Working Memory Training Effects on White Matter Integrity in Young and Older Adults

Dziemian, Sabine; Dziemian, Sabine; Dziemian, Sabine; Dziemian, Sabine; Appenzeller, Sarah; von Bastian, Claudia C.; von Bastian, Claudia C.; Jäncke, Lutz; Jäncke, Lutz; Langer, Nicolas; Langer, Nicolas; Langer, Nicolas; Langer, Nicolas · 2021 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.605213

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Summary

This study investigates whether intensive working memory (WM) training induces structural plasticity in the white matter of young and older adults. While cognitive training is a promising intervention for delaying age-related WM decline, the underlying neural mechanisms, particularly regarding white matter integrity, remain poorly understood. Previous research has primarily focused on gray matter changes or functional connectivity, with limited evidence regarding white matter adaptations in older populations. The authors aimed to determine if WM training improves white matter integrity, operationalized as changes in mean diffusivity (MD), in fiber tracts associated with the frontoparietal network and visual streams. The researchers conducted a longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study involving 52 participants: 32 young adults (mean age 23) and 20 older adults (mean age 69). Participants were randomly assigned to either an adaptive WM training group or an active control group. The intervention consisted of 20 sessions over four weeks, performed at home using computer-based tasks. The WM group trained on tasks targeting storage and processing, relational integration, and supervision. The active control group performed tasks of similar difficulty and motivation but unrelated to WM, such as general knowledge quizzes and visual search tasks. The study was double-blinded to control for expectancy effects. Participants underwent DTI scans before and after the training period. Data were processed using the Automated Fiber Tract Quantification (AFQ) toolbox to analyze MD in specific tracts, including the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), and corpus callosum. Behavioral analysis confirmed that the WM training group improved their performance on trained tasks compared to the control group. Neuroanatomical results revealed significant decreases in mean diffusivity, indicating improved white matter integrity, in the training group. Specifically, older adults showed decreased MD in the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus. Both young and older participants in the training group exhibited decreased MD in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus. No significant changes were observed in the active control group or in the control tract (corticospinal tract). The findings demonstrate that older adults can benefit from working memory training, with improvements reflected in both behavioral performance and structural brain changes. The decrease in mean diffusivity in the superior longitudinal fasciculus, a key component of the frontoparietal network, suggests that WM training induces beneficial microstructural plasticity, such as increased myelination or fiber rearrangement. This study provides evidence that cognitive interventions can alter white matter integrity in aging brains, supporting the potential of WM training as a tool for maintaining cognitive health and independence in older populations.

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• cognitive capacity variation