Papers by Soledad Ballesteros
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Feb 1, 2021
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
The effectiveness of multidomain training compared to cognitive or physical training alone has be... more The effectiveness of multidomain training compared to cognitive or physical training alone has been controversial with some studies suggesting that combined interventions might produce synergetic effects. We conducted a three-level meta-analysis on the transfer effects of multidomain interventions versus cognitive and physical training alone. We obtained 1,070 effect sizes from 54 studies, involving 5.547 healthy older adults. Our results revealed a synergetic effect of multidomain training on executive functions, and larger effects on attention and memory than cognitive and physical training. Multidomain and single cognitive training produced similar effects on memory in comparison to physical training. We did not find differences in processing speed, verbal functions, and global cognition. Moderator analyses showed a complex pattern. In general, age, publication year, and study quality were not significant. We conclude that the combination of cognitive training with physical exerc...
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, May 23, 2022
European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, Feb 26, 2018
Neuroimaging studies suggest that when the brain ages, more areas are involved to perform a task ... more Neuroimaging studies suggest that when the brain ages, more areas are involved to perform a task in order to obtain the same results. This, together with the increase in crystalized intelligence and wisdom, is usually considered as a compensatory strategy. Research has demonstrated that physical activity might also act as a strategy and be one of the main factors that can slow down age-related perceptual and cognitive decline. Research also suggests that different types of physical exercise and sport lead to different changes in perceptual and cognitive skills as well as in several areas of the brain, especially those involving multiple domains, such as exergaming, dance or some sports. This review summarizes the findings of recent studies with older adults investigating the brain and cognitive benefits of different forms of physical exercise. Visuospatial attention, which plays a critical role in our daily lives, especially for older adults, is a central part of this analysis.
Journal of Alzheimer's disease & Parkinsonism, 2017
Journal of laboratory and precision medicine, 2017
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2018
Editorial on the Research Topic Cognitive and Brain Plasticity Induced by Physical Exercise, Cogn... more Editorial on the Research Topic Cognitive and Brain Plasticity Induced by Physical Exercise, Cognitive Training, Video Games, and Combined Interventions This Research Topic (RT) focused on recent research conducted in the field of cognitive and brain plasticity induced by physical activity, different types of cognitive training, including computerized interventions, learning therapy, video games, and combined intervention approaches as well as other forms of brain stimulation that target brain activity, including electroencephalography and neurofeedback. It contains 49 contributions to the topic, including original research articles (37), clinical trials (2), reviews (5), mini-reviews (2), hypothesis and theory (1), and corrections (2). The premise of neuroplasticity on enhancing cognitive functioning among healthy as well as cognitively impaired individuals across the lifespan, and the potential of harnessing these processes to prevent cognitive decline attract substantial scientific and public interest. Indeed, the systematic evidence base for cognitive training, video games, physical exercise, and other forms of brain stimulation such as entrain brain activity is growing rapidly, thus paving the way for research geared at better understanding the underlying mechanisms and translation to clinical practice (Raz and Lindenberger, 2013). Studies in this field might contribute to improve our knowledge on cognitive and brain plasticity and be of great help for designing effective cognitive-enhancement interventions (see Karbach and Schubert, 2013). It is well-known that brain plasticity and its role in brain adaptation across the lifespan are influenced by other changes occurring as a result of environmental factors, personality variables and genetic and epigenetic factors (see Ballesteros et al., 2015). To date, most cognitive training studies have focused on measuring gains immediately after training, typically demonstrating effects on the trained tasks or closely-related transfer measures (i.e., near transfer). Yet the potency of cognitive training depends on evidence of: (1) far transfer from training to untrained functions; (2) the durability of training effects, including what booster regimens are needed to maintain cognitive benefits in young and older adults; and (3) the extent to which cognitive training can affect clinically meaningful outcomes. Researchers are increasingly using cognitive training platforms and video games to investigate its impact on cognition and brain plasticity. Video game play is a very popular leisure activity. An interesting preliminary question is why consumers choose to download smartphones applications
Experimental Gerontology, Oct 1, 2016
The present study investigated whether the performance on executive function tasks of patients wi... more The present study investigated whether the performance on executive function tasks of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is as impaired as that of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and to compare their performance with that of a group of cognitively healthy older adults. We also investigated whether glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c, a measure of glucose regulation) are related to performance on executive control tasks. Methods: Three groups of participants (AD, T2DM, and healthy older adults) completed medical and psychological evaluations and performed a series of computerized tasks, including processing speed (simple and choice reaction time) tasks, verbal and visuospatial working memory (WM) updating (n-back) tasks, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), to assess processing speed and executive functioning. Results: As expected, the results showed that AD patients performed significantly worse than the healthy older adult group in all tasks. Executive functions deteriorated in the two groups of patients but more in the AD group. The T2DM group differed from healthy older controls but not from AD patients in the percentage of perseverations and the percentage of perseverative errors (WCST). Conclusions: These findings revealed working memory (updating and maintenance) and executive control declines in the T2DM compared to healthy older controls but smaller than that suffered by the AD patients. The impairment of executive processing of T2DM patients despite the glycosylated hemoglobin control suggests that these patients are at risk of developing AD.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 18, 2020
Findings suggest a positive impact of bilingualism on cognition, including the later onset of dem... more Findings suggest a positive impact of bilingualism on cognition, including the later onset of dementia. However, it is not clear to what extent these effects are influenced by variations in attentional control demands in response to specific task requirements. In this study, 20 bilingual and 20 monolingual older adults performed a task-switching task under explicit task-cuing vs. memory-based switching conditions. In the cued condition, task switches occurred in random order and a visual cue signaled the next task to be performed. In the memory-based condition, the task alternated after every second trial in a predictable sequence without presenting a cue. The performance of bilinguals did not vary across experimental conditions, whereas monolinguals experienced a pronounced increase in response latencies and error rates in the cued condition. Both groups produced similar switch costs (difference in performance on switch trials as opposed to repeating trials within the mixed-task block) and mixing costs (difference in performance on repeat trials of a mixed-task block as opposed to trials of a single-task block), but bilinguals produced them with lower response latencies. The cognitive benefits of bilingualism seem not to apply to executive functions per se but to affect specific cognitive processes that involve task-relevant context processing. The present results suggest that lifelong bilingualism could promote in older adults a flexible adjustment to environmental cues, but only with increased task demands. However, due to the small sample size, the results should be interpreted with caution.
Neuropsychologia, Jun 1, 2019
The pathophysiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) involves deficits in perfo... more The pathophysiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) involves deficits in performance monitoring and adaptive adjustments. Yet, the developmental trajectory and underlying neural correlates of performance monitoring deficits in youth with ADHD remain poorly understood. To address the gap, this study recruited 77 children and adolescents with ADHD and 77 age-and gender-matched healthy controls (HC), ages 8-18 years, who performed an arrow flanker task during electroencephalogram recording. Compared to HC, participants with ADHD responded more slowly and showed larger reaction time variability (RTV) and reduced post-error slowing; they also exhibited reduced error-related negativity (ERN) and error positivity effects, and reduced N2 and P3 congruency effects. Age effects were observed across groups: with increasing age, participants responded faster, with less variability, and with increased post-error slowing. They also exhibited increased ERN effects and increased N2 and P3 congruency effects. Increased RTV and reduced P3 amplitude in incongruent trials were associated with increased ADHD Problems Scale scores on the Child Behavior Checklist across groups. The altered behavioral and ERP responses in ADHD are consistent with the pattern associated with younger age across groups. Further research with a longitudinal design may determine specific aspects of developmental alteration and deficits in ADHD during performance monitoring.
Psychological Research-psychologische Forschung, May 24, 2018
In two experiments, we investigated the interactions between the grouping principles of spatial p... more In two experiments, we investigated the interactions between the grouping principles of spatial proximity and texture similarity in touch. For that purpose, we adapted to touch two paradigms widely employed in vision. In Experiment 1, we used an experimental phenomenological task consisting of rating the strength of grouping in both acting alone and conjoined cooperative and competitive conditions. In Experiment 2, participants performed a psychophysical task in which an objective (in)correct response was defined by selectively attending to one grouping cue in different blocks of trials. The results showed that spatial proximity dominated over texture similarity when the two principles were conjoined in competition. In addition, the present results are compatible with an additive model of grouping effects as indicated by the greater grouping effect in the cooperative condition and the smaller grouping effect in the competitive condition relative to a.0cting alone grouping principles. The similarities and differences between vision and touch are discussed.
PLOS ONE, Jul 19, 2018
Behavioral and neurophysiological findings in vision suggest that perceptual grouping is not a un... more Behavioral and neurophysiological findings in vision suggest that perceptual grouping is not a unitary process and that different grouping principles have different processing requirements and neural correlates. The present study aims to examine whether the same occurs in the haptic modality using two grouping principles widely studied in vision, spatial proximity and texture similarity. We analyzed behavioral responses (accuracy and response times) and conducted an independent component analysis of brain oscillations in alpha and beta bands for haptic stimuli grouped by spatial proximity and texture similarity, using a speeded orientation detection task performed on a novel haptic device (MonHap). Behavioral results showed faster response times for patterns grouped by spatial proximity relative to texture similarity. Independent component clustering analysis revealed the activation of a bilateral network of sensorimotor and parietal areas while performing the task. We conclude that, as occurs in visual perception, grouping the elements of the haptic scene by means of their spatial proximity is faster than forming the same objects by means of texture similarity. In addition, haptic grouping seems to involve the activation of a network of widely distributed bilateral sensorimotor and parietal areas as reflected by the consistent event-related desynchronization found in alpha and beta bands.
Research Square (Research Square), May 15, 2023
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a signi cant psychological impact worldwide. The COVI... more Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a signi cant psychological impact worldwide. The COVID-19 Peritraumatic distress index (CPDI) is widely used to assess psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although CPDI has been validated in Peru and Spain, no cross-cultural validation studies have been conducted. As an exploratory aim, differences in CPDI factorial scores between the most prevalent medical conditions in two samples from a general population of Peru and Spain were investigated. Materials and Methods We conducted secondary data analysis with data from Peru and Spain to validate the CPDI in a crosscultural context. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), con rmatory factor analysis (CFA), and multigroup con rmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) were performed to evaluate the factor structure and measurement invariance of the CPDI across cultural contexts. Results This study revealed a bifactorial solution (stress and rumination/information) for the CPDI, consistent with previous studies. The MGCFA demonstrated measurement invariance across cultural contexts (scalar invariance), indicating that the CPDI construct has the same meaning across both groups, regardless of cultural context and language variations of Spanish. Patients with anxious-depressive disorders showed higher CPDI factorial scores for both factors, whereas patients with respiratory diseases were only associated with the stress factor. Conclusion This study provides evidence for the cross-cultural validity of the CPDI, highlighting its utility as a reliable instrument for assessing psychological stress in the context of COVID-19 across different cultures. These ndings have important implications for developing and validating measures to assess psychological distress in different cultural contexts.
Implicit and explicit memory for attended and unattended objects at different delay conditions
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 1997
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
Objective Demographic changes encompass societies to maintain the work ability (WA) of aging work... more Objective Demographic changes encompass societies to maintain the work ability (WA) of aging workforces. The present study explored the relationship between modifiable lifestyle factors, cognitive functions, and their influence on WA, using a multi-group structural equation approach. Method Cross-sectional data from 247 middle-aged and 236 older employees from the Dortmund Vital Study were included in this analysis. We proposed a model with three exogenous variables (Physical Fitness, Cognitive Functions, and Social Life), and with WA as the endogenous variable. WA was measured with the Work Ability Index (WAI), which considers job demands and individual physical and mental resources. Multi-group analyses were based on the principles of invariance testing and conducted using robust estimation methods. Results Results revealed that Social Life outside work had significant positive effects on WA in both, middle-aged and older adults. Physical Fitness had a significant effect on WA onl...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Previous research has shown that physical exercise improves memory. In the present study, we inve... more Previous research has shown that physical exercise improves memory. In the present study, we investigated the possible effects of the intensity of physical exercise as a function of the affective valence of words on implicit memory. In the study, 79 young adult volunteers were randomly assigned to perform moderate- (50% VO2max) or high-intensity exercise (80% VO2max) on a stationary bike. Once the required exercise intensity was achieved, participants performed an affective and repetition priming task concurrently with the physical exercise. Both groups showed similar repetition priming. The moderate-intensity exercise group showed affective priming with positive words, while affective priming was not found in the high-intensity exercise group. Facilitation occurred in both groups when a negative target word was preceded by a positive prime word. Our results suggest that the positive effect of physical exercise on memory is modulated by the affective valence of the stimuli. It seems...
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2022
Research has shown that both physical exercise and cognitive training help to maintain cognition ... more Research has shown that both physical exercise and cognitive training help to maintain cognition in older adults. The question is whether combined training might produce additive effects when the group comparisons are equated in terms of exercise intensity and modality. We conducted a systematic electronic search in MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases to identify relevant studies published up to February 2021. Seven hundred and eighty-three effect sizes were obtained from 50 published intervention studies, involving 6,164 healthy older adults, and submitted to a three-level meta-analysis. Results showed that combined training produced a small advantage in comparison to single cognitive training on executive functions, whereas both types of training achieved similar effects on attention, memory, language, processing speed, and global cognition. Combined training achieved higher training gains in balance than single physical traini...
Psicothema, 2018
Background: Previous research has shown repetition priming for objects between vision and touch, ... more Background: Previous research has shown repetition priming for objects between vision and touch, environmental sounds and pictures in young and older adults. Methods: This preliminary study investigated whether repetition priming exists for edible stimuli and if it is preserved in healthy older adults and older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (Experiment 1). Experiment 2 investigated whether cross‐modal repetition priming between taste and olfaction is preserved with age and cognitive impairment. Results: The results of Experiment 1 showed signifi cant repetition priming effects for edible stimuli presented to taste, but there was a significant decrease in performance with age and cognitive decline. Experiment 2 showed cross‐modal taste to olfactory priming in young adults and healthy older people, but the performance of older adults with MCI did not differ from zero. Again, identification decreased signifi cantly in older adults and was absent in those with MCI. Conclus...
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2020
Findings suggest a positive impact of bilingualism on cognition, including the later onset of dem... more Findings suggest a positive impact of bilingualism on cognition, including the later onset of dementia. However, it is not clear to what extent these effects are influenced by variations in attentional control demands in response to specific task requirements. In this study, 20 bilingual and 20 monolingual older adults performed a task-switching task under explicit task-cuing vs. memory-based switching conditions. In the cued condition, task switches occurred in random order and a visual cue signaled the next task to be performed. In the memory-based condition, the task alternated after every second trial in a predictable sequence without presenting a cue. The performance of bilinguals did not vary across experimental conditions, whereas monolinguals experienced a pronounced increase in response latencies and error rates in the cued condition. Both groups produced similar switch costs (difference in performance on switch trials as opposed to repeating trials within the mixed-task bl...
Trials, 2020
Background: Previous research suggests that both cognitive training and physical exercise help to... more Background: Previous research suggests that both cognitive training and physical exercise help to maintain brain health and cognitive functions that decline with age. Some studies indicate that combined interventions may produce larger effects than each intervention alone. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of combined cognitive and physical training compared to cognitive training and physical training alone on executive control and memory functions in healthy older adults. Objectives: The main objectives of this four-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) are: to investigate the synergetic effects of a simultaneous, group-based multidomain training program that combines cognitive video-game training with physical exercise, in comparison to those produced by cognitive training combined with physical control activity, physical training combined with cognitive control activity, or a combination of both control activities; to investigate whether event-related potential latencies of the P2 component are shorter and N2 and P3b components assessed in a memory-based task switching task are enhanced after training; and to find out whether possible enhancements persist after a 3-month period without training. Methods: In this randomized, single-blind, controlled trial, 144 participants will be randomly assigned to one of the four combinations of cognitive training and physical exercise. The cognitive component will be either video-game training (cognitive intervention, CI) or video games not specifically designed to train cognition (cognitive control, CC). The physical exercise component will either emphasize endurance, strength, and music-movement coordination (exercise intervention, EI) or stretching, toning, and relaxation (exercise control, EC). Discussion: This RCT will investigate the short and long-term effects of multidomain training, compared to cognitive training and physical training alone, on executive control and memory functions in healthy older adults, in comparison with the performance of an active control group.
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Papers by Soledad Ballesteros