Evidence map›Paper›PMID 21823209›Full record

Trial reportHuman brain mapping2012

Memory training impacts short-term changes in aging white matter: a longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging study.

Andreas Engvig, Anders M Fjell, Lars T Westlye, Torgeir Moberget, Øyvind Sundseth, Vivi Agnete Larsen, Kristine B Walhovd

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Human brain mapping, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 138 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
138citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

138 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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78 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Andreas EngvigCenter for the Study of Human Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. andreas.engvig@gmail.com
Anders M Fjell
Lars T Westlye
Torgeir Moberget
Øyvind Sundseth
Vivi Agnete Larsen
Kristine B Walhovd

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A growing body of research indicates benefits of cognitive training in older adults, but the neuronal mechanisms underlying the effect of cognitive intervention remains largely unexplored. Neuroimaging methods are sensitive to subtle changes in brain structure and show potential for enhancing our understanding of both aging- and training-related neuronal plasticity. Specifically, studies using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) suggest substantial changes in white matter (WM) in aging, but it is not known whether cognitive training might modulate these structural alterations. We used tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) optimized for longitudinal analysis to delineate the effects of 8 weeks intensive memory training on WM microstructure. 41 participants (mean age 61 years) matched for age, sex and education were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. All participants underwent MRI-scanning and neuropsychological assessments at the beginning and end of the study. Longitudinal analysis across groups revealed significant increase in frontal mean diffusivity (MD), indicating that DTI is sensitive to WM structural alterations over a 10-week interval. Further, group analysis demonstrated positive effects of training on the short-term changes. Participants in the training group showed a relative increase in fractional anisotropy (FA) compared with controls. Further, a significant relationship between memory improvement and change in FA was found, suggesting a possible functional significance of the reported changes. The training effect on FA seemed to be driven by a relative decrease in radial diffusivity, which might indicate a role for myelin-related processes in WM plasticity.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAgingAnisotropyDiffusion Magnetic Resonance ImagingFemaleHumansImage Interpretation, Computer-AssistedMaleMemoryMiddle AgedNerve Fibers, MyelinatedNeuronal PlasticityNeuropsychological TestsRehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID21823209
PMCPMC6870063

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.