Biagianti Bruno, Fisher Melissa, Loewy Rachel, Brandrett Benjamin, Ordorica Catalina, LaCross Kristin, Schermitzler Brandon, McDonald Michelle, Ramsay Ian, Vinogradov Sophia
Department of R&D, Posit Science Corporation, San Francisco, CA, United States.
Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Front Psychiatry. 2020 Aug 28;11:857. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00857. eCollection 2020.
We previously demonstrated that the high heterogeneity of response to computerized Auditory Training (AT) in psychosis can be ascribed to individual differences in sensory processing efficiency and neural plasticity. In particular, we showed that Auditory Processing Speed (APS) serves as a behavioral measure of target engagement, with faster speed predicting greater transfer effects to untrained cognitive domains. Here, we investigate whether the ability of APS to function as a proxy for target engagement is unique to AT, or if it applies to other training interventions, such as Executive Functioning Training (EFT). Additionally, we examine whether changes in APS are durable after these two forms of training.
One hundred and twenty-five participants with Recent Onset Psychosis (ROP) were randomized to AT (n = 66) and EFT (n = 59), respectively. APS was captured at baseline, after treatment, and at 6-month follow-up. Mixed models repeated measures analysis with restricted maximum likelihood was used to examine whether training condition differentiated APS trajectories. Within-group correlational analyses were used to study the relationship between APS and performance improvements in each of the training exercises.
The two groups were matched for age, gender, education, and baseline APS. Participants showed high inter-individual variability in APS at each time point. The mixed model showed a significant effect of time (F = 5.99, = .003) but not a significant effect (F = .73, = .48). This was driven by significant APS improvements AT patients after treatment (d = .75) that were maintained after 6 months (d = .63). Conversely, in EFT patients, APS improvements did not reach statistical significance after treatment (p = .33) or after 6 months (p = .24). In AT patients, baseline APS (but not APS change) highly predicted peak performance for each training exercise (all s >.42).
Participant-specific speed in processing basic auditory stimuli greatly varies in ROP, and strongly influences the magnitude of response to auditory but not executive functioning training. Importantly, enhanced auditory processing efficiency persists 6 months after AT, suggesting the durability of neuroplasticity processes induced by this form of training. Future studies should aim to identify markers of target engagement and durability for cognitive training interventions that target sensory modalities beyond the auditory domain.
我们之前证明，精神病患者对计算机化听觉训练（AT）反应的高度异质性可归因于感觉处理效率和神经可塑性的个体差异。特别是，我们表明听觉处理速度（APS）作为目标参与度的行为指标，速度越快预示着对未训练认知领域的转移效应越大。在此，我们研究APS作为目标参与度代理指标的能力是否是AT所特有的，或者它是否适用于其他训练干预措施，如执行功能训练（EFT）。此外，我们检查这两种训练形式后APS的变化是否持久。
125名近期发病的精神病患者（ROP）分别被随机分配到AT组（n = 66）和EFT组（n = 59）。在基线、治疗后和6个月随访时测量APS。采用限制最大似然法的混合模型重复测量分析来检查训练条件是否区分APS轨迹。组内相关分析用于研究APS与每个训练练习中表现改善之间的关系。
两组在年龄、性别、教育程度和基线APS方面相匹配。参与者在每个时间点的APS个体间差异很大。混合模型显示时间有显著影响（F = 5.99，p = .003），但训练条件没有显著影响（F = .73，p = .48）。这是由AT患者治疗后APS的显著改善（d = .75）驱动的，6个月后仍保持（d = .63）。相反，在EFT患者中，治疗后（p = .33）或6个月后（p = .24）APS的改善未达到统计学意义。在AT患者中，基线APS（而非APS变化）高度预测每个训练练习的峰值表现（所有p值>.42）。
ROP患者处理基本听觉刺激的个体特定速度差异很大，并且强烈影响对听觉训练而非执行功能训练的反应程度。重要的是，AT后6个月听觉处理效率提高仍然存在，表明这种训练形式诱导的神经可塑性过程具有持久性。未来的研究应旨在确定针对听觉领域以外感觉模式的认知训练干预措施的目标参与度和持久性标志物。
