3-Dimensional Multiple Object Tracking Training Can Enhance Selective Attention, Psychomotor Speed, and Cognitive Flexibility in Healthy Older Adults

Spaner, Caroline; Musteata, Stela; Kenny, Rebecca; Gawryluk, Jodie; Hofer, Scott; Christie, Brian; Harada, C; Love, Natelson; Triebel, M; K; Murman, Dl1; Kirova, A; Bays, R; Lagalwar, S; Salthouse, T; Turner, G; Spreng, R; Eidels, A; Townsend, J; Algom, D; Karthaus, M; Falkenstein, M; Richardson, E; Marottoli, R; Svetina, M; Coubard, O; Duretz, S; Lefebvre, V; Lapalus, P; Ferrufino, L; Aron, A; Monsell, S; Sahakian, B; Robbins, T; Johnson, M; Mitchell, K; Raye, C; Greene, E; Mozolic, J; Hayasaka, S; Laurienti, P; Zamroziewicz, M; Zwilling, C; Barbey, A; Cabeza, R; Nyberg, L; Milham, M; Erickson, K; Banich, M; Kramer, A; Webb, A; Raz, N; Solbakk, A; Fuhrmann, A; Furst, A; Hale, L; Oga, T; Chetty, S; Pickard, N; Knight, R; Bherer, L; Kramer, A; Peterson, M; Colcombe, S; Erickson, K; Kheirbek, M; Hen, R; Valkanova, V; Eguia; Rodriguez, R; Ebmeier, K; Pylyshyn, Z; Storm, R; Scholl, B; Romeas, T; Guldner, A; Faubert, J; Faubert, J; Sidebottom, L; Faubert, J; Legault, I; Faubert, J; Legault, I; Allard, R; Faubert, J; Oshin, V; Parsons, B; Magill, T; Boucher, A; Zhang, M; Zogbo, K; Brub, S; Faubert, .; J; Drew, T; Mccollough, A; Colzato, L; Van Leeuwen, Pja; Van Den Wildenberg, Wpm; Hommel, B; Vul, E; Frank, M; Alvarez, G; Tenenbaum, J; Trick, L; Perl, T; Sethi, N; Tomasi, D; Volkow, N; Andrade, C; Radhakrishnan, R; Konar, A; Singh, P; Thakur, M; Faubert, J; Hairston, W; Maldjian, J; Allampati, S; Duarte-Rojo, A; Tacker, L; Patidar, K; White, M; Barbarotto, R; Laiacona, M; Frosio, R; Vecchio, M; Farinato, A; Bench, C; Frith, C; Grasby, P; Friston, K; Paulesu, E; Macleod, C; Bajaj, J; Heuman, D; Sterling, R; Sanyal, A; Siddiqui, M; Ball, K; Berch, D; Helmers, K; Jobe, J; Leveck, M; Krell-Roesch, J; Vemuri, P; Pink, A; Roberts, R; Stokin, G; Royston, P; West, S; Finch, J; Curran, P; Anguera, J; Boccanfuso, J; Rintoul, J; Ro, Al-Hashimi; Faraji, F; Ball, K; Edwards, J; Ross, L; Basak, C; Boot, W; Voss, M; Kramer, A; Parsons, B; Magill, T; Boucher, A; Zhang, M; Zogbo, K; Envig, A; Fjell, A; Westlye, L; Moberget, T; Sundseth, O; Bherer, L; Kramer, A; Peterson, M; Colcombe, S; Erickson, K; Bisson, E; Contant, B; Sveistrup, H; Lajoie, Y; Fragala, M; Beyer, K; Jajtner, A; Townsend, J; Pruna, G; Gesta-Martino, E; Ott, B; Heindel, W; Gunstad, J; Paul, R; Brickman, A; Cohen, R; Arns, M; Zhou, S; Lee, Fan; Wang, Tmc; Wang, C; K; Clark, R; Freedberg, M; Hazeltine, E; Voss, M; Kliegl, R; Smith, J; Baltes, P; Yang, L; Krampe, R; Baltes, P; Singer, T; Lindenberger, U; Baltes, P; Clarkson-Smith, L; Hartley, A; Gajewski, P; Falkenstein, M; Williams, K; Kemper, S; Collie, A; Maruff, P; Darby, D; Mcstephen, M; Goldberg, T; Harvey, P; Wesnes, K; Snyder, P; Schneider, L; Rajan, K; Wilson, R; Weuve, J; Barnes, L; Evans, D; Bryant, O'; Humphreys, S; Smith, J; Ivnik, G; Graff-Radford, R; N; Santacruz, K; Swagerty, D; Liapis, J; Harding, K; Wood, J; Owsley, C; Spaner, C; Musteata, S; Kenny, R; Gawryluk, J; Hofer, S; Christie, B · 2019 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.31038/asmhs.2019341

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Summary

This pilot study investigated whether 3-dimensional multiple object tracking (3D-MOT) training could improve selective attention, psychomotor speed, and cognitive flexibility in healthy older adults. The research was motivated by documented age-related declines in executive functions, particularly complex attention and cognitive flexibility, which are linked to structural changes in the prefrontal cortex. While 3D-MOT has been used to enhance cognitive abilities in athletes and younger populations, its efficacy in delaying or reversing cognitive decline in older adults remained unclear. The study specifically aimed to determine if gains from Neurotracker training would transfer to standardized measures of cognitive function. The study involved 46 healthy adults aged 63–87 years, divided into an intervention group (n=25) and a control group (n=21). The intervention group completed 21 sessions of Neurotracker training over seven weeks, consisting of three sessions per week. The Neurotracker task required participants to track four target spheres among eight moving spheres in a 3D space, with difficulty adjusted via a staircase algorithm based on performance. Cognitive outcomes were measured using the Stroop test administered via the EncephalApp smartphone application before and after the intervention period. The Stroop test assessed psychomotor speed and selective attention (Off-Time condition), psychomotor speed and cognitive flexibility (On-Time condition), and isolated cognitive flexibility (On-Time minus Off-Time condition). The control group completed the Stroop test at the same intervals without undergoing training. Statistical analyses included paired t-tests to compare pre- and post-intervention scores within groups and between groups. The results demonstrated significant improvements in the intervention group across all measured cognitive domains. Participants showed significant reductions in completion time for the On-Time minus Off-Time condition, indicating improved cognitive flexibility (p = 0.002). Significant improvements were also observed in psychomotor speed and selective attention (Off-Time condition, p = 0.002) and in the combined measure of psychomotor speed and cognitive flexibility (On-Time condition, p < 0.001). In contrast, the control group showed no significant changes in Stroop test performance over the same period. Post-hoc analyses revealed that while older participants (aged 74+) had slower baseline performance, they exhibited the largest percentage improvements in cognitive flexibility and combined psychomotor speed/flexibility following training. No significant correlations were found between education level or sex and the magnitude of cognitive improvement. The study concludes that Neurotracker-based 3D-MOT training is an effective tool for enhancing selective attention, psychomotor speed, and cognitive flexibility in healthy older adults. The findings suggest that such interventions can produce far-transfer effects to standardized cognitive measures, supporting the use of customized video games as viable tools for mitigating age-related cognitive decline. The results imply that regular engagement in perceptual-cognitive training may help maintain executive function and adaptive capacity in aging populations.

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