Cognitive control training enhances the integration of intrinsic functional networks in adolescence

Abstract

Studies have demonstrated that the intensive cognitive training can induce sustained improvements in cognitive performance in adolescents. However, few studies have investigated the neural basis of these training effects, leaving the underlying mechanism of cognitive plasticity during this period unexplained. In this study, we trained 51 normally developing adolescents on cognitive control tasks and examined how their brain intrinsic networks changed by applying graph theoretical analysis. We hypothesized that the training would accelerate the process of network integration, which is a key feature of network development occurring throughout adolescence. We found that the training enhanced the integration of functional networks, particularly the cross-network integration of cingulo-opercular network. Moreover, the analysis of additional data from older adolescents revealed that the cingulo-opercular network was more integrated with other networks in older adolescents than in younger adolescents. These findings suggest that cognitive control training speeded up the network development, such that brain networks exhibit more mature patterns after training.