N-Back Training and Transfer Effects in Healthy Young Subjects Using EEG

We investigate whether N-Back working memory (WM) training improves both trained WM- and untrained cognitive function performance (transfer effects). Previous studies showed that EEG responses, in particular Event Related Potentials (ERPs), can be used as a measure of working memory load during cognitive task performance. Here, we used three groups of young healthy participants to assess the effect of N- Back training: cognitive training group (CTG), active control group (ACG) and passive control group (PCG). The cognitive training group performed an N-Back task with 3 difficulty levels (1, 2, 3-Back), the active control group used the same task but with lower difficulty levels (0, 1, 2-Back), and the control group no N-Back training at all. Pre- and post-tests were administered to all three groups to gauge any transfer effects (partial memory, attention, reasoning and intelligence). Our results showed that training improved N-Back task performance for CTG participants compared to ACG and PCG participants. In contrast, transfer effects were not so clear across cognitive tasks but transfer effects were present and stronger in CTG compared to ACG for attention (TOVA test).status: publishe