Cognitive benefits of the attentional vs exergame training in older adults.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed at comparing the effectiveness of an Attentional Computerized Cognitive Training and a commercial Exergame Training. METHODS: Eighty-four healthy older adults took part in the study. They were randomly assigned to one of the following conditions: Attentional Computerized Cognitive Training (ATT-CCT), Exergame Training (EXERG-T), or passive Control Group (CG). Participants assigned to the experimental groups underwent 8 laboratory-based sessions-lasting approximately 45 min each-of the respective training activity. A battery of cognitive tests was assessed before, after, and 3 months following the intervention phase. RESULTS: The results showed that just the ATT-CCT improved participants' performance, specifically within attention, processing speed, verbal learning and memory. While both intervention groups revealed improved memory self-perception and decreased self-reported absent-mindedness, only the benefits following the ATT-CCT proved to be stable over time. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that our ATT-CCT may be an effective tool for enhancing cognitive abilities in older healthy adults.

Effects of exergames on mood and cognition in healthy older adults: A randomized pilot study.

The elderly population is increasing and the implementation of stimulating training to promote active aging has become a research issue. This study aimed at investigating the effects of a cognitive-motor exergame training on cognitive functions and mood, in healthy older adults. A randomized controlled pilot study was conducted to compare a cognitive-motor exergame training with a passive control group. The training consisted of 8 sessions of 45 min each, including 10 interactive activities focused on several cognitive functions such as memory, processing speed and executive functions, all requiring motor planning and execution. A total of 57 participants were administered a battery of cognitive tests before and after the training. A mixed-effect ANOVA with group (experimental vs. control) as between factor and time (pre-and post-test) as within factor, was performed to evaluate the effect of the exergame training on cognitive abilities and mood. Results showed significant interaction effects in processing speed [STROOPC: F (1,53.4) = 9.04, p = 0.004, R 2 = 0.82], inhibition [3backs' false alarms: F (1,47.5) = 5.5, p = 0.02, R 2 = 0.79], and mood [Beck Depression Inventory: F (1,55) = 4.15, p = 0.04, R 2 = 0.6]. Even though post-hoc analyses did not provide statistical evidence supporting the interactions, overall data showed a trend toward better scores only for the experimental group, suggesting a potential improvement in information processing speed, working memory and mood. Exergaming may be a motivating and enjoyable approach to healthy and active aging.

Speech Fluency Improvement in Developmental Stuttering Using Non-invasive Brain Stimulation: Insights From Available Evidence.

Developmental stuttering (DS) is a disturbance of the normal rhythm of speech that may be interpreted as very debilitating in the most affected cases. Interventions for DS are historically based on the behavioral modifications of speech patterns (e.g., through speech therapy), which are useful to regain a better speech fluency. However, a great variability in intervention outcomes is normally observed, and no definitive evidence is currently available to resolve stuttering, especially in the case of its persistence in adulthood. In the last few decades, DS has been increasingly considered as a functional disturbance, affecting the correct programming of complex motor sequences such as speech. Compatibly, understanding of the neurophysiological bases of DS has dramatically improved, thanks to neuroimaging, and techniques able to interact with neural tissue functioning [e.g., non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS)]. In this context, the dysfunctional activity of the cortico-basal-thalamo-cortical networks, as well as the defective patterns of connectivity, seems to play a key role, especially in sensorimotor networks. As a consequence, a direct action on the functionality of "defective" or "impaired" brain circuits may help people who stutter to manage dysfluencies in a better way. This may also "potentiate" available interventions, thus favoring more stable outcomes of speech fluency. Attempts aiming at modulating (and improving) brain functioning of people who stutter, realized by using NIBS, are quickly increasing. Here, we will review these recent advancements being applied to the treatment of DS. Insights will be useful not only to assess whether the speech fluency of people who stutter may be ameliorated by acting directly on brain functioning but also will provide further suggestions about the complex and dynamic pathophysiology of DS, where causal effects and "adaptive''/''maladaptive" compensation mechanisms may be strongly overlapped. In conclusion, this review focuses future research toward more specific, targeted, and effective interventions for DS, based on neuromodulation of brain functioning.

Cognitive exergame training and transcranial random noise stimulation effects on executive control in healthy young adults.

Objective: In the present study, we investigated the efficacy of transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) combined with an exergame training (physical exercise combined with a videogame) chosen as potential techniques to boost brain functioning and to promote plastic effects in healthy young adults. The aim was to improve the motor response speed and the response time when inhibition was required. Method: Forty-nine participants were randomly assigned to four conditions. The protocol consisted of eight sessions of exergame cognitive training (or no training) associated with the active or sham stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (left-DLPFC). Results: The results indicated faster simple reaction times following the exergame training, and faster reaction times in Go trials (while the ratio of NoGo trials remained unaltered) following tRNS. No interactions were present between the two procedures. Conclusions: These findings reveal better performance in both tasks with independent effects of the two techniques. Using noninvasive brain stimulation and exergame training may be a viable strategy to increase motor response speed and improve executive control. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Improving Choroid Plexus Segmentation in the Healthy and Diseased Brain: Relevance for Tau-PET Imaging in Dementia.

Recent studies have revealed the possible role of choroid plexus (ChP) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). T1-weighted MRI is the modality of choice for the segmentation of ChP in humans. Manual segmentation is considered the gold-standard technique, but given its time-consuming nature, large-scale neuroimaging studies of ChP would be impossible. In this study, we introduce a lightweight segmentation algorithm based on the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM). We compared its performance against manual segmentation as well as automated segmentation by Freesurfer in three separate datasets: 1) patients with structural MRIs enhanced with contrast (n = 19), 2) young healthy subjects (n = 20), and 3) patients with AD (n = 20). GMM outperformed Freesurfer and showed high similarity with manual segmentation. To further assess the algorithm's performance in large scale studies, we performed GMM segmentations in young healthy subjects from the Human Connectome Project (n = 1,067), as well as healthy controls, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD patients from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (n = 509). In both datasets, GMM segmented ChP more accurately than Freesurfer. To show the clinical importance of accurate ChP segmentation, total AV1451 (tau) PET binding to ChP was measured in 108 MCI and 32 AD patients. GMM was able to reveal the higher AV1451 binding to ChP in AD compared with MCI. Our results provide evidence for the utility of the GMM in accurately segmenting ChP and show its clinical relevance in AD. Future structural and functional studies of ChP will benefit from GMM's accurate segmentation.

Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS): a wide range of frequencies is needed for increasing cortical excitability.

Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) is a recent neuromodulation protocol. The high-frequency band (hf-tRNS) has shown to be the most effective in enhancing neural excitability. The frequency band of hf-tRNS typically spans from 100 to 640 Hz. Here we asked whether both the lower and the higher half of the high-frequency band are needed for increasing neural excitability. Three frequency ranges (100-400 Hz, 400-700 Hz, 100-700 Hz) and Sham conditions were delivered for 10 minutes at an intensity of 1.5 mA over the primary motor cortex (M1). Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was delivered over the same area at baseline, 0, 10, 20, 30, 45 and 60 minutes after stimulation, while motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded to evaluate changes in cortical excitability. Only the full-band condition (100-700 Hz) was able to modulate excitability by enhancing MEPs at 10 and 20 minutes after stimulation: neither the higher nor the lower sub-range of the high-frequency band significantly modulated cortical excitability. These results show that the efficacy of tRNS is strictly related to the width of the selected frequency range.

Differential effects of high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (hf-tRNS) on contrast sensitivity and visual acuity when combined with a short perceptual training in adults with amblyopia.

Amblyopia is a neuro-developmental disorder characterised by several functional impairments in spatial vision even with the best optical correction. There is evidence that extensive perceptual training can improve visual acuity (VA) and contrast sensitivity (CS) in adults with amblyopia. In the present study, we assessed the efficacy of a recently developed neuro-modulatory technique (i.e., high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation; hf-tRNS) combined with a short perceptual training in adults with amblyopia. One group of ten participants underwent a short (8 sessions) monocular training in a contrast detection task with concurrent hf-tRNS, whereas another group of ten participants underwent the same training protocol but with Sham stimulation (control group). The training consisted of a two-interval forced choice (2IFC) contrast detection task in which participants had to detect the presence of a central Gabor patch flanked by two high-contrast collinear Gabors (lateral masking). The results showed a significant and similar improvement of CS for both groups, suggesting that hf-tRNS is not crucial for the improvement of CS. However, for VA, a significant improvement was only observed in the hf-tRNS group with a mean VA improvement of 0.19 LogMAR in the amblyopic eye. Most notably, this improvement was achieved after eight training sessions. The results are discussed in terms of the influence of hf-tRNS on short-term neural plasticity.

Opposite effects of high- and low-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation probed with visual motion adaptation.

Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) is a recent neuro-modulation technique whose effects at both behavioural and neural level are still debated. Here we employed the well-known phenomenon of motion after-effect (MAE) in order to investigate the effects of high- vs. low-frequency tRNS on motion adaptation and recovery. Participants were asked to estimate the MAE duration following prolonged adaptation (20 s) to a complex moving pattern, while being stimulated with either sham or tRNS across different blocks. Different groups were administered with either high- or low-frequency tRNS. Stimulation sites were either bilateral human MT complex (hMT+) or frontal areas. The results showed that, whereas no effects on MAE duration were induced by stimulating frontal areas, when applied to the bilateral hMT+, high-frequency tRNS caused a significant decrease in MAE duration whereas low-frequency tRNS caused a significant corresponding increase in MAE duration. These findings indicate that high- and low-frequency tRNS have opposed effects on the adaptation-dependent unbalance between neurons tuned to opposite motion directions, and thus on neuronal excitability.