Improvement of Visual Attention and Working Memory through a Web-based Brain Training Program

Michael Scanlon (Stanford University), David Drescher (Lumos Labs, Inc.), Kunal Sarkar (Lumos Labs, Inc.), Gregory Kellett (San Francisco State University), Mark W. Geisler (San Francisco State University)

Prior research has revealed cognitive abilities to be adaptive and capable of improvement via targeted cognitive behavioral training methods; however, use of these methods is limited outside of research and clinical settings. Our objective was to investigate the efficacy of a web-based cognitive training program in improving the attention and memory of healthy adults. Volunteer participants (n=23, mean age=54) were given initial cognitive assessments, a training (or control) intervention and then cognitive assessments again post-training. Both training and testing were conducted online at each participant’s home. Trained subjects completed twenty-minute online cognitive exercise sessions once daily for five weeks, while control participants received no training. Exercises consisted of one visual attention and three working memory tasks. Results and compliance data were captured online automatically. The trained group improved significantly in measures of visual attention and working memory (p<0.01) while the control group did not. Training reduced the average error in localization of transient and non-central visual stimuli while improving performance on measures of spatial working memory. There were no significant performance shifts in the control group. Results indicate that improving cognitive abilities such as working memory and visual attention is possible via the use of web-based applications outside of a clinical setting.