A Role of the Parasympathetic Nervous System in Cognitive Training

Abstract

Background Vision-based speed of processing (VSOP) training can result in broad cognitive improvements in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). What remains unknown, however, is what neurophysiological mechanisms account for the observed training effect. Much of the work in this area has focused on the central nervous system, neglecting the fact that the peripheral system can contributes to changes of the central nervous system and vice versa. Objective We examined the prospective relationship between an adaptive parasympathetic nervous system response to cognitive stimuli and VSOP training-induced plasticity. Method Twenty-one participants with aMCI (10 for VSOP training, and 11 for mental leisure activities (MLA) control) were enrolled. We assessed high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) during training sessions, and striatum-related neural networks and cognition at baseline and post-training. Results Compared to MLA, the VSOP group showed a significant U-shaped pattern of HF-HRV response during training, as well as decreases in connectivity strength between bilateral striatal and prefrontal regions. These two effects were associated with training-induced improvements in both the trained (attention and processing speed) and transferred (working memory) cognitive domains. Conclusion This work provides novel support for interactions between the central and the peripheral nervous systems in relation to cognitive training, and motivates further studies to elucidate the causality of the observed link.

Cortical thickness is associated with altered autonomic function in cognitively impaired and non‐impaired older adults

“…Notably, in our recent cognitive training study, cognitive training strengthened such efficiency in older adults with aMCI (Lin et al . ). The intervention approach may provide a viable pathway to determine the causal relationship between neural efficiency and HF‐HRV.…”

“…The next step will be to modify AD pathology or frontal neural efficiency (Lin et al . ), and examine the consequential changes in PNS as discussed above. Third, using voxel‐wise analysis, ACC was the only frontal region associated with HF‐HRV.…”

Predictors of Sensitivity to Perceptual Learning in Children With Infantile Nystagmus

“…Recent studies have succeeded in explaining some of the interindividual variability in the magnitude of learning effects. Factors that have been identified to explain the magnitude of visual perceptual learning include baseline performance (poor initial performers tend to show larger improvements, typically explaining 40% to 60% of the outcome variance), [8][9][10][11][12] number of training sessions, 11,13 age 14 (but note that there are also studies that found no effect of age [15][16][17] ), motivation and intelligence, 18 performance feedback, [19][20][21] the accuracy of performance during training, 22 heart-rate variability, 23 and reactivity of dopaminergic and cholinergic neuromodulatory systems. 24,25 The goal of the present study was to evaluate the contribution of physiological factors, such as baseline performance, age, and clinical diagnosis, and a psychological factor, the perceived pleasantness of the training (training joy).…”

Efficacy and mechanisms of combined aerobic exercise and cognitive training in mild cognitive impairment: study protocol of the ACT trial

“…Based on our previous studies (Fig. 1) [35, 53, 54], we anticipate screening approximately 384 individuals in person to enroll 128 participants. Participants will then be followed for another 12 months ( n = 96 at 6 months with 25% attrition and n = 84 at 18 months with 35% attrition).…”