Posner 2005-Executive Attention Training & Transfer

[XFMQ902SF]

This predates Jaeggi 2008. From the NYT article it was said that
Jaeggi et al. developed an interest in wm training after seeing
transfer in adhd children in early 2000 in a Klingberg study. In this
study from 2005, children are training with a non-visual spatial task
and experience transfer to IQ, vocab and matrices. Specifically from
the paper:

"The task was to respond to the center fish by pressing a key in the
direction in which the fish pointed. On congruent trials, the flanking
fish pointed in the same direction as the center fish, and on
incongruent trials, the flanking fish pointed in the opposite
direction. The conflict score was obtained by subtracting congruent
from incongruent reaction times (RTs) (10). On the final day they
received the same assays as on day 1, except that the temperament
questionnaire was given to the caretaker to take home and return,
filling it out based on the 2 weeks after the final session."

Abstract
A neural network underlying attentional control involves the anterior
cingulate in addition to lateral prefrontal areas. An important
development of this network occurs between 3 and 7 years of age. We
have examined the efficiency of attentional networks across age and
after 5 days of attention training (experimental group) compared with
different types of no training (control groups) in 4-year-old and 6-
year-old children. Strong improvement in executive attention and
intelligence was found from ages 4 to 6 years. Both 4- and 6-year-olds
showed more mature performance after the training than did the control
groups. This finding applies to behavioral scores of the executive
attention network as measured by the attention network test, event-
related potentials recorded from the scalp during attention network
test performance, and intelligence test scores. We also documented the
role of the temperamental factor of effortful control and the DAT1
gene in individual differences in attention. Overall, our data suggest
that the executive attention network appears to develop under strong
genetic control, but that it is subject to educational interventions
during development.

http://www.pnas.org/content/102/41/14931.full

The full paper is available.