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Updated: May 12, 2026
Exploring Cognitive Functions in Babies, Children & Adults with Near Infrared Spectroscopy
Published on: July 28, 2009
Enhancing brain plasticity: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy evidence for computerized working memory training
Yuntao Gao1, Peng Fang2, Wanying Xing1
1Military Medical Psychology School, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
Background:
Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive enhancement through training is a central goal in neuroscience. Although computerized working memory training (WMT) has shown promise, its effects on brain plasticity, particularly the interplay between intrinsic network organization and task-evoked activity, remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to investigate these effects using multimodal Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
Methods:
We employed a randomized controlled trial with a pre-post design to investigate the effects of an 8-week adaptive computerized WMT program in healthy young adults. fNIRS was used to assess both resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) and prefrontal cortex activation during the n-back task. Behavioral outcomes were measured across near-transfer (updating, inhibition, switching) and far-transfer (visuospatial/phonological storage) domains.
Results:
Behavioral results demonstrated that, compared with the control group, the WMT group exhibited significant improvements after training not only in near-transfer tasks (e.g., updating and shifting functions) but also in far-transfer tasks (e.g., visuospatial and phonological loop tasks). Neuroimaging findings revealed multifaceted functional remodeling. During the resting state, the WMT group showed a significant increase in functional connectivity between the premotor cortex and the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), along with enhanced interhemispheric frontal connectivity. When performing the n-back task, the WMT group displayed a significant reduction in activation levels (measured by total hemoglobin, HBT) in the bilateral DLPFC after training, despite improved behavioral performance, reflecting higher "neural efficiency".
Conclusions:
Collectively, these findings indicate that AWMT can not only effectively enhance cognitive abilities but also induce profound functional remodeling of the prefrontal network by strengthening resting-state network integration and optimizing task-state brain resource allocation. This study provides new evidence for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive training and highlights the utility of fNIRS as a powerful tool for tracking dynamic changes in brain plasticity.
