Examining the effects of computerised cognitive training on levels of executive function in adults with Down syndrome.
Computer brain-training gives small lab gains but little real-life payoff for adults with Down syndrome.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers gave the adults with Down syndrome an 8-week computer brain-training program. The adults played games that targeted working memory, planning, and flexible thinking. Staff and family also filled out rating scales about daily behaviors before and after the training.
What they found
Lab test scores for executive function rose slightly after the 8 weeks. However, parents and staff saw almost no change in real-life behaviors like remembering chores or switching tasks. The gains stayed on paper, not in day-to-day life.
How this fits with other research
Yuwiler et al. (1992) tracked adults with Down syndrome for five years and found their memory scores stayed flat without any training. Barton et al. (2019) now shows that adding computer drills can nudge those scores up a little, building on the old baseline of stability.
Sosnowski et al. (2022) ran a 24-week basketball study in the same age group. They saw large gains in fitness, while E et al. saw only small mental gains. The pattern tells us physical training gives clearer results than brain games for adults with Down syndrome.
Day et al. (2021) used tiny Velcro mittens to boost reaching in babies with Down syndrome. Both studies use short, syndrome-informed tasks, but the baby work produced faster, visible progress. Early motor gains may outshine later cognitive ones.
Why it matters
If you work with adults with Down syndrome, do not expect computer brain games to create big life changes. You can try them as a low-risk filler, but pair them with real-world practice like cooking or job tasks. Track what matters to the client—keeping a bus schedule or finishing a work checklist—not just lab scores.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) are at much greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, and one of the early clinical symptoms of Alzheimer's disease is executive dysfunction. In the general population, cognitive training has shown some promising results in relation to maintaining or improving cognitive processes. There is currently a gap in the literature in relation to cognitive training for adults with DS. METHODS: A quasi-experimental mixed factorial design with partial crossover was used involving an 8-week intervention period using a brain training programme. Participants were matched on age and then randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the delayed intervention group. Forty adults with DS, aged between 30 and 49 and with a mild or moderate level of intellectual disability, participated in the study. All participants completed baseline measures of executive function, using both neuropsychological assessments and an informant-rated measure of behavioural executive function. The intervention group first completed the training and then the delayed intervention group. Executive function assessments were repeated for both groups following the training. RESULTS: The study aimed to examine whether a cognitive training programme could have an effect on levels of executive function. While conclusions are limited owing to small sample size, improvement was seen in neuropsychological assessments of executive function following cognitive training. Positive effects reflected in everyday behaviours were not as promising. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that, while it has not been previously an area of focus, individuals with DS can complete a computerised cognitive training programme. Furthermore, the results were promising with significant improvements found in neuropsychological assessments of executive function. These findings need further investigation with a larger sample size and would benefit from the use of a brain imaging component to strengthen the findings.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2019 · doi:10.1111/jir.12626