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Investigating the brain structural connectome following working memory training in children born extremely preterm or

Claire E Kelly1,2, Rebecca Harding1, Katherine J Lee1,3,4

  • 1Victorian Infant Brain Studies (VIBeS), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Journal of Neuroscience Research
|February 24, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Working memory training did not significantly alter brain connectivity in extremely preterm/low birth weight children. Results suggest Cogmed may not specifically impact structural brain networks underlying memory in this vulnerable population.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Cognitive Psychology

Background:

  • Children born extremely preterm (EP) or extremely low birth weight (ELBW) face heightened risks of working memory deficits.
  • Brain structural connectivity networks are crucial for working memory function.
  • Understanding interventions that may improve cognitive outcomes in this population is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of a working memory training program (Cogmed) versus a placebo on brain structural connectivity in children born EP/ELBW.
  • To determine if Cogmed training leads to changes in structural connectivity networks related to working memory performance.

Main Methods:

  • A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial involving 91 children born EP/ELBW at 7 years of age.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to analyze brain structural connectivity before and after the intervention in a subset of participants.
  • Graph theoretical analysis of T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted images assessed changes in connectivity metrics.

Main Results:

  • No significant training-specific effects on brain structural connectivity networks were observed between the Cogmed and placebo groups.
  • Changes in structural connectivity metrics post-training were largely similar across both randomized groups.
  • Little evidence linked changes in structural connectivity to improvements in working memory performance.

Conclusions:

  • The Cogmed working memory training program demonstrated limited evidence of specific effects on structural brain connectivity networks in children born EP/ELBW.
  • Further research may be needed to explore alternative or combined interventions for enhancing working memory in this high-risk group.

Keywords:
diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imagingmagnetic resonance imagingpreterm birth

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