Maintenance effects of working memory intervention (Cogmed) in children with symptomatic epilepsy

Purpose: To extend previous research documenting the benefits of working memory (WM) intervention (Cogmed) immediately post-intervention in children with epilepsy by assessing the 3-month maintenance effects. Methods: Participants involved in a previous randomized clinical trial (RCf) were invited to participate if they completed Cogmed within the last 3 months (n = 15) and additional participants (n = 13) were prospectively recruited. Standardized assessments of near-transfer effects (i.e., visual and auditory attention and WM) were completed prior to and immediately after intervention and at 3-month follow-up. An additional measure assessing the far-transfer effect of fluid reasoning was administered prior to intervention and at 3-month follow-up. Results: Participants exhibited gains in auditory and visual attention and WM immediately following intervention and gains were generally sustained at 3-month follow-up. Intervention did not improve visual-verbal WM or fluid reasoning. The clinical variables studied (i.e., age of seizure onset, seizure frequency, epilepsy duration, and overall intellectual functioning) did not elucidate reliable relationships with intervention. Conclusions: Working memory training is possibly efficacious in improving related skills which are maintained for 3 months in children with active epilepsy. No transfer to fluid reasoning was documented. Further investigation by means of a large-scale RCT which includes a placebo and both objective and subjective measures of the impact of training on daily functioning is warranted. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.