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Looking at individual-level information on brain processes could also be useful for figuring out who would best benefit from specific training regimens or learning techniques. Currently, in a project led by cognitive neuroscientist Joseph Hopfinger at the University of North Carolina, we are collecting functional MRI data on college students using the brain-training programs offered by Lumosity, an online brain-training company. Data indicate that Lumosity games can increase cognitive abilities such as working memory, processing speed and attention. We want to identify those individuals most likely to benefit from this training by looking at their brain processes. The results might help us develop cognitive training methods tailored to different types of brains, enabling more people to benefit from the technology.
Instead of comparing brain patterns of those who improve after training with those who do not, we built models of brain processes in individual brains to look for the various processes that predict improvement of cognitive performance after training. This method enables us to separate people who may have scored equally well but who approach cognitive tasks differently, so are heterogeneous in their brain processes. Revealing these potentially various neurobiological underpinnings of improvement will enable researchers to tailor brain-training programs to the needs and deficits of individuals. For example, by looking at patterns that related to no improvement, researchers may be able to develop training protocols that target specific connections among regions. Our work should enable Lumosity to provide products that help a wider group of consumers. Having even better tools for keeping the mind sharp will become increasingly important as the nation’s aging population experiences the expected cognitive decline.
Via Miloš Bajčetić
