Cognitive Training Impact in Patients With Parkinson Disease

Cognitive training does not appear to affect resting-state brain networks in people with Parkinson disease (PD) but, instead, may target prefrontal brain connections, according to study results published online ahead of print in NeuroImage: Clinical.

“In this study, we assessed the effect of eight-week online multi-domain cognitive training on the functional brain network by studying large-scale brain networks in the largest sample of Parkinson disease patients to date,” researchers wrote. “Our results do not support the hypothesis that cognitive training enhances the functional neural system on a global level; rather, Bayes factors showed effects in favor of no group difference on global outcomes (ie, null hypothesis).”

The study focused of a subsample of patients from an earlier randomized controlled trial that showed cognitive training was associated with small positive effects in executive function and processing speed in people with PD. Researchers used functional connectivity and graph theoretical measures to assess the effects of an 8-week online multi-domain cognitive training intervention, compared with an active control condition, on brain network connectivity and topology. The final analysis included 71 participants with PD, 37 of whom were randomized to cognitive training.

The investigation found no group differences in between-network connectivity and network topological outcomes between the groups. Furthermore, no associations between neural network and neuropsychological performance change were identified.

In a small subsample of cognitively intact participants, cognitive training increased segregated network topology, researchers reported. Post-hoc analyses suggested enhanced connectivity of both the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

“Future research should focus on cognitive training in specific cognitive subgroups,” researchers advised.

Reference:
van Balkom TD, van den Heuvel OA, Berendse HW, van der Werf YD, Vriend C. Eight-week multi-domain cognitive training does not impact large-scale resting-state brain networks in Parkinson’s disease. Neuroimage Clin. 2022;33:102952. doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2022.102952