随着工作记忆缺损与各类精神疾病的关联被逐渐阐明,研究者开始关注工作记忆训练能否作为干预手段应用在精神疾病领域中。当前,在对ADHD、精神分裂症、抑郁、焦虑、成瘾障碍和自闭症患者进行的工作记忆训练中发现了训练近迁移、远迁移以及临床症状缓解的相应证据,以及直接(通过提升工作记忆能力起效)和间接(通过提升其他关联能力起效)两条效益路径。此外,一个针对精神疾病患者的有效训练范式应当就三个层面进行考察:训练的一般成分(即受训的核心加工过程),训练的疾病特异成分(例如情绪工作记忆训练);以及训练的辅助性成分(例如动机、策略、慢波睡眠等)。未来研究需要关注适用不同精神疾病的训练范式与程序,促进工作记忆训练的定制化,并且通过完善评估手段进一步澄清工作记忆训练在病患中的效益机制。
In recent years, working memory deficit has been found to be associated with various types of mental disorders, which prompted researchers to examine whether working memory training can be used as an intervention for psychiatric patients. Indeed, it has been found that working memory training increases near-transfer effects, far-transfer effects, and direct clinical benefits in patients with ADHD, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorder, addiction disorder, and autism, by directly enhancing working memory capacity or indirectly increasing other training related abilities. Moreover, due to the nature of mental disorders, an effective training program should take into account three aspects: general components, symptom/disorder-specific components (e.g., emotion working memory training), as well as auxiliary components (e.g., motivation, strategy, and slow wave sleep). Future studies should focus on developing tailored training paradigms and training procedures for psychiatric patients with different types and/or stages of disorders, and moving towards a personalized training procedure. Developing effective evaluation tools are also essential to understand the mechanisms of working memory training on improving symptoms and well-being of patients.