Zhou Hui, Geng Fengji, Wang Tengfei, Wang Chunjie, Xie Ye, Hu Yuzheng, Chen Feiyan
Bio-X Laboratory, Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
Department of Curriculum and Learning Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
Neuroscience. 2020 Apr 15;432:115-125. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.02.033. Epub 2020 Feb 27.
Accumulating evidence indicates a positive effect of abacus-based mental calculation (AMC) training on various cognitive functions including short-term memory (STM). Our previous work has shown AMC training-induced activation changes in the frontal-parietal network (FPN) using task fMRI. However, whether AMC training-induced functional plasticity in the same brain network can be detected at resting state remains unknown. The current study aimed to address this question using resting state functional connectivity in a longitudinal AMC training experiment engaging a training group (18 subjects, age = 21.439 ± 0.565) and a control group (18 subjects, age = 21.113 ± 1.140). Our results revealed that the average functional connectivity strength within the FPN showing task activation changes was significantly enhanced after training in the AMC group, whereas it remained stable in the control group. Further analysis indicated that such connectivity increase in the AMC group was primarily driven by the enhanced coupling of bilateral superior parietal lobules (SPL). In addition, a significant and positive correlation between letter forward memory span and SPL connectivity was found at post-training session in the AMC group. While the weakest quartile of SPL connections ranking by pre-training connectivity strength showed the largest effect of enhancement after training, it was the strongest quartile of SPL connectivity that correlated the most with memory span at post-training session. These findings suggest that AMC training may enhance bilateral SPL functional connectivity, through which AMC training might exert a transfer effect to improve short-term memory capacity.
越来越多的证据表明，基于算盘的心算（AMC）训练对包括短期记忆（STM）在内的各种认知功能具有积极影响。我们之前的研究使用任务功能磁共振成像（fMRI）表明，AMC训练会引起额顶网络（FPN）的激活变化。然而，在静息状态下是否能检测到AMC训练在同一脑网络中诱导的功能可塑性仍不清楚。本研究旨在通过静息状态功能连接，在一个纵向AMC训练实验中解决这个问题，该实验包括一个训练组（18名受试者，年龄 = 21.439 ± 0.565）和一个对照组（18名受试者，年龄 = 21.113 ± 1.140）。我们的结果显示，在AMC组训练后，显示任务激活变化的FPN内的平均功能连接强度显著增强，而在对照组中则保持稳定。进一步分析表明，AMC组的这种连接增加主要是由双侧顶上小叶（SPL）耦合增强驱动的。此外，在AMC组训练后的测试中发现字母顺背记忆广度与SPL连接之间存在显著正相关。虽然按训练前连接强度排序的SPL连接最弱的四分位数在训练后显示出最大的增强效果，但在训练后的测试中，与记忆广度相关性最高的是SPL连接最强的四分位数。这些发现表明，AMC训练可能增强双侧SPL功能连接，通过这种方式，AMC训练可能发挥转移效应来提高短期记忆能力。
