Working Memory Training Following Neonatal Critical Illness: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives: To test the immediate and long-term effectiveness of Cogmed Working Memory Training following extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and/or congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Design: A nationwide randomized controlled trial assessing neuropsychologic outcome immediately and 1 year post Cogmed Working Memory Training, conducted between October 2014 and June 2017. Researchers involved in the follow-up assessments were blinded to group allocation. Setting: Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, and Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Patients: Eligible participants were neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and/or congenital diaphragmatic hernia survivors (8–12 yr) with an intelligence quotient greater than or equal to 80 and a z score less than or equal to –1.5 on at least one (working) memory test at first assessment. Interventions: Cogmed Working Memory Training, comprising 25 45-minute training sessions for 5 consecutive weeks at home. Measurements and Main Results: Participants were randomized to Cogmed Working Memory Training (n = 19) or no intervention (n = 24) (two dropped out after T0). Verbal working memory (estimated coefficient = 0.87; p = 0.002) and visuospatial working memory (estimated coefficient=0.96, p = 0.003) significantly improved at T1 post Cogmed Working Memory Training but was similar between groups at T2 (verbal, p = 0.902; visuospatial, p = 0.416). Improvements were found at T2 on long-term visuospatial memory following Cogmed Working Memory Training (estimated coefficient = 0.95; p = 0.003). Greater improvements in this domain at T2 following Cogmed Working Memory Training were associated with better self-rated school functioning (r = 0.541; p = 0.031) and parent-rated attention (r = 0.672; p = 0.006). Conclusions: Working memory improvements after Cogmed Working Memory Training disappeared 1 year post training in neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and/or congenital diaphragmatic hernia survivors. Gains in visuospatial memory persisted 1 year post intervention. Cogmed Working Memory Training may be beneficial for survivors with visuospatial memory deficits. Trial Registration NTR4571: https://ift.tt/2EqGKnm. Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal’s website (https://ift.tt/29S62lw). Supported, in part, by the Sophia Stichting Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek: S14-21 and Revalidatiefonds (project number: R2014006). Dr. Verhulst received funding from Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam. Dr. White’s institution received funding from Sophia Foundation. The remaining authors have disclosed that they do not have any potential conflicts of interest. For information regarding this article, E-mail: h.ijsselstijn@erasmusmc.nl Copyright © by 2018 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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