Brain Training in Children and Adolescents: Is It Scientifically...

Brain Training in Children and Adolescents: Is It Scientifically Valid?
Source: Rossignoli-Palomeque T, Perez-Hernandez E and González-Marqués J (2018) Brain Training in Children and Adolescents: Is It Scientifically Valid?
Front. Psychol. 9:565. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00565
Background: Brain training products are becoming increasingly popular for children and adolescents. Despite the marketing aimed at their use in the general population, these products may provide more benefits for specific neurologically impaired populations. A review of Brain Training (BT) products analyzing their efficacy while considering the methodological limitations of supporting research is required for practical applications
Method: searches were made of the PubMed database (until March 2017) for studies including: (1) empirical data on the use of brain training for children or adolescents and any effects on near transfer (NT) and/or far transfer (FT) and/or neuroplasticity, (2) use of brain training for cognitive training purposes, (3) commercially available training applications, (4) computer-based programs for children developed since the 1990s, and (5) relevant printed and peer-reviewed material.
Results: Database searches yielded a total of 16,402 references, of which 70 met the inclusion criteria for the review. We classified programs in terms of neuroplasticity, near and far transfer, and long-term effects and their applied methodology. Regarding efficacy, only 10 studies (14.2%) have been found that support neuroplasticity, and the majority of brain training platforms claimed to be based on such concepts without providing any supporting scientific data. Thirty-six studies (51.4%) have shown far transfer (7 of them are non-independent) and only 11 (15.7%) maintained far transfer at follow-up. Considering the methodology, 40 studies (68.2%) were not randomized and controlled; for those randomized, only 9 studies (12.9%) were double-blind, and only 13 studies (18.6%) included active controls in their trials.

Conclusion: Overall, few independent studies have found far transfer and long-term effects. The majority of independent results found only near transfer. There is a lack of double-blind randomized trials which include an active control group as well as a passive control to properly control for contaminant variables. Based on our results, Brain Training Programs as commercially available products are not as effective as first expected or as they promise in their advertisements.

TALI Attention Training Program. This program which aims to train attention is supported by a recent study on program efficacy in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (Kirk et al., 2017). The children were randomly assigned to a training group or to a placebo control. The trained group received 25 sessions of 20 min. Although after training no significant effects were found, scores in numeracy increased at a 3-month follow-up. It must be considered that this study only assessed FT on academic achievement.