RESEARCH ARTICLE Enhancing Cognitive Abilities with Comprehensive Training: A Large, Online, Randomized

Background A variety of studies have demonstrated gains in cognitive ability following cognitive training interventions. However, other studies have not shown such gains, and questions remain regarding the efficacy of specific cognitive training interventions. Cognitive training research often involves programs made up of just one or a few exercises, targeting limited and spe-cific cognitive endpoints. In addition, cognitive training studies typically involve small sam-ples that may be insufficient for reliable measurement of change. Other studies have utilized training periods that were too short to generate reliable gains in cognitive performance. Methods The present study evaluated an online cognitive training program comprised of 49 exercises targeting a variety of cognitive capacities. The cognitive training program was compared to an active control condition in which participants completed crossword puzzles. All partici-pants were recruited, trained, and tested online (N = 4,715 fully evaluable participants). Par