Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies , Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences , Indiana University-Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2018 Dec;42(12):2432-2441. doi: 10.1111/acer.13892. Epub 2018 Oct 25.
Low working memory (WM) capacity is associated with alcohol use disorders (AUDs). The importance of WM to adaptive functioning has led to a recent influx of studies attempting to improve individual WM capacity using various cognitive training methods. The present study aimed to examine the efficacy of complex WM training for improving WM capacity among individuals with AUD.
Individuals were randomized to complete either adaptive WM training or active control training. We applied a methodologically rigorous and structured approach, including a battery of near and moderate transfer measures in those with AUDs and a control group. Additionally, we examined cognitive factors (at baseline) and other predictors of adherence, training task improvement, and transfer.
Results suggest improved WM in individuals with AUDs and controls, as evidenced by improved scores on several transfer measures, after adaptive WM training. However, individuals with AUDs showed poorer adherence and less improvement on the training tasks themselves. Neither IQ, WM, sex, nor condition predicted adherence. Level of training task performance, baseline WM, and IQ predicted transfer task improvement.
This is the first study to rigorously examine both the efficacy of WM training in those with AUDs, and predictors of successful training program adherence and transfer in a large sample. Among study completers, results suggest that AUD status does not predict training improvement and transfer. However, AUD status did predict lower program adherence. WM training was more effective in those with higher cognitive ability at baseline. This study provides direct translation to the development of cognitive interventions for treating AUD.
低工作记忆（WM）容量与酒精使用障碍（AUD）有关。WM 对适应功能的重要性导致最近出现了大量研究，试图使用各种认知训练方法来提高个体的 WM 能力。本研究旨在检验复杂 WM 训练对改善 AUD 个体 WM 能力的效果。
参与者被随机分配到自适应 WM 训练或主动控制训练组。我们采用了严格和结构化的方法，包括对 AUD 患者和对照组进行一系列近迁移和中迁移测量。此外，我们还研究了认知因素（基线）和其他依从性、训练任务改善和迁移的预测因素。
结果表明，经过自适应 WM 训练，AUD 患者和对照组的 WM 都得到了改善，这表现在多项迁移测量上的得分提高。然而，AUD 患者的依从性较差，对训练任务的改善较少。智商、WM、性别和条件均不能预测依从性。训练任务的表现水平、基线 WM 和智商预测了迁移任务的改善。
这是第一项严格检验 WM 训练在 AUD 患者中的效果以及成功训练计划依从性和转移的预测因素的研究，在完成研究的参与者中，结果表明 AUD 状态不能预测训练的改善和转移。然而，AUD 状态确实预测了较低的项目依从性。基线认知能力较高的患者 WM 训练效果更好。本研究为开发治疗 AUD 的认知干预措施提供了直接依据。
