AUTHOR=Hernes Susanne S. , Flak Marianne M. , Løhaugen Gro C. C. , Skranes Jon , Hol Haakon R. , Madsen Bengt-Ove , Knapskog Anne-Brita , Engvig Andreas , Pripp Are , Ulstein Ingun , Lona Trine , Zhang Xin , Chang Linda 

TITLE=Working Memory Training in Amnestic and Non-amnestic Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Preliminary Findings From Genotype Variants on Training Effects

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2021.624253

DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2021.624253

ISSN=1663-4365

ABSTRACT=<p>Working memory training (WMT) effects may be modulated by mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subtypes, and variations in <italic>APOE</italic>-epsilon (<italic>APOE</italic>-ε) and <italic>LMX1A</italic> genotypes. Sixty-one individuals (41 men/20 women, mean age 66 years) diagnosed with MCI (31 amnestic/30 non-amnestic) and genotyped for <italic>APOE</italic>-ε and <italic>LMX1A</italic> completed 4 weeks/20–25 sessions of WMT. Cognitive functions were assessed before, 4 weeks and 16 weeks after WMT. Except for Processing Speed, the non-amnestic MCI group (naMCI) outperformed the amnestic MCI (aMCI) group in all cognitive domains across all time-points. At 4 weeks, working memory function improved in both groups (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001), but at 16 weeks the effects only remained in the naMCI group. Better performance was found after training for the naMCI patients with <italic>LMX1A</italic>-AA genotype and for the <italic>APOE</italic>-ε4 carriers. Only the naMCI-<italic>APOE</italic>-ε4 group showed improved Executive Function at 16 weeks. WMT improved working memory and some non-trained cognitive functions in individuals with MCI. The naMCI group had greater training gain than aMCI group, especially in those with <italic>LMX1A</italic>-AA genotype and among <italic>APOE-</italic>ε4-carriers. Further research with larger sample sizes for the subgroups and longer follow-up evaluations is warranted.</p>