***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Background Cognitive deficits are stable features of schizophrenia that are linked to functional outcome . Cognitive remediation approaches have been proven successful in ameliorating these deficits , although effect sizes vary considerably . Whether cognitive deficits are serious predictors of clinical outcome is less clear . Methods Sixty patients suffering from schizophrenia were included in our sample , thirty of them received  computer-assisted cognitive training , and thirty received occupational therapy . For a sub sample of 55 patients , who could be traced over a period of five years after the end of the cognitive remediation intervention  , time until first relapse and time in psychosis were determined retrospectively from their medical records . Results Cognitive remediation significantly improved problem solving , memory and attention with high effect sizes . Employment status , a post test verbal memory performance measure and a measure of executive functioning outperformed all other measures in the prediction of time to relapse , while allocation to treatment group outperformed all other variables in the prediction of both cognitive measures . Conclusions Cognitive remediation of neurocognitive deficits thus makes sense in a twofold fashion : It enhances cognition directly and positively acts on clinical course indirectly via improved neurocognition . Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register : This study examined the benefits of adding game elements to st and ard computerized working memory ( WM ) training . Specifically , it examined whether game elements would enhance motivation and training performance of children with ADHD , and whether it would improve training efficacy . A total of 51 children with ADHD aged between 7 and 12 years were r and omly assigned to WM training in a gaming format or to regular WM training that was not in a gaming format . Both groups completed three weekly sessions of WM training . Children using the game version of the WM training showed greater motivation ( i.e. , more time training ) , better training performance ( i.e. , more sequences reproduced and fewer errors ) , and better WM ( i.e. , higher scores on a WM task ) at post-training than children using the regular WM training . Results are discussed in terms of executive functions and reinforcement models of ADHD . It is concluded that WM training with game elements significantly improves the motivation , training performance , and working memory of children with ADHD . The findings of this study are encouraging and may have wide-reaching practical implication s in terms of the role of game elements in the design and implementation of new intervention efforts for children with ADHD Cognitive control is defined by a set of neural processes that allow us to interact with our complex environment in a goal -directed manner . Humans regularly challenge these control processes when attempting to simultaneously accomplish multiple goals ( multitasking ) , generating interference as the result of fundamental information processing limitations . It is clear that multitasking behaviour has become ubiquitous in today ’s technologically dense world , and substantial evidence has accrued regarding multitasking difficulties and cognitive control deficits in our ageing population . Here we show that multitasking performance , as assessed with a custom- design ed three-dimensional video game ( NeuroRacer ) , exhibits a linear age-related decline from 20 to 79 years of age . By playing an adaptive version of NeuroRacer in multitasking training mode , older adults ( 60 to 85 years old ) reduced multitasking costs compared to both an active control group and a no-contact control group , attaining levels beyond those achieved by untrained 20-year-old participants , with gains persisting for 6 months . Furthermore , age-related deficits in neural signatures of cognitive control , as measured with electroencephalography , were remediated by multitasking training ( enhanced midline frontal theta power and frontal – posterior theta coherence ) . Critically , this training result ed in performance benefits that extended to untrained cognitive control abilities ( enhanced sustained attention and working memory ) , with an increase in midline frontal theta power predicting the training-induced boost in sustained attention and preservation of multitasking improvement 6 months later . These findings highlight the robust plasticity of the prefrontal cognitive control system in the ageing brain , and provide the first evidence , to our knowledge , of how a custom- design ed video game can be used to assess cognitive abilities across the lifespan , evaluate underlying neural mechanisms , and serve as a powerful tool for cognitive enhancement BACKGROUND People with autism spectrum disorders ( ASDs ) experience executive function ( EF ) deficits . There is an urgent need for effective interventions , but in spite of the increasing research focus on computerized cognitive training , this has not been studied in ASD . Hence , we investigated two EF training conditions in children with ASD . METHODS In a r and omized controlled trial , children with ASD ( n = 121 , 8 - 12 years , IQ > 80 ) were r and omly assigned to an adaptive working memory ( WM ) training , an adaptive cognitive flexibility-training , or a non-adaptive control training ( mock-training ) . Braingame Brian , a computerized EF-training with game-elements , was used . Outcome measures ( pretraining , post-training , and 6-week-follow-up ) were near-transfer to trained EFs , far-transfer to other EFs ( sustained attention and inhibition ) , and parent 's ratings of daily life EFs , social behavior , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-behavior , and quality of life . RESULTS Attrition-rate was 26 % . Children in all conditions who completed the training improved in WM , cognitive flexibility , attention , and on parent 's ratings , but not in inhibition . There were no significant differential intervention effects , although children in the WM condition showed a trend toward improvement on near-transfer WM and ADHD-behavior , and children in the cognitive flexibility condition showed a trend toward improvement on near-transfer flexibility . CONCLUSION Although children in the WM condition tended to improve more in WM and ADHD-behavior , the lack of differential improvement on most outcome measures , the absence of a clear effect of the adaptive training compared to the mock-training , and the high attrition rate suggest that the training in its present form is probably not suitable for children with ASD Patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment are at high risk for developing Alzheimer 's disease . Besides episodic memory dysfunction they show deficits in accessing context ual knowledge that further specifies a general spatial navigation task or an executive function ( EF ) virtual action planning . Virtual reality ( VR ) environments have already been successfully used in cognitive rehabilitation and show increased potential for use in neuropsychological evaluation allowing for greater ecological validity while being more engaging and user friendly . In our study we employed the in-house platform of virtual action planning museum ( VAP-M ) and a sample of 25 MCI and 25 controls  , in order to investigate deficits in spatial navigation , prospect i ve memory , and executive function . In addition , we used the morphology of late components in event-related potential ( ERP ) responses , as a marker for cognitive dysfunction . The related measurements were fed to a common classification scheme facilitating the direct comparison of both approaches . Our results indicate that both the VAP-M and ERP averages were able to differentiate between healthy elders and patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and agree with the findings of the virtual action planning supermarket ( VAP-S ) . The sensitivity ( specificity ) was 100 % ( 98 % ) for the VAP-M data and 87 % ( 90 % ) for the ERP responses . Considering that ERPs have proven to advance the early detection and diagnosis of " presymptomatic AD , " the suggested VAP-M platform appears as an appealing alternative Cognitive decline in aging is a pressing issue associated with significant healthcare costs and deterioration in quality of life . Previously , we reported the successful use of a novel brain-computer interface ( BCI ) training system in improving symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder . Here , we examine the feasibility of the BCI system with a new game that incorporates memory training in improving memory and attention in a pilot sample of healthy elderly . This study investigates the safety , usability and acceptability of our BCI system to elderly , and obtains an efficacy estimate to warrant a phase III trial . Thirty-one healthy elderly were r and omized into intervention ( n = 15 ) and waitlist control arms ( n = 16 ) . Intervention consisted of an 8-week training comprising 24 half-hour sessions . A usability and acceptability question naire was administered at the end of training . Safety was investigated by querying users about adverse events after every session . Efficacy of the system was measured by the change of total score from the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status ( RBANS ) before and after training . Feedback on the usability and acceptability question naire was positive . No adverse events were reported for all participants across all sessions . Though the median difference in the RBANS change scores between arms was not statistically significant , an effect size of 0.6SD was obtained , which reflects potential clinical utility according to Simon ’s r and omized phase II trial design . Pooled data from both arms also showed that the median change in total scores pre and post-training was statistically significant ( Mdn = 4.0 ; p<0.001 ) . Specifically , there were significant improvements in immediate memory ( p = 0.038 ) , visuospatial/constructional ( p = 0.014 ) , attention ( p = 0.039 ) , and delayed memory ( p<0.001 ) scores . Our BCI-based system shows promise in improving memory and attention in healthy elderly , and appears to be safe , user-friendly and acceptable to senior users . Given the efficacy signal , a phase III trial is warranted . Trial Registration Clinical Trials.gov Although st and ard psychological treatments have been successful in treating several core features in eating disorders ( ED ) , other characteristics such as emotional regulation or impulsivity appear to be more resistant to change . There is a growing body of evidence to support the efficacy of cognitive remediation for cognitive and emotional difficulties in ED . Playmancer/ Isl and s is a video game ( VG ) design ed to specifically treat mental disorders , characterized by problems in impulse control . The objective of the game is to increase self-control over emotions , decision making and behaviours . The aim of this study is to describe the results from a consecutive series of nine bulimia nervosa patients who were treated with the VG in addition to cognitive behaviour therapy ( CBT ) .  The outcomes included clinical and psychopathological question naires , and physiological measures were obtained during the VG . Emotional regulation improved , heart rate variability increased , and respiratory rate and impulsivity measures reduced after the treatment . These findings suggest that VG training may enhance treatment for ED Introduction Executive functions ( EFs ) training interventions aim ed at ADHD-symptom reduction have yielded mixed results . Generally , these interventions focus on training a single cognitive domain ( e.g. , working memory [ WM ] , inhibition , or cognitive-flexibility ) . However , evidence suggests that most children with ADHD show deficits on multiple EFs , and that these EFs are largely related to different brain regions . Therefore , training multiple EFs might be a potentially more effective strategy to reduce EF-related ADHD symptoms . Methods Eighty-nine children with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD ( aged 8–12 ) were r and omized to either a full-active-condition where visuospatial WM , inhibition and cognitive-flexibility were trained , a partially-active-condition where inhibition and cognitive-flexibility were trained and the WM-training task was presented in placebo-mode , or to a full placebo-condition . Short-term and long-term ( 3-months ) effects of this gamified , 25-session , home-based computer-training were evaluated on multiple outcome domains . Results During training compliance was high ( only 3 % failed to meet compliance criteria ) . After training , only children in the full-active condition showed improvement on measures of visuospatial short-term-memory ( STM ) and WM . Inhibitory performance and interference control only improved in the full-active- and the partially-active condition . No Treatment-condition x Time interactions were found for cognitive-flexibility , verbal WM , complex-reasoning , nor for any parent- , teacher- , or child-rated ADHD behaviors , EF-behaviors , motivational behaviors , or general problem behaviors . Nonetheless , almost all measures showed main Time-effects , including the teacher-ratings . Conclusions Improvements on inhibition and visuospatial STM and WM were specifically related to the type of treatment received . However , transfer to untrained EFs and behaviors was mostly nonspecific ( i.e. , only interference control improved exclusively in the two EF training conditions ) . As such , in this multiple EF-training , mainly nonspecific treatment factors – as opposed to the specific effects of training EFs — seem related to far transfer effects found on EF and behavior . Trial Registration trialregister.nl NTR2728 . Registry name : improving executive functioning in children with ADHD : training executive functions within the context of a computer game ; registry number : NTR2728 Impaired executive function and impulsiveness or intolerance to boredom in adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) are thought to compromise performance at work . Several task parameters help people with ADHD to perform better on computerized cognitive tasks , namely reduced response-to-stimulus interval , discriminative feedback , or a format resembling a videogame . However , still very little is known about how these context s might be helpful in a real work environment . We developed a computerized task resembling a fast-paced videogame with no response-to-stimulus interval and constant and diverse discriminative error feedback . The task included several measurements of high-order executive function ( planning , working memory , and prospect i ve memory ) formatted as a single multitask simulating occupational activities ( SOA ) . We also administered the Continuous Performance Test-II ( CPT-II ) , a very simple vigilance task without discriminative feedback and with long response-to-stimulus intervals . We tested 30 adults answering to DSM-IV criteria of ADHD ( combined type ) and 30 IQ-matched adults without ADHD . As has been reported many times , the ADHD participants made significantly more errors of commission than the control participants on the CPT-II , whereas the two groups made the same number of errors of commission on the SOA . The ADHD group also sought discriminative feedback significantly more 
    Output:
    
We found that working memory and general executive functions were common targets for both gamified assessment and training .
Gamified tests were typically vali date d successfully , although mixed-domain measurement was a problem .
Gamified training appears to be highly engaging and does boost participant motivation , but mixed effects of gamification on task performance were reported .