Home › Research › Prevention trials
Cognitive training in neurological disorders: meta-analytic evidence for behavioral gains and neural correlates
Geng Li, Ying Liu, Chengzhen Liu, Yihan Zhang. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 2026-03-02
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Cognitive training produced a significant, moderate improvement in cognitive task performance (Hedges’ g = 0.451, 95% CI 0.207–0.696; p < .001). Neuroimaging meta-analysis showed increased task-evoked activation after training in the bilateral precuneus and the left precentral gyrus (L. PreCG) relative to controls. Only precuneus activation increases were associated with behavioral gains. Moderator analyses indicated reduced precuneus activation but increased L. PreCG activation during transfer relative to trained tasks, and reduced L. PreCG activation for adaptive versus fixed-difficulty training. Passive controls also showed stronger L. PreCG activation changes than active controls, whereas participant characteristics and training dose showed no significant effects. Cognitive training improved cognitive task performance and was accompanied by a convergent activation signature centered on the bilateral precuneus and the L. PreCG in neurological disorders. Precuneus engagement tracked cognitive gains, highlighting it as a candidate neural marker of training-related plasticity in this population.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Li, G., Liu, Y., Liu, C., & Zhang, Y. (2026). Cognitive training in neurological disorders: meta-analytic evidence for behavioral gains and neural correlates. Behavioral and Brain Functions. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12993-026-00323-3
Vancouver
Li G, Liu Y, Liu C, Zhang Y. Cognitive training in neurological disorders: meta-analytic evidence for behavioral gains and neural correlates. Behavioral and Brain Functions. 2026. doi:10.1186/s12993-026-00323-3. PMID: 41772608.
BibTeX
@article{li2026-41772608,
author = {Li, Geng and Liu, Ying and Liu, Chengzhen and Zhang, Yihan},
title = {{Cognitive training in neurological disorders: meta-analytic evidence for behavioral gains and neural correlates}},
journal = {Behavioral and Brain Functions},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1186/s12993-026-00323-3},
pmid = {41772608},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12993-026-00323-3}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Cognitive training produced a significant, moderate improvement in cognitive task performance (Hedges’ g = 0.451, 95% CI 0.207–0.696; p < .001).
- Neuroimaging meta-analysis showed increased task-evoked activation after training in the bilateral precuneus and the left precentral gyrus (L.
- Only precuneus activation increases were associated with behavioral gains.
- Moderator analyses indicated reduced precuneus activation but increased L.
- PreCG activation during transfer relative to trained tasks, and reduced L.
Why it matters
This meta-analysis found that cognitive training produced moderate improvement in cognitive task performance in neurological disorders, accompanied by increased activation in the precuneus and left precentral gyrus. Precuneus engagement tracked cognitive gains, suggesting it may be a neural marker of training-related plasticity.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Prevention →
Study details
- Study designmeta-analysis
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 51/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Behavioral and Brain Functions) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Behavioral and Brain Functions: journal h-index 95 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.5 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 0 / 4 | Last-listed author Yihan Zhang: h-index 4 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Southwest University: institution h-index 381 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41772608) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1186/s12993-026-00323-3
- PubMed: 41772608
- Original source →
- Free full text: Behavioral and Brain Functions →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Related studies in Prevention trials
Also tagged “controlled”
1,118 studies in the library carry the topic tag “controlled”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,118 tagged studies.