Brain-Training Program Reverses Cognitive Decline in Parkinson's Patients
A new study shows that targeted working memory exercises can improve cognitive function in Parkinson's disease patients and sustain gains months later. The finding matters because cognitive decline affects quality of life in Parkinson's but is largely ignored clinically—offering a non-drug option could reshape treatment protocols and reduce care costs.
Originaltitel: The Effects of Working Memory Updating Training in People with Parkinson’s Disease: Training Gain, Transfer, and Meaning
<p>Cognitive deficits are common in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and reduce quality of life, yet they are often overlooked in clinical practice and respond poorly to standard medication. Working memory updating (WMU) training has shown to improve WMU performance and dopaminergic availability in healthy populations. As PD is characterized by dopaminergic depletion, WMU training may represent a promising intervention. This thesis investigated the feasibility, effects, and experience of WMU training in people with PD.</p><p>A feasibility study and single-subject study (Study I) indicated that WMU training is feasible, and improvements were observed in cognition, motor function, and functional brain response.</p><p>In Study II, 86 people with PD were randomized to 30 sessions of WMU training or active control. Findings demonstrated improvements immediately after training for the WMU group on cognitive tests that share cognitive processes with the training tasks, and these gains were maintained four months after training. Broader cognitive improvements were observed at follow-up, suggesting delayed transfer effects to untrained domains. Self-reported psychological health remained stable.</p><p>Study III focused on the experience of cognitive training via semi-structured interviews with 18 people with PD. Three themes were identified: commitment to the training, receiving feedback during training, and inspiration to apply strategies from training to everyday life.</p><p>In sum, this thesis provides evidence that WMU training in people with PD is feasible and leads to measurable cognitive benefits. Improvements were observed on tasks that share cognitive processes with the training, and after four months in broader cognitive domains. The findings further indicate that emotional, motivational, and metacognitive processes develop during training and transfer to everyday life. Together, these results suggest that WMU training can enhance aspects of cognitive ability and cognitive efficiency in people with PD.</p>