Psychological Influence on the Effects of Cognitive Training in an Individual with Emotional Distress

Abstract

Cognitive therapy can be an important part of a stroke survivor’s rehabilitation but the effects of psychological factors on its training outcome is unclear. This study investigated the neuroplastic effects of working memory training on a single stroke survivor who has emotional distress due to prolonged motor impairment. The participant completed a six-week auditory working memory training program at home. Neurocognitive tests and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) testing were conducted before and after training. Posttest neuroimaging results indicated increased neural efficiency for the trained task. However, there was no behavioral improvement on neurocognitive tests, and the participant’s motivation declined as the training progressed. This case study indicated that while the performance of the trained task could be improved due to automaticity of task practice, psychological factors might play a key role in limiting the transfer of learning to other cognitive skills. Nevertheless, more research is needed to determine if these findings can be replicated in a similar clinical population.