Training gains and transfer effects after mnemonic strategy training in mild cognitive impairment: A fMRI study

Author(s):Show less -

Simon, Sharon S. ^[1] ; Hampstead, Benjamin M. ^{[2, 3]} ; Nucci, Mariana P. ^[4] ; Duran, Fabio L. S. ^[5] ; Fonseca, Luciana M. ^{[1, 6]} ; Martin, Maria da Graca M. ^[4] ; Avila, Renata ^{[1, 6]} ; Porto, Fabio H. G. ^{[1, 6]} ; Brucki, Sonia M. D. ^[7] ; Martins, Camila B. ^[8] ; Tascone, Lyssandra S. ^{[5, 1, 6]} ; Amaro Jr, Edson ; Busatto, Geraldo F. ^[5] ; Bottino, Cassio M. C. ^{[1, 6]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept & Inst Psychiat, Old Age Res Grp PROTER, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Michigan, Dept Psychiat, Div Neuropsychol, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 - USA

^[3] VA Ann Arbor Healthcare Syst, Ann Arbor, MI - USA

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Hosp Clin HCFMUSP, Fac Med, Neuroimagem Func NIF Lab Med Invest Magnet Resona, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept & Inst Psychiat, Fac Med, Lab Psychiat Neuroimaging LIM 21, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[6] Martins, Camila B., Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Paulista Sch Med, Dept Prevent Med, Sao Paulo, Brazil.Simon, Sharon S., Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept & Inst Psychiat, Old Age Res Grp PROTER, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[7] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Neurol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[8] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Paulista Sch Med, Dept Prevent Med, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY; v. 154, p. 15-26, AUG 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

Prior work has revealed that mnemonic strategy training (MST) can enhance memory for specific content and engages regions in the frontoparietal cognitive control network. Evidence of transfer to novel content is less clear. Here, we provide secondary analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data acquired during a randomized controlled trial that compared MST to an active education control condition in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI). In the trial, thirty participants with a-MCI were randomized to the education program (EP) or MST, where they learned to apply the technique to face-name associations during four intervening hour long training sessions. Participants underwent pre- and post-training fMRI scans, during which they encoded both the trained (i.e., those used during the four training sessions) and untrained (`novel') face-name associations. The primary cognitive outcome measures revealed significantly improved memory for both trained and novel stimuli - effects supporting near transfer of MST. Relative to pre-training, there were significant and highly similar increases in activation for both trained and novel stimuli, especially in regions associated with the frontoparietal cognitive control network bilaterally, but also in temporal areas related to social cognition and emotional processing. Critically, this pattern of activation was notably different from the EP group. Thus, the changes in activation were consistent with the strategies trained and, combined with the cognitively-based near transfer effects, suggest that MST focused on face-name association enhances performance by engaging cognitive control and social/emotional processing. Finally, our data indicated that our MST is a relevant and efficient intervention to a-MCI. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/50010-0 - Prevention and Treatment of Depression in Older People: A Population-Based Study
• Grantee: Geraldo Busatto Filho
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 12/51699-1 - Episodic memory training for face and name association in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment: cognitive measures and functional resonance magnetic imaging outcomes
• Grantee: Cássio Machado de Campos Bottino
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 12/50329-6 - Translational neuroscience of Alzheimer's disease: preclinical and clinical studies of b-amyloid peptide and other biomarkers
• Grantee: Geraldo Busatto Filho
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants