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Dynamics of the human structural connectome underlying working memory training
Caeyenberghs, Karen Metzler-Baddeley, Claudia Foley, Sonya Jones, Derek K.
Caeyenberghs, Karen
Metzler-Baddeley, Claudia
Foley, Sonya
Jones, Derek K.
Abstract
Brain region-specific changes have been demonstrated with a variety of cognitive training interventions. The effect of cognitive training on brain subnetworks in humans, however, remains largely unknown, with studies limited to functional networks. Here, we used a well-established working memory training program and state-of-the art neuroimaging methods in 40 healthy adults ( 21 females, mean age 26.5 years ). Near and far-transfer training effects were assessed using computerized working memory and executive function tasks. Adaptive working memory training led to improvement on ( non )trained working memory tasks and generalization to tasks of reasoning and inhibition. Graph theoretical analysis of the structural ( white matter ) network connectivity ( “connectome” ) revealed increased global integration within a frontoparietal attention network following adaptive working memory training compared with the nonadaptive group. Furthermore, the impact on the outcome of graph theoretical analyses of different white matter metrics to infer “connection strength” was evaluated. Increased efficiency of the frontoparietal network was best captured when using connection strengths derived from MR metrics that are thought to be more sensitive to differences in myelination ( putatively indexed by the [quantitative] longitudinal relaxation rate, R1 ) than previously used diffusion MRI metrics ( fractional anisotropy or fiber-tracking recovered streamlines ). Our findings emphasize the critical role of specific microstructural markers in providing important hints toward the mechanisms underpinning training-induced plasticity that may drive working memory improvement in clinical populations.
Keywords
cognitive control, connectome, diffusion MRI, graph analysis, memory training, structural MRI
Date
2016
Type
Journal article
Journal
The Journal of Neuroscience
Book
Volume
36
Issue
14
Page Range
4056-4066
Article Number
ACU Department
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
License
CC BY 4.0
File Access
Open
Notes
Copyright © 2016 Caeyenberghs, Metzler-Baddeley et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License Creative CommonsAttribution 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium provided that the original work is properly attributed.