The neural correlates of working memory training in typically developing children

Jones, Jonathan S; Adlam, Anna-Lynne R; Benattayallah, Abdelmalek; Milton, Fraser N · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13721

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (DOI — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This study investigates the neural mechanisms underlying working memory training in typically developing children, addressing a gap in understanding how such interventions affect brain structure and function. While behavioral meta-analyses confirm that training improves performance on untrained tasks, evidence regarding generalizable cognitive benefits and the specific neurobiological substrates involved remains limited and inconsistent. The authors aimed to determine if adaptive working memory training induces neuroplastic changes in task-related activation, resting-state functional connectivity, and gray matter volume, thereby providing a mechanistic account of training efficacy and its implications for neurodevelopment. The research employed a randomized controlled design with 32 typically developing children aged 10–14 years. Participants were assigned to either an adaptive training group using the Cogmed RoboMemo program or a non-adaptive control group performing a verbal updating task. Both groups underwent training for approximately 45 minutes daily, five days a week, over five weeks. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included behavioral measures of working memory and intelligence, as well as multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI data comprised functional scans during simple and complex span tasks, resting-state scans, and structural scans to measure gray matter volume. Statistical analyses compared changes in brain activation, functional connectivity, and structure between the two groups, with specific regions of interest including the middle frontal gyrus and superior parietal lobule. The results demonstrated that adaptive training significantly improved working memory performance compared to the control group. Neuroimaging data revealed that these behavioral gains were associated with increased intrinsic functional connectivity between the bilateral intraparietal sulci. Furthermore, improvements in working memory performance correlated with greater recruitment of the left middle frontal gyrus during a complex span task. The study found that repeated engagement of fronto-parietal regions during training likely increases their activity and functional connectivity over time. No significant differences were observed in gray matter volume or functional connectivity within the dorsal attention network between the groups. These findings suggest that working memory training induces specific neuroplastic changes in fronto-parietal networks, supporting the view that repeated cognitive practice can refine functional networks to afford greater working memory capacity. The association between improved performance and increased recruitment of the left middle frontal gyrus implies that training may enhance the precision of neuronal recruitment rather than merely increasing efficiency. From a neurodevelopmental perspective, these experience-dependent changes mirror typical developmental trends where brain activity becomes more localized to core working memory regions. The study provides empirical support for the plausibility of generalizable cognitive benefits from a neurobiological standpoint, highlighting the role of fronto-parietal connectivity in mediating the effects of cognitive training in childhood.

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed.

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• cognitive capacity variation