工作记忆训练对认知功能和大脑神经系统的影响

工作记忆训练成为近年来提升个体认知绩效的一种有效方式。工作记忆训练主要是指采用工作记忆广度任务、刷新任务以及各种复杂工作记忆任务在计算机上以循序渐进的方式进行训练。近年来的研究发现, 工作记忆训练能提升工作记忆、流体智力、抑制、注意、阅读和数学等认知功能。神经机制的研究发现：工作记忆训练引起大脑额-顶区域激活减弱, 而皮层下结构包括纹状体和尾状核区域的激活增强; 工作记忆训练减少了大脑灰质的数量, 增强了大脑白质的功能连通性; 工作记忆训练引起尾状核上多巴胺受体的变化。未来的研究需要在研究设计、被试人群、研究手段上进一步确认和扩展工作记忆训练的有效性和内在认知神经机制。

Effects of Working Memory Training on Cognition and Brain Plasticity

In recent years, working memory training has been recognized as an effective way to improve individual cognitive performance. Working memory training uses working memory span tasks, updating tasks, and other complex tasks which are carried out in computers progressively. Recent researches find that working memory training can improve working memory itself, fluid intelligence, inhibition, attention, reading and mathematics. Researches on brain plasticity found that working memory training weakens the activation in frontal and parietal regions, strengthens the activation of subcortical structures including corpus striatum and caudate nucleus, decreases grey matter, improves white matter connectivity, and changes dopamine receptor in caudate nucleus. More studies need to be carried out to revise research designs, research subjects and research methods, to check the effectiveness of working memory training, and to uncover its cognitive and neural mechanism.