ArticleBrain and behavior2018
N-back training and transfer effects revealed by behavioral responses and EEG.
Article in Brain and behavior, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
36 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Behaviour Change Techniques in Computerized Cognitive Training for Cognitively Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review.Neuropsychology review · 2023Pooled it
- Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation at the Individual Alpha Frequency Shows Potential Value in Improving Working Memory in Healthy Participants.Brain and behavior · 2026Trial
- Short- and long-term cognitive and electrophysiological effects of a brief working memory training in older adults: a pilot study.BMC geriatrics · 2025Trial
- Interrupting sitting with moderate-intensity physical activity breaks improves cognitive processing speed in adults with overweight and obesity: Findings from the SITLess pilot randomized crossover trial.International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology · 2025Trial
- Single-dose effects of methylphenidate and atomoxetine on functional connectivity during an n-back task in boys with ADHD.Psychopharmacology · 2023Trial
- Mediating role of telomere shortening in dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls associated cognitive decline in children.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2026Article
- Feasibility of Gamified EEG Neurofeedback Combined with Adaptive Working-Memory Training in Older Adults: A Pilot Study.Brain sciences · 2026Article
- Load-Dependent Modulation of Cognitive Control Following OM Meditation: Time-Resolved EEG Evidence from the N2 Component.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2026Article
- Dissociating stimulus and task effects on neural oscillations during n-back tasks.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2026Article
- Differential Transfer Effects Across Tasks in Younger and Older Adults Following Executive Function Training.Journal of cognitive enhancement : towards the integration of theory and practice · 2026Article
- Adaptive visuospatial n-back training improves audiovisual integration and executive control in older adults.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Audiovisual N-back training in older adults: Benefits to working memory and audiovisual integration.Attention, perception & psychophysics · 2025Article
- Executive Function and Transfer Effect Training in Children: A Behavioral and Event-Related Potential Pilot Study.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Exploring the Influence of Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation on Working Memory Load: An EEG Study in Healthy Participants.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2025Article
- Exploring the n-back task: insights, applications, and future directions.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2025Review
- Spatial Cognitive EEG Feature Extraction and Classification Based on MSSECNN and PCMI.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Audiovisual n-Back Training Alters the Neural Processes of Working Memory and Audiovisual Integration: Evidence of Changes in ERPs.Brain sciences · 2023Article
- Situation updating during discourse comprehension recruits right posterior portion of the multiple-demand network.Human brain mapping · 2023Article
- Interaction Between Memory Load and Experimental Design on Brain Connectivity and Network Topology.Neuroscience bulletin · 2023Article
- Exploring the Effects of EEG-Based Alpha Neurofeedback on Working Memory Capacity in Healthy Participants.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionCognitive function performance decreases in older individuals compared to young adults. To curb this decline, cognitive training is applied, but it is not clear whether it improves only the trained task or also other cognitive functions. To investigate this, we considered an N-back working memory (WM) training task and verified whether it improves both trained WM and untrained cognitive functions.
methodsAs EEG studies have noted task difficulty and age-related changes in time-locked EEG responses, called event-related potentials (ERPs), we focused on the relation between the P300 ERP component, task difficulty level, and behavior response accuracy and reaction time (RT) in young and older healthy adults. We used two groups of young and older healthy participants to assess the effect of N-back training: cognitive training group (CTG) and passive control group (PCG). Before and after training, cognitive tests were administered to both groups to evaluate transfer effects.
resultsDespite the observed age-related differences in the P300 ERP component and in terms of RT and accuracy, our findings demonstrate a stronger improvement in the trained task for older CTGs compared to younger CTGs, larger near- and far-transfer effect to WM and fluid intelligence for both younger and older CTGs, and a far-transfer effect to attention but only for older adults. Significant differences in response accuracy were shown between young and older subjects in spatial memory and attention tests.
conclusionThe application of a WM training is a promising tool for both healthy adults, and in particular for older subjects, as it showed physiological and behavioral differences in cognitive plasticity across life span and evidence of benefits in the trained task and near-/far-transfer effects to other cognitive functions.
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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.