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Journal articleOwen AM, Hampshire A, Grahn JA, et al., 2010,
Putting brain training to the test
, Nature, Vol: 465, Pages: 775-778, ISSN: 1476-4687'Brain training', or the goal of improved cognitive function through the regular use of computerized tests, is a multimillion-pound industry, yet in our view scientific evidence to support its efficacy is lacking. Modest effects have been reported in some studies of older individuals and preschool children, and video-game players outperform non-players on some tests of visual attention. However, the widely held belief that commercially available computerized brain-training programs improve general cognitive function in the wider population in our opinion lacks empirical support. The central question is not whether performance on cognitive tests can be improved by training, but rather, whether those benefits transfer to other untrained tasks or lead to any general improvement in the level of cognitive functioning. Here we report the results of a six-week online study in which 11,430 participants trained several times each week on cognitive tasks designed to improve reasoning, memory, planning, visuospatial skills and attention. Although improvements were observed in every one of the cognitive tasks that were trained, no evidence was found for transfer effects to untrained tasks, even when those tasks were cognitively closely related.
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Journal articleHampshire A, Chamberlain SR, Monti MM, et al., 2010,
The role of the right inferior frontal gyrus: inhibition and attentional control
, Neuroimage, Vol: 50, Pages: 1313-1319, ISSN: 1095-9572There is growing interest regarding the role of the right inferior frontal gyrus (RIFG) during a particular form of executive control referred to as response inhibition. However, tasks used to examine neural activity at the point of response inhibition have rarely controlled for the potentially confounding effects of attentional demand. In particular, it is unclear whether the RIFG is specifically involved in inhibitory control, or is involved more generally in the detection of salient or task relevant cues. The current fMRI study sought to clarify the role of the RIFG in executive control by holding the stimulus conditions of one of the most popular response inhibition tasks-the Stop Signal Task-constant, whilst varying the response that was required on reception of the stop signal cue. Our results reveal that the RIFG is recruited when important cues are detected, regardless of whether that detection is followed by the inhibition of a motor response, the generation of a motor response, or no external response at all.
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Book chapterHampshire A, Owen A, 2010,
Clinical studies of attention and learning
, Attention and associative learning: from brain to behaviou, Editors: Mitchell, Le Pelley, Oxford, Publisher: Oxfor University Press -
Book chapterGruszka A, Hampshire A, Owen AM, 2010,
Learned Irrelevance Revisited: Pathology-Based Individual Differences, Normal Variation and Neural Correlates
, Handbook of Individual Differences in Cognition, Editors: Gruszka, Matthews, Szymura, New York, Publisher: Springer -
Journal articleO'Donovan G, Thomas EL, McCarthy JP, et al., 2009,
Fat distribution in men of different waist girth, fitness level and exercise habit
, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY, Vol: 33, Pages: 1356-1362, ISSN: 0307-0565- Author Web Link
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- Citations: 30
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Conference paperStutzmann F, Ghoussaini M, Couturier C, et al., 2009,
Loss-of-function mutations in SIM1 cause a specific form of Prader-Willi-like syndrome
, 45th Annual Meeting of the European-Association-for-the-Study-of-Diabetes, Publisher: SPRINGER, Pages: S104-S104, ISSN: 0012-186X- Author Web Link
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- Citations: 8
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Journal articleTauber M, Hokken-Koelega AC, Hauffa BP, et al., 2009,
About the benefits of growth hormone treatment in children with Prader-Willi syndrome
, JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS, Vol: 154, Pages: 778-778, ISSN: 0022-3476- Author Web Link
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- Citations: 4
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Journal articlePiech RM, Hampshire A, Owen AM, et al., 2009,
Modulation of cognitive flexibility by hunger and desire
, Cognition & Emotion -
Journal articleGoldstone AP, de Hernandez CG, Beaver JD, et al., 2009,
Fasting biases brain reward systems towards high-calorie foods
, Vol: 30, Pages: 1625-1635, ISSN: 1460-9568 -
Journal articleHampshire A, Thompson R, Duncan J, et al., 2009,
Selective tuning of the right inferior frontal gyrus during target detection
, Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, Vol: 9, Pages: 103-112, ISSN: 1530-7026In the human brain, a network of frontal and parietal regions is commonly recruited during tasks that demand the deliberate, focused control of thought and action. Previously, using a simple target detection task, we reported striking differences in the selectivity of the BOLD response in anatomically distinct subregions of this network. In particular, it was observed that the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) followed a tightly tuned function, selectively responding only to the current target object. Here, we examine this functional specialization further, using adapted versions of our original task. Our results demonstrate that the response of the right IFG to targets is a strong and replicable phenomenon. It occurs under increased attentional load, when targets and distractors are equally frequent, and when controlling for inhibitory processes. These findings support the hypothesis that the right IFG responds selectively to those items that are of the most relevance to the currently intended task schema.
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