Presenter of 1 Presentation
FRONTOPARIETAL CONTROL NETWORK CHANGES MAINTAINED 1 YEAR AFTER COGNITIVE TRAINING IN HEALTHY OLDER ADULTS
Abstract
Aims
Cognitive training may reduce dementia risk and mitigate cognitive aging. Prior research shows the connectivity of higher-order resting-state networks (RSN) of inter-network modulation (frontoparietal control network; FPCN) and executive functioning (cingulo-opercular network; CON) may improve acutely after cognitive training. It is unknown whether RSN changes maintain after cognitive training ends. This study examined FPCN and CON connectivity 1-year after cognitive training healthy older adults.
Methods
58 healthy older adults (mean age=71.2) were randomized into a cognitive training (CT; n=30) or an educational control (ET; n=28) group. Over 12-weeks, CT underwent 40-hours of 4 attention/speed-of-processing and 4 working memory tasks, and ET watched 40-hours of educational videos. Participants randomly received sham or active transcranial direct current stimulation, although this was not a variable of interest in this study. Participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging at baseline, 3-month, and 1-year time points. Mixed linear models assessed group differences/change in FPCN and CON connectivity from 3-month to 1-year timepoints, controlling for baseline connectivity, age, sex, education, scanner, and tDCS. There were no group differences in baseline FPCN or CON.
Results
FPCN group main effect showed higher CT 3-month connectivity maintains at 1-year timepoint [beta=-.039;p=.010;95%CI:-.070--.009). CON group main effect or group by time interactions were not significant.
Conclusions
Increased FPCN connectivity maintains at least 1-year post cognitive training, although power analysis recommends a larger sample size. The FPCN may be a neural target to strengthen cognitive training response and could be involved in reduced dementia risk. Future studies should assess this effect in a larger group.