How does working memory training effect on memory performance in young people

Abstract

Abstract One of the indicators of the quality of medical education is good study performance which is very much influenced by the working memory capacity. Recent studies have reported that working memory can be improved after training. In this study, we were looking for association between working memory training and its performance among healthy students of Medical University. A total of 676 students participated: 346 in study group and 346 - in control. Reading span test was used for working memory training and Dual N-back test was used for results’ measuring. Memory training was held for 5 weeks. One-and-a-half-month training of memory (RAM) with reading span task (RST) statistically significantly increases the amount of working memory on average by 12.3 %: min on 9.9 %; max on 15.5 % (р<0.001). Тhe present study examined the relationship of working memory training and increasing of its volume in healthy young adults. Our findings indirectly confirm that training not only increases the amount of WM, but also develop other cognitive functions - improving auditory and spatial memory in parallel to visual one.

Keywords: medical students, working memory training, working memory.