Dept. Psicología Experimental, Universidad de Granada, Spain.
Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2012 Feb 15;2 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S192-204. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2011.09.004. Epub 2011 Oct 1.
Executive attention is involved in the regulation of thoughts, emotions and responses. This function experiences major development during preschool years and is associated to a neural network involving the anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal structures. Recently, there have been some attempts to improve attention and other executive functions through training. In the current study, a group of 5 years old children (n=37) were assigned to either a training-group who performed ten sessions of computerized training of attention or a non-trained control group. Assessment of performance in a range of tasks, targeting attention, intelligence and regulation of affect was carried out in three occasions: (1) before, (2) after, and (3) two months after completion of training. Also, brain function was examined with a high-density electroencephalogram system. Results demonstrate that trained children activate the executive attention network faster and more efficiently than untrained children, an effect that was still observed two months after without further training. Also, evidence of transfer of attention training to fluid intelligence and, to a lesser degree, to regulation of affect was observed. Results show that efficiency of the brain system underlying self-regulation can be enhanced by experience during development, providing opportunities for curricular improvement.
执行注意涉及到对思想、情绪和反应的调节。这一功能在学前阶段经历了重大发展，与涉及前扣带皮层和前额叶结构的神经网络有关。最近，人们试图通过训练来提高注意力和其他执行功能。在这项研究中，一组 5 岁的儿童（n=37）被分配到训练组或非训练对照组。在三个时间点（1）之前、（2）之后和（3）训练完成后两个月，对一系列针对注意力、智力和情绪调节的任务进行了评估。还使用高密度脑电图系统检查了大脑功能。结果表明，经过训练的儿童比未经过训练的儿童更快、更有效地激活执行注意网络，这种效果在没有进一步训练的情况下仍能持续两个月。此外，还观察到注意力训练向流体智力的转移，在较小程度上也向情绪调节转移。研究结果表明，通过发展过程中的经验，可以提高自我调节的大脑系统的效率，为课程改进提供机会。
