Citation

Corti C, Urgesi C, Poggi G, Strazzer S, Borgatti R, Bardoni A. Sci. Rep. 2020; 10(1): e1391.

Affiliation

Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1038/s41598-020-57952-5

PMID

31996709

Abstract

Cognitive rehabilitation may compensate for cognitive deficits of children with acquired brain injury (ABI), capitalizing on the use-dependent plasticity of a developing brain. Remote computerized cognitive training (CCT) may be delivered to patients in ecological settings, ensuring rehabilitation continuity. This work evaluated cognitive and psychological adjustment outcomes of an 8-week multi-domain, home-based CCT (Lumosity Cognitive Training) in a sample of patients with ABI aged 11-16 years. Two groups of patients were engaged in five CCT sessions per week for eight weeks (40 sessions). According to a stepped-wedge research design, one group (Training-first Group) started the CCT immediately, whereas the other group (Waiting-first Group) started the CCT after a comparable time of waiting list. Changes after the training and after the waiting period were compared in the two groups. Both groups improved in visual-spatial working memory more after the training than after the waiting-list period. The Training-first group improved also in arithmetic calculation speed.

FINDINGS indicate that a multi-domain CCT can produce benefits in visual-spatial working memory, probably because, in accordance with previous research, computer games heavily tax visuo-spatial abilities. This suggests that the prolonged stimulation of the same cognitive ability may generate the greatest benefits in children with ABI.

Language: en