TY - JOUR T1 - Working memory training efficacy in COPD: the randomised double-blind placebo-controlled Cogtrain trial JF - ERJ Open Research JO - erjor DO - 10.1183/23120541.00475-2021 SP - 00475-2021 AU - Martijn van Beers AU - Sarah W. Mount AU - Katrijn Houben AU - Harry R. Gosker AU - Lisanne Schuurman AU - Frits M. E. Franssen AU - Daisy J. A. Janssen AU - Annemie M. W. J. Schols Y1 - 2021/01/01 UR - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/early/2021/09/16/23120541.00475-2021.abstract N2 - Background Cognitive impairment (CI) is highly prevalent in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is associated with a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet and increased cognitive stress susceptibility. Enhancement of cognitive performance by working memory training (WMT) may reverse these effects. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the efficacy of WMT in COPD on cognitive performance, healthy lifestyle behaviours and cognitive stress susceptibility.Methods The double-blind randomised, placebo-controlled Cogtrain trial consisted of a 12-week training phase comprising 30 active or sham WMT sessions, followed by a second 12-week maintenance phase with 12 sessions. Measurements took place at baseline and after the first and second phases. The primary outcome was cognitive performance. Secondary outcomes were the recall of prespecified healthy lifestyle goals, physical capacity and activity, dietary quality, and cognitive stress susceptibility. Motivation towards exercising and healthy eating and psychological wellbeing were exploratory outcomes.Results Sixty-four patients with moderate COPD (45% male, aged 66.2±7.2 years, median FEV1 60.6% predicted) were randomised. WMT significantly increased patients’ performance on the trained tasks in the first phase, which remained stable in the second phase. Of the 17 cognitive outcome measures only one measure of memory improved after the first phase and one measure of reaction time after the second phase. This intervention did not influence physical capacity and activity, recall of prespecified healthy lifestyle goals, psychological wellbeing, or cognitive stress susceptibility.Conclusion WMT improved performance on the trained tasks but not overall cognitive performance, healthy lifestyle behaviours or cognitive stress susceptibility in patients with COPD.FootnotesThis manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the ERJ Open Research. It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJOR online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article.Conflict of interest: Dr. van Beers has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Mount has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Houben has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Gosker has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Schuurman has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Franssen has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Janssen has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Schols has nothing to disclose. ER -