Cognitive training effects are shaped more by individual brain dynamics than age-evidence from younger and older women.

In 30 seconds

This randomized controlled trial examined EEG functional connectivity during task switching in 39 younger women aged 18–25 and 40 older women aged 60–75. Participants received eight individualized one-hour cognitive training sessions or no-contact control, with EEG measured before and after training across trained and near-transfer tasks. Age explained only a modest proportion of connectivity variance, while individual self-similarity was prominent, particularly among older participants. Group-level training effects were small and varied with individual neural profiles, indicating that connectivity responses differed substantially between people.

Key findings

• Age accounted for only a modest proportion of variance in functional connectivity; self-similarity was a dominant factor, particularly in older adults.
• Group-level training effects were small but strongly modulated by individual neural profiles.
• Participants engaged distinct, individual-specific network configurations across tasks, including within the same task.
• Older adults showed a shift from common toward individual network patterns, consistent with specialization and possible compensation.

Why it matters

The findings caution against assuming that age-group averages adequately describe cognitive aging or training responsiveness. Individual neural profiles may be more informative than age alone when interpreting connectivity patterns and responses to cognitive training. This supports research approaches that account for person-specific variation, while the reported neural findings do not establish corresponding clinical or functional benefits.

What to keep in mind

The study included only women and assessed EEG connectivity across task-switching paradigms; the abstract does not report evidence of broader clinical or functional outcomes.