the training group compared to the controls). The improvement was more pronounced in subjects who improved their performance during the training. Other cognitive functions (matrices test and Stroop task) did not change when comparing the training group to the control group. We conclude that visuospatial working memory training in children boosts performance in similar memory tasks such as the auditory n-back task. The sustained performance improvement several months after the training supports the effectiveness of the training.
authors: Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, 8032, Switzerland ; Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland.
authors: Fiona
authors: F
authors: Pugin
authors: Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland ; Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, Division of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, 8091, Switzerland.
authors: Andreas J
authors: AJ
authors: Metz
authors: Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, 8032, Switzerland ; Division of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8050, Switzerland.
authors: Madlaina
authors: M
authors: Stauffer
authors: Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland ; Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, Division of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, 8091, Switzerland.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Wolf
authors: Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, 8032, Switzerland ; Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland ; Children's Research Center (CRC), University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, 8032, Switzerland.
authors: Oskar G
authors: OG
authors: Jenni
authors: Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, 8032, Switzerland ; Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland ; Children's Research Center (CRC), University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, 8032, Switzerland.
authors: Reto
authors: R
authors: Huber