Understanding Individual Differences in Working Memory Training and Transfer in Older Adults

Summary

The present study investigates how individual differences in cognitive processing contribute to the efficacy of working memory training programs in an older adult population. In a randomized crossover design, different types of working memory training interventions will be evaluated within the same participants.

Adding game-like elements to working memory training programs can increase motivation and engagement, which can increase learning. However this process, termed gamification, adds sensory complexity that can lead to increased mental load and/or distraction in older adults. Investigators hypothesize that gamification of training tasks will be beneficial to some and counterproductive to other participants. The investigators will test two models; the first assumes that participants with difficulty inhibiting distracting information will show better learning and transfer when assigned to non-gamified training, whereas those with more distractor tolerance will show better learning and transfer when assigned to gamified training. The second model states that the outcomes of the intervention will be better predicted by performance on measures of general cognitive ability.

In a separate study, the investigators will compare working memory training that contains rich, multisensory information with a training program that contains only visual information. Here they will also test two models; the first assumes that participants with difficulty binding two stimulus streams will show better learning and transfer when assigned to visual-only working memory training, whereas participants who do not have this difficulty will show better learning and transfer when assigned to multisensory working memory training. The second model states that the outcomes of the intervention will be better predicted by performance on measures of general cognitive ability.

Conditions

• Cognitive Change

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

N-back

The training program is a personal device-based adaptive version of a visual N-back task, either devoid of game elements or embedded in a gamified platform game

BEHAVIORAL

Span

The training program is a personal device-based adaptive version of a visual working memory span task, either devoid of game elements or embedded in a gamified platform game

BEHAVIORAL

Multisensory

The training program is a personal device-based adaptive version of an N-back task that features visual stimuli (Unisensory) or visual stimuli paired with unique sounds (Multisensory) and is devoid of game elements

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Riverside

  collaborator OTHER

• National Institute on Aging (NIA)

  collaborator NIH

• Northeastern University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Aaron R Seitz, Phd · University of California, Riverside

• Susanne M Jaeggi, Phd · University of California, Irvine

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

50 Years

Max Age

85 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-03-17

Primary Completion

2025-03-05

Completion

2025-03-05

Countries

• United States

Study Locations