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Updated: Feb 12, 2026
Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
Working Memory Training Following Neonatal Critical Illness: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Raisa M Schiller1,2, Marlous J Madderom1, Joost van Rosmalen3
1Intensive Care and Department of Pediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
Cogmed Working Memory Training improved verbal and visuospatial working memory immediately in survivors of neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and/or congenital diaphragmatic hernia. However, these gains were not sustained long-term, except for visuospatial memory.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Medicine
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) can impact neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- Working memory deficits are common in survivors of these conditions.
- Cognitive training interventions aim to improve cognitive functions in at-risk populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the immediate and long-term effectiveness of Cogmed Working Memory Training (WMT) in children who survived neonatal ECMO and/or CDH.
- To assess the impact of WMT on verbal and visuospatial working memory.
- To determine if improvements persist one year after the intervention.
Main Methods:
- A nationwide randomized controlled trial was conducted with 8-12 year old survivors.
- Participants had pre-existing working memory deficits (z-score ≤ -1.5).
- The intervention group (n=19) received Cogmed WMT, while the control group (n=24) received no intervention. Neuropsychological outcomes were assessed immediately (T1) and one year (T2) post-intervention.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements in verbal and visuospatial working memory were observed immediately post-intervention (T1).
- At one-year follow-up (T2), these improvements were no longer significant for verbal working memory but persisted for visuospatial working memory.
- Long-term gains in visuospatial memory were associated with better self-rated school functioning and parent-rated attention.
Conclusions:
- Cogmed WMT shows immediate benefits for working memory in pediatric survivors of critical neonatal conditions.
- Long-term working memory improvements are not consistently maintained, with the exception of visuospatial memory.
- Cogmed WMT may offer specific benefits for visuospatial memory deficits in this population, potentially impacting daily functioning.
Objectives:
To test the immediate and long-term effectiveness of Cogmed Working Memory Training following extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and/or congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
Design:
A nationwide randomized controlled trial assessing neuropsychologic outcome immediately and 1 year post Cogmed Working Memory Training, conducted between October 2014 and June 2017. Researchers involved in the follow-up assessments were blinded to group allocation.
Setting:
Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, and Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Patients:
Eligible participants were neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and/or congenital diaphragmatic hernia survivors (8-12 yr) with an intelligence quotient greater than or equal to 80 and a z score less than or equal to -1.5 on at least one (working) memory test at first assessment.
Interventions:
Cogmed Working Memory Training, comprising 25 45-minute training sessions for 5 consecutive weeks at home.
Measurements And Main Results:
Participants were randomized to Cogmed Working Memory Training (n = 19) or no intervention (n = 24) (two dropped out after T0). Verbal working memory (estimated coefficient = 0.87; p = 0.002) and visuospatial working memory (estimated coefficient=0.96, p = 0.003) significantly improved at T1 post Cogmed Working Memory Training but was similar between groups at T2 (verbal, p = 0.902; visuospatial, p = 0.416). Improvements were found at T2 on long-term visuospatial memory following Cogmed Working Memory Training (estimated coefficient = 0.95; p = 0.003). Greater improvements in this domain at T2 following Cogmed Working Memory Training were associated with better self-rated school functioning (r = 0.541; p = 0.031) and parent-rated attention (r = 0.672; p = 0.006).
Conclusions:
Working memory improvements after Cogmed Working Memory Training disappeared 1 year post training in neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and/or congenital diaphragmatic hernia survivors. Gains in visuospatial memory persisted 1 year post intervention. Cogmed Working Memory Training may be beneficial for survivors with visuospatial memory deficits.
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