Effortful and effortless training of executive functions improve brain multiple demand system activities differently: an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies

Chan Tang; Chan Tang; Chan Tang; Ting Huang; Ting Huang; Jipeng Huang; Jipeng Huang; Nuo Xu; Hui Lyu; Yuan Wang; Yuan Wang; Yifei Cao; Yifei Cao; Yifei Cao; Yifei Cao

doi:10.3389/fnins.2023.1243409

Frontiers in Neuroscience (Nov 2023)

Effortful and effortless training of executive functions improve brain multiple demand system activities differently: an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies

Chan Tang,
Chan Tang,
Chan Tang,
Ting Huang,
Ting Huang,
Jipeng Huang,
Jipeng Huang,
Nuo Xu,
Hui Lyu,
Yuan Wang,
Yuan Wang,
Yifei Cao,
Yifei Cao,
Yifei Cao,
Yifei Cao

Affiliations

Chan Tang: School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
Chan Tang: School of Psychology, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Brain Development, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
Chan Tang: State Key Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Ting Huang: School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
Ting Huang: School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
Jipeng Huang: School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
Jipeng Huang: State Key Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Nuo Xu: School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
Hui Lyu: School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
Yuan Wang: School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
Yuan Wang: School of Psychology, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Brain Development, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
Yifei Cao: School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
Yifei Cao: School of Psychology, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Brain Development, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
Yifei Cao: State Key Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Yifei Cao: Zurich Center for Neuroscience, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1243409
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 17

Abstract

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Both effortful and effortless training have been shown to be effective in enhancing individuals' executive functions. Effortful training improves domain-specific EFs, while effortless training improves domain-general EFs. Furthermore, effortful training has significantly higher training effects on EFs than effortless training. The neural mechanism underlying these different effects remained unclear. The present study conducted meta-analysis on neuroimaging studies to explore the changes of brain activations induced by effortful and effortless training. The results showed that effortful training induced greater activation in superior frontal gyrus, while effortless training induced greater activation in middle frontal gyrus, precuneus and cuneus. The brain regions of MD system enhanced by effortful training were more associated with core cognitive functions underlying EFs, while those enhanced by effortless training were more correlated with language functions. In addition, the significant clusters induced by effortful training had more overlaps with the MD system than effortless training. These results provided us with possibility to discuss the different behavioral results brought by effortful and effortless training.

Published in Frontiers in Neuroscience

ISSN: 1662-4548 (Print); 1662-453X (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Website: http://www.frontiersin.org/neuroscience

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