Effectiveness of computerised cognitive training in pupils with mild intellectual disability

Več študij je preučevalo bližnje in daljne transferne učinke kognitivnega treninga (predvsem treninga delovnega spomina), a je bilo le malo študij narejenih na populaciji otrok z lažjo motnjo v duševnem razvoju. Iz tega razloga smo želeli v naši raziskavi preveriti, kakšne učinke ima računalniški kognitivni trening – virtualni labirint – na kognitivne funkcije otrok z lažjo motnjo v duševnem razvoju. V raziskavi so nas še posebej zanimali učinki treninga na izvršilne funkcije in, z njimi povezane, kognitivne funkcije. Pri ugotavljanju primanjkljajev izvršilnega funkcioniranja otrok z motnjo v duševnem razvoju so si študije enotne v tem, da imajo v primerjavi z otroki primerljive kronološke starosti otroci z motnjo v duševnem razvoju slabše izvršilne funkcije. Ko primerjamo otroke z motnjo v duševnem razvoju z otroki primerljive mentalne starosti, pa ugotovitve niso konsistentne. Morda k temu pripomore tudi dejstvo, da večina študij ne preučuje celostne slike izvršilnega funkcioniranja, ampak se študije bolj osredotočajo na posamezne izvršilne funkcije. S tega vidika smo v naši raziskavi preverjali učinke na številne izvršilne in druge kognitivne funkcije: delovni spomin, inhibicijo, preklapljanje, emocionalno kontrolo, začenjanje, načrtovanje, organiziranje materialov, preverjanje kakovosti ali napredka, pozornost, hitrost procesiranja vizualnih informacij, dolgotrajni in kratkotrajni spomin. V raziskavi je sodelovalo 21 učencev, 11 v eksperimentalni in 10 v kontrolni skupini. Vključili smo učence od 4. do 9. razreda, stari so bili od 10 do 19 let. Eksperimentalna skupina je trening izvajala 12x po 35 minut. Intervencija je potekala skupinsko, 2x na teden. Kontrolna skupina je bila pasivna in ni izvajala nobenih aktivnosti. Pred in po končanih treningih smo udeležence v kontrolni in eksperimentalni skupini testirali z nevropsihološkimi testi in računalniško baterijo CogState, razrednikom pa smo razdelili vprašalnik BRIEF za učitelje, ki so ga izpolnili za vsakega učenca posebej. Rezultati so pokazali, da je eksperimentalna skupina pri številnih merah izvršilnih funkcij pomembno izboljšala svoj rezultat s prvega na drugo testiranje. Pomembne izboljšave pri eksperimentalni skupini v primerjavi s kontrolno skupino pa so se pokazale pri nalogah AVLT – totalna pridobitev, AVLT IV ter Testu povezovanja – A delu. Rezultat se je zelo približal statistični pomembnosti tudi pri nalogi verbalne fluentnosti, kjer so morali udeleženci v eni minuti našteti čim več živali na črko K ter pri meri natančnosti izvedbe Testa asociativnega učenja parov (CPAL, acc). Ugotovitve torej kažejo, da je računalniški kognitivni trening – virtualni labirint – pri otrocih z lažjo motnjo v duševnem razvoju izvedljiv in učinkovit. Pri našem vzorcu so se pokazali pomembni učinki treninga na nekatera merjena področja. Smiselne bi bile torej nadaljnje študije treninga pri tej skupini otrok, da bi ugotovili, kakšen trening je zanje najbolj učinkovit. Dobro bi bilo tudi razmisliti o vključitvi tovrstnih treningov v šolsko okolje.A few studies carried out research into short and long-term transfer effects of cognitive training (especially working memory training), but only few were carried out on children with mild intellectual disability. For this reason we wanted to study the computerised cognitive training effects (namely virtual labyrinth) on cognitive functions of children with mild intellectual disability. We were particularly interested in its effects on executive functions and the cognitive functions connected with them. All studies showed that in comparison with the children with the comparable cronological age those with mild intellectual disability have worse executive functions, while in comparison with the children of comparable mental age the findings are inconsistent. A thing that contributes to it might also be the fact that most studies do not examine the holistic picture of executive functioning, but they mainly focus on particular executive functions. That is why we checked the effects on several executive and other cognitive functions which are working memory, inhibition, shift, emotional control, initiate, planning, material organising, monitor, attention, processing speed, short and long-term memory. Twenty-one students participated, eleven in the experimental and ten in the control group. Included were fourth to ninth graders, aged from ten to nineteen. The experimental group had trainings twelve times, each lasting 35 minutes. Intervention took place in groups, twice a week. The control group was passive and did not have any activities. Before and after trainings the participants in the control and experimental group were tested with neuropsychological tests and computer battery CogState, while the headteachers were handed out the BRIEF questionnaire for teachers and filled it in for each individual student. The results showed that the experimental group improved its result considerably at second testing at several measurements of executive functions. Significant improvements of the experimental group compared to the control group, however, were made at the AVLT tasks – total gain, at AVLT IV and the Trail Making Test, A part. The result got very close to the statistical importance at the task of verbal fluency, where the participants had to name as many animals beginning with K as possible, as well as at the measurement of accuracy of taking the Continuous Paired Associate Learning test (CPAL, acc). Our findings show that virtual labyrinth, computerised cognitive training with kids with mild intellectual disability, is feasible and effective. Our sample revealed important training effects in some measured fields. Therefore, further studies of training with this children\u27s group would indicate exactly which training is the most efficient for them. Considering the integration of such trainings into schools would be a good thing as well