What Is Targeted When We Train Working Memory? Evidence From a Meta-Analysis of the Neural Correlates of Working Memory Training Using Activation Likelihood Estimation

Working memory (WM) is the system responsible for maintaining and manipulating information, in the face of ongoing distraction. In turn, WM span is perceived to be an individual-differences construct reflecting the limited capacity of this system. Recently, however, there has been some evidence to suggest that WM capacity can increase through...

The effects of physical activity and fitness in adolescence on cognition in adulthood and the role of insulin-like growth factor I

Background: Physical activity and fitness in adolescence may improve cognition in adulthood by increasing insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). Methods: As part of the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study, following subjects from age 13 to 42 years, physical activity and fitness of 303 subjects were assessed annually between the ages...

Perspective taking in Korsakoff's syndrome: The role of executive functioning and task complexity

Objective: The ability to make inferences about knowledge, thoughts and feelings of others, i.e. perspective taking, is a key element of social cognition. Clinical observations indicate that Korsakoff patients may have impairments in social cognition, but studies are scarce. Also, executive dysfunction is present in Korsakoff patients, which may...

Sustained attention and inhibition of cognitive interference in treated phenylketonuria: Associations with concurrent and lifetime phenylalanine concentrations

Fifty-seven 7-14-year-old early- and continuously treated phenylketonuria (PKU) patients and 65 matched controls performed a sustained attention task. PKU patients with plasma phenylalanine (phe) levels higher than 360 μmol/l at the time of testing exhibited, compared to controls, lower speed of information processing, a lower ability to inhibit...