Distractor filtering and task load in working memory training in healthy older adults

Filtering efficiency (FE) has been suggested as a task-related process of working memory (WM) in older adults, but the interaction of distractors with WM when implemented as a training to improve WM capacity is unclear. To investigate the effect of manipulations of WM and/or FE load in a multicomponent model-based WM training in improving WM capacity. 205 healthy older adults (129 women; aged 64.0 ± 8.3 years) were randomised into three WM training groups with manipulations of WM and FE load (high WM; low FE load, high WM; high FE load and low WM; high FE load). All groups underwent three online cognitive testing sessions and twelve 40-min training sessions over three weeks using the SmartBrain smartphone application. WM capacity was measured with complex span tasks and FE using the Change Detection Task. Linear mixed-effect models adjusted for age, sex, education and pre-baseline performance showed increased WM capacity post-training, but no difference between groups. While both distractors and WM are needed to improve WM in the absence of distraction, manipulations of the FE and WM load do not influence improvements following training.