Credit: Public Domain
A recent analysis has brought new clarity to the debate over whether brain training exercises can improve people's ability to pay attention in everyday life.
Dr Megan Spencer-Smith, from Monash University's School of Psychological Sciences, and Professor Torkel Klingberg from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm – analysed the results of 12 studies, eleven of which had been conducted with participants who suffered Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
However, the meta-analysis showed that brain training also worked as a 'cure' for inattentiveness in those without the disorder.
"Subgroup analyses showed this significant effect was observed in groups of children and adults as well as users with and without ADHD, and in studies using control groups that were active and non-adaptive, wait-list and passive as well as studies using specific or general measures," the study states.
"Seven of the studies reported follow-up assessment and a meta-analysis showed persisting training benefits for inattention in daily life," it continues.
The study, published in prestigious psychology journal PLOS One, examined the results of Cogmed, a program designed to improve the retention and use of verbal and visual information.
Participants who completed 35 minutes of brain training, five times a week for a period of five weeks showed improved attentiveness for up to four months after training was complete.
"Cogmed and programmes like it are expensive and time-consuming, so doctors, parents and individuals will want to see bigger studies that track participants for longer," Dr Spencer-Smith said.
There was still a long way to go in proving the effectiveness of brain training, Dr Spencer-Smith added.
Explore further: Exercise before school may reduce ADHD symptoms in kids
More information: "Benefits of a Working Memory Training Program for Inattention in Daily Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." PLoS ONE 10(3): e0119522. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119522
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Credit: Public Domain
A recent analysis has brought new clarity to the debate over whether brain training exercises can improve people's ability to pay attention in everyday life.
Dr Megan Spencer-Smith, from Monash University's School of Psychological Sciences, and Professor Torkel Klingberg from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm – analysed the results of 12 studies, eleven of which had been conducted with participants who suffered Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
However, the meta-analysis showed that brain training also worked as a 'cure' for inattentiveness in those without the disorder.
"Subgroup analyses showed this significant effect was observed in groups of children and adults as well as users with and without ADHD, and in studies using control groups that were active and non-adaptive, wait-list and passive as well as studies using specific or general measures," the study states.
"Seven of the studies reported follow-up assessment and a meta-analysis showed persisting training benefits for inattention in daily life," it continues.
The study, published in prestigious psychology journal PLOS One, examined the results of Cogmed, a program designed to improve the retention and use of verbal and visual information.
Participants who completed 35 minutes of brain training, five times a week for a period of five weeks showed improved attentiveness for up to four months after training was complete.
"Cogmed and programmes like it are expensive and time-consuming, so doctors, parents and individuals will want to see bigger studies that track participants for longer," Dr Spencer-Smith said.
There was still a long way to go in proving the effectiveness of brain training, Dr Spencer-Smith added.
Explore further: Exercise before school may reduce ADHD symptoms in kids
More information: "Benefits of a Working Memory Training Program for Inattention in Daily Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." PLoS ONE 10(3): e0119522. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119522
Medical Xpress on facebook
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Cogmed Working Memory Training: Does it actually work? The debate continues
Helping children achieve their full potential in school is of great concern to everyone, and a number of commercial products have been developed to try and achieve this goal. The Cogmed Working Memory Training program (ht ...
Exercise before school may reduce ADHD symptoms in kids
Paying attention all day in school as a kid isn't easy, especially for those who are at a higher risk of ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Memory training unlikely to help in treating ADHD, boosting IQ
Working memory training is unlikely to be an effective treatment for children suffering from disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity or dyslexia, according to a research analysis published by the American Psychological ...
Boosting older adults' vision through training
Just a weeks' worth of training can improve vision in older adults, according to new research in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The findings show that traini ...
Kids with ADHD may benefit from 'brain wave' training in school, study says
(HealthDay)—New research suggests that children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may benefit from getting a type of training during school hours that monitors their brain waves to help ...
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Adopted children tend to have a slightly higher IQ than siblings who remained with their biological parents, a recent study found.
Project to reduce violence in Panama City with improved parenting
University of Manchester researchers have piloted a parenting trial which aims to improve child behaviour in Panama City the place with the eighth highest murder rate in the world.
Today's 75-year-olds are cognitively fitter and happier than the 75-year-olds of 20 years ago
Older adults today show higher levels of cognitive functioning and well-being than older adults of the same age 20 years ago. This has been found in a collaborative study among several research institutions in Berlin, including ...
How do anorexics control their appetite?
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