The following is a summary of the “Activation changes induced by cognitive training are consistent with improved cognitive reserve in older adults with subjective cognitive decline,” published in the January 2023 issue of Neurobiology of Aging by Belleville, et al.
Cognitive training’s impact on brain activation was measured across different stages of education and training with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). About 40 adults aged 65 and up suffering from subjective cognitive decline (SCD) participated in 6 one-hour loci-based memory training sessions.
Pre-training (PRE), post-training (POST3), and post-post (6 TRAINING) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures of word list encoding and retrieval in the brain (N = 29). (POST6). The left inferior prefrontal gyrus was more active from PRE to POST6 during encoding, and the frontostriatal regions were less active from PRE to POST3 during retrieval. In addition, participants with lower education showed increased activation, while those with higher education showed decreased activation in 2 regions of the right temporal lobe between PRE and POST3.
The initial activity was lower in these areas among those with lower levels of education. The findings point to a change in tactics among those with less education and the development of specialized knowledge among those with more, while the initial differences in educational attainment are restored.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197458022002251