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Enhancing task-demands disrupts learning but enhances transfer gains in short-term task-switching training.

ABSTRACT: Content variability was previously suggested to promote stronger learning effects in cognitive training whereas less variability incurred transfer costs (Sabah et al. Psychological Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-018-1006-7 , 2018). Here, we expanded these findings by additionally examining the role of learners' control in short-term task-switching training by comparing voluntary task-switching to a yoked control forced task-switching condition. To this end, four training conditions were compared: (1) forced fixed content, (2) voluntary fixed content, (3) forced varied content, and (3) voluntary varied content. To further enhance task demands, bivalent stimuli were used during training. Participants completed baseline assessment commencing with task-switching and verbal fluency blocks, followed by seven training blocks and last by task-switching (near transfer) and verbal fluency (far transfer) blocks, respectively. For the baseline and transfer task-switching blocks, we used the exact same baseline and first transfer block from Sabah et al. (Psychological Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-018-1006-7 , 2018), employing univalent stimuli and alternating-runs task sequence. Our results pointed again to the contribution of content variability to task-switching performance. No indications for far transfer were observed. Allowing for learners' control was not found to produce additional transfer gains beyond content variability. A between-study comparison suggests that enhanced task demands, by means of bivalency, promoted higher transfer gains in the current study when compared to Sabah et al. (Psychological Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-018-1006-7 , 2018). Taken together, the current results provide further evidence to the beneficial impact of variability on training outcomes. The lack of modulatory effect for learners' control is discussed in relation to possible methodological limitations.

SUBMITTER: Sabah K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8286950 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have difficulties while performing dual-task activities, a condition present in everyday life. It is possible that strategies such as transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) can be associated with motor training enriched with dual-task training to improve the performance of two concurrent tasks. Currently, it is unclear whether specific tasks and clinical conditions of PD patients have different results after the intervention. Therefore, the proposed randomized controlled trial will examine task-dependency in enhancing the effects of tDCS-linked rehabilitation training on PD and the relationships between baseline outcomes in responders and non-responders to therapy. Fifty-six patients with Parkinson's disease will be recruited to participate in this controlled, double-blind randomized multicentric clinical trial. Patients in modified Hoehn & Yahr stage 1.5-3, age between 40 and 70 years will be included. Subjects will be randomly assigned to an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). The EG will perform treadmill gait training associated with dual task exercises+tDCS, while the CG will only engage in treadmill gait training+tDCS. Blinded testers will assess patients before and after 12 intervention sessions and after a 4-week follow-up period. All patients will undergo a screening and an initial visit before being assessed for primary and secondary outcomes. The primary outcome measure is functional mobility measured by Timed Up and Go Test. Secondary outcomes include cognitive function, participation, motor function and body function and structure. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention protocol with tDCS, dual-task training and gait training in patients with PD. The study will also highlight the clinical factors and variability between individuals that could interfere in the training of a specific task and influence the therapeutic effect. Clinical Trial registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT04581590.

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Enhancing task-demands disrupts learning but enhances transfer gains in short-term task-switching training.

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