User:Jebradl1/Cognitive behavioral training/Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography
Harvey, P. D., Mcgurk, S. R., Mahncke, H., & Wykes, T. (2018). Controversies in computerized cognitive training. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, 3(11), 907-915. doi:10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.06.008

Summary:

This article is a response to two popular reviews, which are critical of computerized cognitive training (CCT). Those reviews found that CCT was incapable of counteracting dementia and reversing deterioration of mental capabilities due to age. Those articles were correct about those facts, which at the time were overblown by companies marketing CCT software. However, they also ignored the positive outcomes of reviewed and replicated studies, which show successful results when CCT is combined with cognitive remediation (CR) techniques (seek to better operational abilities through specialized training). Harvey et al. argue that when researchers settle on a specific definition of CCT and definitions of success, then many studies show specific cognitive improvements in both schizophrenic participants and healthy aging participants.

Studies where participants have some form of in-person assistance with their computer programs show transfer of the cognitive and memory skills practiced in those studies, including in followups 3-10 years later. Larger sample sizes show more positive results. Studies show positive results when compared to both active and passive control groups. Participants with more intense symptoms of schizophrenia or cognitive decline due to aging show fewer gains, [showing] the authors’ point that CCT is not a corrective measure.

The review takes the stance that negative news gets more press than positive news even if not encapsulating the entire story. It uses the example of a very popular study completed by a Brittish TV show, “Bang Goes the Theory.” This show executed an online study that barely fit the CCT definition (was online and involved computers) and participants were required to take a pretest, at least 2 sessions of training, and a post test to be considered in the findings. The study’s results were negative for cognitive improvement whereupon it was cited 800 times after publishing. When a more comprehensive study was published by the same group 5 years later with positive results it only was cited 42 times.

I find it useful to discuss a standardization of definitions of CCT. There were numerous reviews I found on the subject of cognitive training with or without computers, which concluded that more studies with rigorous definitions and control groups needed to be undertaken before results could be categorized. I am skeptical, however, of these positive findings because one contributor was an employee of a CCT developing company.

Tzuang, M., Owusu, J. T., Spira, A. P., Albert, M. S., & Rebok, G. W. (2017). Cognitive training for ethnic minority older adults in the United States: A review. The Gerontologist, 58(5). doi:10.1093/geront/gnw260

Summary:

This article brings up an overlooked aspect of assessing the efficacy of Cognitive Training through clinical trials. Most trials involving healthy aging Americans to date have not recorded the races of their participants. The vast majority that have recorded ethnicities have been conducted since 2005. Of those that have, most do not include a proportionate number of participants to either the current demographic of aging adults, or future demographics which suggest a growing ratio of African American, Hispanic, and Asian people to Caucasian individuals. Since the percentage of aging people is also growing related to that of younger Americans, any trials that study methods that can extend an aging population’s ability to live independently need to include participants of color.

This article notes successful tactics from the three studies that gained and retained higher percentages of non-Caucasian participants than national averages for the purpose of replication by future studies. These studies invested time in finding community leaders to engage their community to participate. They also asked for these leaders’ input in advance of beginning the study so that engagement approaches could be adapted more successfully. They hired staff from similar demographics to participants so that someone could code switch between participants and research team. Materials were tailored to reflect life experiences and current knowledge of participants and were translated into other languages in some cases. The review suggests that these methods require more funding so they should be included in the budget in advance.

This is a useful citation for this project because it may help narrow a content gap that this page suffers from.

Possible References: Organized by Category
"Need more tests" "Specifically need more of these types of tests" "Results positive for general cognitive training but need more consistent tests/descriptions" "Need more tests, but seems less effective than pharmaceuticals" "Looking at fMRI scans of post-training brains to see differences (which do occur)" "Positive Results for certain types of people" "Positive Results" I'd have to read the whole article to nail it down
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