PurposeThe impact of attention problems on academic and social functioning coupled with the large number of children failing to respond to stimulant medication or behavioral therapy makes adjunctive therapies such as cognitive training appealing for families and clinicians of children with attention difficulties or childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, the results of cognitive training studies have failed to find far transfer effects with this population. This study examined the quantitative cognitive effects and parent-reported behavioral effects of a clinician-delivered cognitive training program with children who have attention problems.Patients and methodsUsing a randomized controlled study design, we examined the impact of a clinician-delivered cognitive training program on processing speed, fluid reasoning, memory, visual processing, auditory processing, attention, overall intelligence quotient score, and behavior of students (n=13) aged 8–14 years with attention problems. Participants were randomly assigned to either a waitlist control group or a treatment group for 60 hours of cognitive training with ThinkRx, a clinician-delivered intervention that targets multiple cognitive skills with game-like, but rigorous mental tasks in 60–90-minute training sessions at least 3 days per week.ResultsResults included greater mean pretest to posttest change scores on all variables for the treatment group versus the control group with statistically significant differences noted in working memory, long-term memory, logic and reasoning, auditory processing, and intelligence quotient score. Qualitative outcomes included parent-reported changes in confidence, cooperation, and self-discipline.ConclusionChildren with attention problems who completed 60 hours of clinician-delivered ThinkRx cognitive training realized both cognitive and behavioral improvements.

Cognitive training is growing in popularity as an intervention for children who struggle to learn. In the current study, we compared the equivalency of two delivery models of the same cognitive training program, ThinkRx, for children ages 8-14. In a randomized controlled trial assessing equivalence, we compared cognitive outcomes between a group who received 60 h of ThinkRx cognitive training delivered one-on-one by a cognitive trainer (n = 20) versus a group of children who received 30 h of ThinkRx delivered by a cognitive trainer and the other 30 h through digital training procedures (n = 18). Results showed no significant differences between groups on tests of working memory, logic and reasoning, auditory processing, visual processing, processing speed, or overall IQ score. Results were significantly different on the test of long-term memory. These results suggest that both delivery models are equivalent cognitive training interventions for children. Keywords Cognitive training. Brain training. Cognition. Learning disabilities. LearningRx Learning struggles are a key characteristic of neurodevelopmental disorders-including specific learning disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and language disorder (American Psychiatric Association 2013)-but are also found among neurotypical children. Cognitive skill deficits are common among children who struggle to learn, especially deficits in working memory (Alloway et al. 2009), processing speed (Lewandowski et al. 2007), and executive functions (McQuade et al. 2011). Because cognitive skills are

Nearly half of all mild brain injury sufferers experience long-term cognitive impairment, so an important goal in rehabilitation is to address their multiple cognitive deficits to help them return to prior levels of functioning. Cognitive training, or the use of repeated mental exercises to enhance cognition, is one remediation method for brain injury. The primary purpose of this hypothesis-generating pilot study was to explore the statistical and clinical significance of cognitive changes and transfer of training to real-life functioning following 60 h of Brain Booster, a clinician-delivered cognitive training program, for six patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) or non-traumatic acquired brain injury (ABI). The secondary purpose was to explore changes in functional connectivity and neural correlates of cognitive test gains following the training. We used a multiple case study design to document significant changes in cognitive test scores, overall IQ score, and symptom ratings; and we used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to explore trends in functional network connectivity and neural correlates of cognitive change. All cognitive test scores showed improvement with statistically significant changes on five of the seven measures (long-term memory, processing speed, reasoning, auditory processing, and overall IQ score). The mean change in IQ score was 20 points, from a mean of 108 to a mean of 128. Five themes emerged from the qualitative data analysis including improvements in cognition, mood, social identity, performance, and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). With MRI, we documented significant region-to-region changes in connectivity following cognitive training including those involving the cerebellum and cerebellar networks. We also found

PurposeThe purpose of the current study is to evaluate the validity and reliability of the revised Gibson Test of Cognitive Skills, a computer-based battery of tests measuring short-term memory, long-term memory, processing speed, logic and reasoning, visual processing, as well as auditory processing and word attack skills.MethodsThis study included 2,737 participants aged 5–85 years. A series of studies was conducted to examine the validity and reliability using the test performance of the entire norming group and several subgroups. The evaluation of the technical properties of the test battery included content validation by subject matter experts, item analysis and coefficient alpha, test–retest reliability, split-half reliability, and analysis of concurrent validity with the Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities and Tests of Achievement.ResultsResults indicated strong sources of evidence of validity and reliability for the test, including internal consistency reliability coefficients ranging from 0.87 to 0.98, test–retest reliability coefficients ranging from 0.69 to 0.91, split-half reliability coefficients ranging from 0.87 to 0.91, and concurrent validity coefficients ranging from 0.53 to 0.93.ConclusionThe Gibson Test of Cognitive Skills-2 is a reliable and valid tool for assessing cognition in the general population across the lifespan.

Many cognitive training interventions described in the extant literature predominately target only 1 or 2 domains, are very short in duration, and fail to generalize beyond the trained tasks. The aim of the current study was to evaluate differences in cognitive outcomes and self-reported real-life improvements between 2 methods of delivering the ThinkRx cognitive training intervention: professional delivery solely by a clinician versus a partnership model where a caregiver or spouse delivers half of the intervention at home. ThinkRx cognitive training is a clinician-delivered intervention targeting multiple cognitive skills, including working memory, long-term memory, visualization and visual processing, auditory discrimination, logic and reasoning, processing speed, and attention. The sample included records from 292 participants ranging in age from 51 to 95 (M ϭ 60.77, SD ϭ 9.04) presenting with subjective memory or attention complaints at the time of pretest. Participants completed an average of 79 training hours. The results showed no significant differences between delivery methods on any cognitive skills measured and few remarkable differences in self-reported real-life changes. Both delivery methods resulted in significant pretest to posttest gains across all 6 cognitive skills measured and self-reported changes in 5 key areas: mood, memory, cognitive efficiency, life application skills, and focus/attention. The results of the current study also suggest sharing the delivery of an intense, lengthy, multiconstruct cognitive training program to adults over 50 with nonclinical, subjective memory and attention complaints is associated with cognitive improvements and generalized improvements in real life.