You Can Improve Your Working Memory - or Maybe Have One

Cort

Founder of Health Rising and Phoenix Rising
Staff member
Working memory tasks of increasing difficulty was performed 30-45 min/day, 5 days/week over a 5-week period.

The brain has enormous plasticity. This study suggests you can build the "muscle" of working memory overcome some of the memory and attention problems in ME/CFS. I'm not surprised - this sort of thing seems to help with elderly with diminished cognitive functioning as well.

J Rehabil Med. 2015 Jun 1. doi: 10.2340/16501977-1976. [Epub ahead of print] Computerized training improves verbal working memory in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: A pilot study. Maroti D1, Westerberg AF, Saury JM, Bileviciute-Ljungar I.Author information

OBJECTIVE:

Patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome experience cognitive difficulties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of computerized training on working memory in this syndrome.
DESIGN:

Non-randomized (quasi-experimental) study with no-treatment control group and non-equivalent dependent variable design in a myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome-cohort.
SUBJECTS:

Patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome who participated in a 6-month outpatient rehabilitation programme were included in the study. Eleven patients who showed signs of working memory deficit were recruited for additional memory training and 12 patients with no working memory deficit served as controls.
METHODS:

Cognitive training with computerized working memory tasks of increasing difficulty was performed 30-45 min/day, 5 days/week over a 5-week period. Short-term and working memory tests (Digit Span - forward, backward, total) were used as primary outcome measures. Nine of the 11 patients were able to complete the training.
RESULTS:

Cognitive training increased working memory (p = 0.003) and general attention (p = 0.004) to the mean level. Short-term memory was also improved, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.052) vs prior training. The control group did not show any significant improvement in primary outcome measures.
CONCLUSION:

Cognitive training may be a new treatment for patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.
 

VJ Knutson

Active Member
I have heard that due to the inflammation on the brain with ME/CFS, patients need to limit mental activity, allowing for rest periods and pacing in this capacity as well as other.
 

Cort

Founder of Health Rising and Phoenix Rising
Staff member
I have heard that due to the inflammation on the brain with ME/CFS, patients need to limit mental activity, allowing for rest periods and pacing in this capacity as well as other.

I'm sure that that's very true.

Note that the elderly also likely have low levels of inflammation in the brain due to increased oxidative stress as we age. I think it's a matter of helping the brain learn to work more efficiently...and get around to some extent whatever blockages are there - forge new pathways.
 

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