Brain Fitness Program Study Reveals Visual Memory Improvement In Older Adults
Source: Author: UCSF News Service The University of California, San Francisco
Date: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 Publication: PSC Press Release
A commercial brain fitness program has been shown to improve memory in older adults, at least in the period soon after training. The findings are the first to show that practicing simple visual tasks can improve the accuracy of short-term, or “working” visual memory. The research, led by scientists at UCSF, is also one of the first to measure both mental performance and changes in neural activity caused by a cognitive training program.
一份商業型健腦運動計畫已經顯示能促進老年人的記憶，至少透過一段時間訓練後能增快速度。這項發現是第一個能顯示練習簡易視覺測試任務能夠增進短期記憶的精確度或工作視覺記憶。這項研究是由加州大學舊金山分校的科學家所領導，也是首次同時藉由認知訓練計畫測量心象演示與神經活動的改變。
In the study, healthy older participants trained on a computer game designed to boost visual perception. After ten hours of training, they not only improved their perceptual abilities significantly, but also increased the accuracy of their visual working memory by about ten percent – bringing them up to the level of younger adults. Few brain training programs have been subjected to such rigorous research evaluation to reveal such a transfer of benefits, the researchers say.
在這項研究 健康的年長參予者透過一個增長視覺認知電腦遊戲設計計畫訓練。歷經十小時的訓練他們不僅在知覺能力有顯著的進步，在工作記憶的精確性也增加 10%- 使他們達到年輕成人的水準。
研究者說: 已有些大腦訓練計劃實驗證明，如此嚴謹的研究評估顯示其可帶來受益的轉變。
Working memory is the ability to hold information in mind for brief periods. It is essential to accomplish immediate tasks, such as engaging in conversation with several people.
工作記憶是一種能短暫將資訊儲存記憶的能力。他必須立即完成測試 如加入幾個人對話。
If improvements in a simple perception skill can transfer to a higher level function such as memory, as this research found, then other interventions might further improve brain function in aging people, the scientists say. The researchers recorded participants’ brain activity before and after the visual perception training, and found a direct link between improved performance and changes in brain activity. After the training, activity had decreased in a key brain area involved in processing visual input. The people who improved the most in the visual training showed the biggest drop in neural activity – as if the brain didn’t have to work as hard to take in information. The research is being published in the journal PLoS One on July 14, 2010.
科學家說 : 如果在簡易的認知技巧的進步能使像記憶這樣的能力轉變使其至較高階的水準，就如這項研究所發現的，那其他的介入可能能進一步增進年長者的大腦功能。研究者紀錄參與實驗者接受視覺認知測驗前後的大腦活動，發現大腦活動在增進表現和改變上有一直接聯結。
訓練之後，在視覺輸入信息過程中涉入關鍵大腦區域的部分活動有增加。在視覺訓練進步最多的一位參予者神經活動顯示最大的落差 – 彷彿大腦不需辛苦工作就能接受訊息。這份研究已在 2010年六月14日的 PloS One 期刊發表。
PS:
PLoS期刊
PLoS有發表同儕評論且開放資源的科學與醫學期刊，包括原始研究和即時的專題文章。所有PLoS的文章都是線上直接免費開放，保存在免費公共檔案PubMed中心裡面，可以在遵循創作共享註明出處授權條款規定的前提下繼續發佈和再次使用。
“This confirms our understanding that the brains of older adults, like those of young people, are ‘plastic’ – the brain can change in response to focused training,” said Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD, director of the Neuroscience Imaging Center at UCSF and senior author of the research paper. Gazzaley is associate professor of neurology, physiology and psychiatry at UCSF.
加州大學舊金山分校神經影像中心執行主任暨研究論文資深作者Adam Gazzaley博士說，這項研究證實我們對年長者大腦的理解，就像那些年紀輕的人一樣，具有”可塑性”。大腦在經過焦點式訓練後可改變。Gazzaley是加州大學舊金山分校神經病學，生理學和精神病學副教授。
“The study shows that perceptual improvements with simple discrimination training can transfer to improved working memory in older adults, and it also shows that this increase in memory accuracy is linked to changes at the neural level.”
這份研究顯示藉由簡易的描述訓練改善感知能增強年長者的工作記憶，且同樣顯示能增加記憶準確性使神經水準被連結改變
There are many brain fitness programs being marketed, but there has been little rigorous testing and evaluations of their effectiveness Gazzaley said. “We zeroed in on one specific regimen, and we can see that at least with this approach, some brain fitness program claims may be warranted.”
已有許多建腦運動計畫上市，但有謹慎的測試和有效的評價卻很少。我們從一套精準的養生之道中歸零而後從中看到至少在這個取向， 一些健腦運動計畫的宣稱可能是有效用的。
Gazzaley’s team worked with researchers at Posit Science Corp., a producer and promoter of brain fitness programs. Posit Science was co-founded by Michael Merzenich, PhD, a leader in brain plasticity research and an emeritus professor at UCSF. Posit Science funded the research.
Gazzaley的團隊是健腦運動計畫的製造商和推廣者並在Posit 科學中心與參予者共同進行此項工作，
Posit 科學是和一位從UCSF榮譽退休研究大腦可塑性的領導者Michael Merzenich博士共同創立。Posit 科學中心創立了此項研究。
Memory improvement was measured about one week after the visual perception training ended. The scientists did not assess how long the memory improvement might last beyond that period without continued training.
視覺感知訓練結束後約一周會測量記憶改善狀況。科學家們無法測量估算如果沒有持續訓練記憶改進會持續多久的區間。
A further test showed that if participants had to multi-task during the memory testing, they did not receive the memory boost from the previous perception training. Gazzaley hopes that more studies can lead to ways to help people improve their ability to mentally process simultaneous tasks – a skill that declines in many older adults.
一項進一步的測驗顯示如果參予者在記憶測試中必須進行多重任務測試的話，他們不能從先前感知訓練中接收增強記憶的幫助。Gazzaley希望有更多的研究引領方向並幫助人們在他們進行同步測試時心理的過程也能增強 – 一種老年人常見的衰弱技能 。
The study involved two sets of 15 healthy adults from age 60 to 89. One group participated in the training. The second group served as the control, taking the memory tests but not the visual perception training. No participants had dementia, but the group showed a range of mental fitness typical of an aging population. The average age was 72. Most were college educated, middle class people.
此研究包含兩組各15個年齡在60-89歲的健康成人。ㄧ組參與者進入訓練。第二組提供控制 進行記憶測驗但是沒有視覺感知訓練。參與者沒有人罹患精神錯亂 ，但群體顯示老年族群典型的心理適應能力的範圍。平均年齡是72。大部分是大學畢業的中產階級。
People in both groups were given a baseline working memory test consisting of watching dots move across the computer screen, followed by a short delay and then re-testing to see if they remembered exactly in which direction the dots had moved. The memory test was given to both groups again after the experimental group had participated in ten hours of visual perception training. This training challenged players to discriminate between different shapes of sine waves, or S-shaped patterns, moving across the screen.
這兩組受試者都給予相同的工作記憶基準點的測試包含觀看電腦螢幕點的移動， 追隨點短暫的停留然後再重新測試看看他們是否能夠很精確的記憶點移動的方向。當實驗組參與者經過十小時的視覺感知訓練後，記憶測驗在兩組會再重新試驗。這個訓練鼓勵參與者區分出在螢幕上移動不同的正弦波形狀或S型部分。
The training program was designed so that as a participant’s skill level improved, the task became progressively harder. The drills lasted 40 minutes, and were given three to five times a week for three to five weeks. All trained participants improved their ability to distinguish between the two different moving shapes.
這訓練的計畫是經過設計的，所以隨著參與者的技巧水準進步時，測試也增加難度。這個實機訓練在三到五星期間每星期訓練3-5次，每次持續40分鐘。所有參與訓練的試驗者在辨識兩種不同移動的形狀的能力增加了。
Scientists measured participants’ brain activity by electroencephalography, or EEG, during the memory tests, both before and after the visual training. People were fitted with caps consisting of non-invasive electrodes that measure electrical activity caused by neurons firing in the cerebral cortex, the site of higher cognitive functions.
科學家經由腦電圖或EEG測量參與者在記憶測驗期間視覺訓練之前和之後腦部的活動。受試者戴上裝有非侵入性電極的帽子去測量在大腦皮層的神經元衝動，更高階認知功能的電位活動。
The research team focused on brain activity known to be involved in processing visual information, in a region called the visual association cortex located near the back of the brain. Neurons at this site generate an internal representation of what is seen, Gazzaley said. The research team found that as peoples’ visual perception improved, activity generated by this region decreased.
研究小組集中在已知的在處理視覺資訊已被涉入的大腦活動，此區域稱為靠近大腦的後面視覺連結皮質區。Gazzaley 說 神經元在辨識視覺所物時在這個現場產生一個內部的反應。研究小組發現當參與者視覺感知進步時，在這個區域也會減少活動產生。
“This suggests that the brain processed the visual input more efficiently,” Gazzaley said. “So, we find for the first time that improved perceptual learning transfers to improved working memory performance, and that this improvement may well be explained by changes in neural activity. This gives us direction for developing even better interventions to improve brain function in older adults.”
Gazzaley說:建議顯示大腦處理視覺輸入更快速 。 所以，我們第一次發現感知學習增強能改善工作記憶的表現，而且此促進活動可被解釋是藉由神經活動的改變。這給予我們方向去發展更好的介入活動已增進年長者的大腦功能。
When asked if older adults would have to continue these repetitive drills in order to maintain improved memory, Gazzaley says, “Well, I like to keep physically fit. I work out almost every day, and I know that if I stopped, I would get out of shape. Maybe it’s the same with the brain. You’ve got to continue to work it.”
當被問到年長這是否必須重複演練只為繼續保持增進記憶，Gazzaley說 這個嗎,我想保持身體健康。
我幾乎每天鍛鍊身體，而且我知道若我停下來， 我的身材會變形。也許對大腦來說也是一樣的。你必須繼續去使用它!
Lead author on the paper is Anne S. Berry, a staff research associate in the UCSF departments of neurology and physiology Co-authors are Theodore Zanto, PhD and Wesley Capp, PhD, both postdoctoral scientists at UCSF. Co-authors at Posit Science Corporation are Joseph L. Hardy, PhD, Peter Delahunt, PhD and Henry Mahncke, PhD.
發表在紙張上的主要作者是安妮s.貝里，一位在加州大學舊金山分校研究助理部門神經病學的工作人員與生理學的共同作者是Theodore Zanto(西奧多)博士和Wesley Capp(韋斯利)博士，兩位都是加州大學舊金山分校研讀博士後都的科學家。在posit科學公司共同作者群是約瑟夫L.l哈迪博士，彼得德拉亨特博士和Henry Mahncke(亨利)博士。
UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. Learn more about InSight, the program used in this study.
加州大學舊金山分校是一所通過先進的生物醫學研究，研究所等級的生命科學的教育和衛生專業，以及卓越的病人護理，致力於促進世界健康位於領導地位的大學。
About Posit Science
關於Posit科學中心
Posit Science is the leading provider of clinically proven brain fitness programs. Its science team is led by Dr. Michael Merzenich, professor emeritus of neuroscience at University of California at San Francisco and member of the National Academy of Sciences. The team includes more than 50 researchers and clinicians from leading institutions around the world.
Posit科學中心是健腦計劃臨床實驗證明領先的供應商。其科學團隊由邁克爾 merzenich博士是加州大學舊金山分校神經科學名譽教授以及國家科學院的成員。該小組包括50多個研究人員和來自世界各地領導機關的臨床醫生。
參考資料:
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